Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron

Thomas Fairfax was Parliament’s leading field commander and the first commander-in-chief of the New Model Army. His victories, especially at Marston Moor and Naseby, were decisive in the First English Civil War.

Fairfax commanded the New Model Army from its formation in 1645 but opposed the execution of Charles I and withdrew from the king’s trial; he resigned his command in 1650 rather than lead an invasion of Scotland.

Rosemary Sutcliff’s The Rider of the White Horse follows Thomas Fairfax through the English Civil War from the perspective of his wife Anne. His victories at Marston Moor and Naseby and his command of the New Model Army are set against wounds, exhausting campaigns and the political strain placed on a soldier whose military success helps create a revolution he does not wholly control.