Isabel Fairfax

Isabel Thwaites was born circa 1510? In Denton or Otley?, Yorkshire. She was the daughter & sole heir to Thomas Thwaytes of Denton by Emota Middleton..

Isabel Thwaites married Sir William Fairfax, son of William Fairfax and Elisabeth Manners, circa 1518 in Bolton Percy. Isabel's elopement from Nun Appleton Priory was the subject of a poem by Andrew Marvell. The couple later acqured the Priory, turing it into the family home (which it remained until the late twentieth century) as well as BoltonPercy and Bilborugh.

Isabel was of Denton, Askwith, and Bishop Hill and Davy Hill, York. She was made an heiress by her brother, John Thwaits. Her mother was daughter and heir of Nicholas Middleton. Isabel was the ward of the abbess of Nun Appleton. The story of the romance of Sir William and Isabel Thwaits was printed in the Baltimore Sun on 15 Jan 1903 and reads as follows:

“A romance equal to the Scottish ballad of Young Lochinvar twines about his marriage. The young Sir William Fairfax loved and was loved in return by Isabel Thwaits, a beautiful Yorkshire heiress, who was guarded like a rare flower within the walls of a Cisterclan nunnery, on the River Wharge. She was under the care of the Abbess, Anna Langton. The abbess was not slow to perceive the blossoming of love’s springtime between her ward and the gallant young knight. Hence she prohibited all meetings between the pair, and the young suiter, finding supplication, diplomacy and even commands from those in high authority unavailing, stormed the nunnery in warlike fashion, captured the willing lady of his heart, carried her off in triumph to Bolton Percy Church, and without loss of time or speech with her abbess guardian made her his wife. Since all the world loves a lover the Ainsty region rang with rejoicings over the match, and Isabel Fairfax and her gallant knight lived happily ever after. Through his wife, William acquired Denton Castle and through her descendants the nunnery where she was confined was wrestled from the abbess, and Nun-Appleton, built upon its sight was afterward the home of Thomas Fairfax, 3rd baron, whose daughter’s wooing was less tempestuous, but whose married life as Duchess of Buckingham was full of sorrow. The hothead himself, Sir William Fairfax was less patient with others of a like nature. Upon his death, he was succeeded by his second son, the eldest having died. Sir Thomas Fairfax of Denton who received that estate from his mother, but who lost Steeton Castle to his youngest son, Gabriel. The unruly son Thomas had offended his father by aiding the Duke of Bourbon at the sacking of Rome, hence his name is not even mentioned in the will. This will, copies of which still exist, is a curious document, in which the son fallen under the father’s displeasure is never mentioned”.

Isabel Thwaites was buried in Bolton Percy.

Children of Isabel Thwaites and Sir William Fairfax

1. Francis Fairfax
2. Susan Fairfax
3. Andrew Fairfax
4. Edward Fairfax
5. Guy Fairfax b. 1519, d. a 1584
6. Sir Thomas Fairfax (of Denton)+ b. 1521, d. 28 Jan 1599/0
7. Henry Fairfax b. s 1525, d. c 1599
8. Gabriel Fairfax b. s 1525
9. Mary Fairfax (Rockley)
10. Ursula Fairfax (Vavasour) b. s 1530
11. Anne Fairfax (Everingham) b. b 1558

Links

• http://www.linleyfh.com/oursecondsite-p/p852.htm#i20714
• http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/marvellsociety/newsletter/j-mark-heuman...