[Illustration] "The truly ancient family of Fairfax," as Camden styles it, is supposed to be of Saxon origin, and to have been seated at Torcester in Northumberland at the period of the Conquest. In 1205 (sixth of John,) Richard Fairfax, the first of the family proved by evidence, was possessed of the lands of Ascham, not far from the City of York. His grandson William purchased the Manor of Walton in the West Riding, which continued for near six hundred years, till the extinction of the elder male line of the family in the person of Charles Gregory Fairfax, tenth Viscount Fairfax of Ireland, in 1772, the inheritance of his descendants. From a younger son of Richard Fairfax, of Walton, Chief Justice of England in the reign of Henry VI. the present family is descended, as well as Fairfax of Denton, Baron Fairfax of Cameron in Scotland (1627,) who represents an elder line,* and who resides in the United States of America. Steeton was the gift of the Chief Justice to Sir Guy Fairfax, his third son, the founder of this branch of the family, and here he erected a castle in 1477. See Lodge's Peerage of Ireland, ed. 1754, vol. ii. p. 397. ARMS.--_Argent, three bars gemelles gules, surmounted by a lion rampant sable, crowned or_. Present Representative, Thomas Fairfax, Esq. * He is descended from the _eldest_ son of Sir William Fairfax of Steeton, who died in 1557. NORTON OF GRANTLEY, BARON GRANTLEY 1782. [Illustration] The pedigree begins with Egbert Coigniers, whose son Roger was living in the ninth year of Edward II., and was father of another Roger, who marrying the heiress of Norton of Norton, their son took that name; sixth in descent was Richard Norton, who joined with the Earls of Northumberland and Westmerland in the Rebellion of the North in 1569, and thereby caused the destruction of almost every branch of his family. He was attainted in the twelfth of Elizabeth, and died in exile in Spain. The present family descend from Sir Fletcher Norton, Speaker of the House of Commons, descended from Edmund Norton of Clowcroft, third son of old Richard Norton, which Edmund had taken no part in the Northern Rebellion. An elder branch, also descended from the third son of Sir Richard, and believed to be now extinct, was of Sawley near Ripon, from the period of Charles I. See Brydges's Collins, vol. vii. p. 546; Whitaker's Richmondshire, vol. ii. p. 182; and "Memorials of the Rebellion of 1569." ARMS.--_Azure, a maunch ermine, over all a bend gules_. In the reign of Edward II., Sir John de Conyers bore, _Azure, a maunch or, and a hand proper_. Sir Robert de Conyers at the same period reversed the colours, bearing, _Or, a maunch azure, and a hand proper_. Monsieur Robert Conyers in the reign of Richard II. bore, _Azure, a maunch or charged with an annulet sable_. (Rolls of the dates.) Present Representative, Fletcher Norton, 3rd Baron Grantley. SAVILE OF METHLEY, EARL OF MEXBOROUGH IN IRELAND 1765; AND BARON POLLINGTON 1753.