Fairfield. Mrs

Submitted by edpope on

call on mrs Fairfield 31.3.1798 with Basil Montagu / 23.5.1814 mrs Fairfield calls (& Sarah Elwes)

Eliza (nee Massey or Morsey? Ancestry user-submitted tree) wife of George Fairfield, whose will PCC 1822 barred his wife and children and left all to Margaret Ann Cook spinster of The Cottage, Bexley Kent. He died at Bexley 26.7.1821 aged 62. The obvious inference is that Miss Cook was his mistress but she might have been a goddaughter or other protegee. However his widow was not penniless; the Morning Post of 2.3.1804 reported that Mrs Fairfield of Hertford St had given a select party of fashionables, and on 25.6.1822 after her husband's death she gave a ball in Baker Street. On 7.9.1804 her elegant daughters were mentioned as accomplished dancers at the Assembly Rooms, Margate. She died 31.1.1852 at the residence of her daughter Mrs Davis of Plymtree, Devon, at an advanced age, relict of George Fairfield of Walton Bridge House, Middlesex. This was probably in Shepperton, see Old Bailey Online 1799, and Oracle 7.1.1799 which reports that the lady of George Fairfield of Walton Bridge had given birth to a son on 29.12.1798. A Mrs Fairfield appeared in Boyle's 1800 at 10 Charles St, Middlesex Hospital so the couple may have been estranged about the time of the birth of that son. Montagu and Godwin's call would have been about the time of his conception. She had five other children and would have been about 43 in 1799 if the Ancestry user-submitted tree has her birth year correct. George Fairfield was at school at Harrow 1774-6 (see Harrow School Reg) and lived in France before the Revolution when he employed Robespierre as his lawyer.

Another Mrs Fairfield was a perfumer of 15 Adam St Adelphi who died 14.10.1800, her will probably PCC 1801, her husband had probably been John Fairfield hairdresser of Adam St who voted for Fox and Horne Tooke in 1790. A Thomas Fairfield hairdresser of Adam st was named as the father of an as yet unborn illegitimate child by Sarah Wooley in 1791. The perfumer could obviously not have been the 1814 caller.

James Fairfield will PCC 1807 late of Somerset Street Portman Sq but then of Sunderland had married Catherine Cook at St Geo Han Sq 20.3.1795. His will mentioned his "only wife" Catherine Cooke otherwise Fairfield and barred Judith Carrol and her son "commonly called Joseph Fairfield". A James Fairfield was in the Kings Bench prison from 21.10.1800 to 17.9.1801 shortly afterwards followed by a Styles Fairfield. On 20.1.1810 at St Giles in the Fields James Fairfield's widow married John Rhodes bachelor and in her will PCC 1834 she was called Catherine wife of John Rhodes, tailor, formerly Catherine Fairfield, widow. She could obviously not have been the 1814 caller.