Living Family Archive

Mr. William Fairbanks

Biography

The family line is said to be traceable to him in Yorks, England in 1445.

Timeline

1445
Earliest stated Fairbanks family trace
The passage says the family line can be traced back to him here.
History of the Guild Family

Stories mentioning Mr.

Across the Atlantic to a Lasting Family HomeThe family traces its line to Mr. William Fairbanks in Yorks in 1445, then recounts Jonathan Fayerbanke's marriage to Grace Smith Lee, their seven children, and their voyage to Boston in his own ship in 1633. Jonathan moved to Contentment in 1636, built the enduring Dedham house, acquired land, joined the township covenant and eventually the church, and prospered as a farmer. The house is described as America's oldest standing timber frame dwelling, a National Landmark continuously owned by the family and never mortgaged, with replicas including one at Boston Commons. The passage also describes the wider family's political activity, Patriot and Union service, and slaveholding by some landed members. It retains inconsistent arrival chronology and contradictory wording about Jonathan's death relative to Grace's.

Referenced in

History of the Guild Family — EARLY HISTORY OF THE FAIRBANKS FAMILY

Family corrections

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