Lady 'Sam' Fairbairn, (1942-2002)
Michael Rhodes
2002, was the widow of Sir Nicholas Fairbairn of Fordell, QC, MP, the
Conservative MP for Perth and Kinross, and a former Solicitor-General
for Scotland, who died in 1995.
Known to the gossip columns as Lady Sam Fairbairn, she was, for 14
years, chatelaine of the fairy-tale 13th century Fordell Castle, Fife.
She was born in Pakistan in 1942 as Suzanne Mary Wheeler, the daughter
of a professional soldier, and spent her formative years in Kenya,
returning to Britain to marry her first husband when she was just 18.
Her only son, Callum, was born a year later. She and her husband,
Alistair, embarked on a peripatetic life living in Nigeria, Singapore,
Germany and then Scotland.
Whilst still married to her first husband she first encountered
Nicholas Fairbairn. They met in Edinburgh, and finally married in
1983.
Fairbairn was Conservative MP for Kinross and Perthshire West,
October, 1974-1983, and for Perth & Kinross from 1983. He had served
as Solicitor-General for Scotland, 1979-82. However outrageous his
behaviour - his constant infidelities, and routinely calling other MPs
'twerps' or 'hags' and describing women who brought rape cases as
'tauntresses' - she stood by him.
She nursed her husband devotedly before he died in February, 1995,
from cirrhosis of the liver. Scarcely was the funeral over, however,
than she learnt that he had a secret son, conceived during the early
days of their marriage. 'It makes mourning easier,' she claimed at the
time.
She subsequently sold Fordell Castle, talked of reverting to her
maiden name, and burnt Sir Nicholas's wardrobe of clothes. She also
later found herself in dispute with Sir Nicholas's three daughters
from an earlier marriage whom, on his deathbed, he had cut out of his
will. Her response was to give the children (including the
'love-child') Ł10,000 apiece and their pick of the castle's contents -
and then disappear into hiding.
Her home in later years was a rented Sussex cottage. She also invested
in several racehorses.
She is survived by her son, and by three grandchildren, Robbie, Poppy
and Jamie.
A Requiem Mass takes place at St Joseph's Roman Catholic Church,
Peebles, on Friday 1 February, 2002, at 11 a.m.
...Michael Rhodes.
Edwin King
>
> Lady Fairbairn, who died at Borders General Hospital, 27 January,
> 2002, was the widow of Sir Nicholas Fairbairn of Fordell, QC, MP, the
> Conservative MP for Perth and Kinross, and a former Solicitor-General
> for Scotland, who died in 1995.
>
> She nursed her husband devotedly before he died in February, 1995,
> from cirrhosis of the liver.
The Daily Telegraph (of all papers!) said in it's paragraph announcing
the death that it also was related to "her fight against alcehol
addition".
Edwin
cudd...@gmail.com
Bob Martin
>I am related to her, she is my great, great, great, great grandmother. My great grandmothers great g
>randmother. so yeah