The Fairfax family owned the village for generations. Sir Thomas Fairfax, eldest son of Ferdinando, 2nd Lord Fairfax, is probably the most notable of the Fairfax family linked to the village.

He commanded a troop of Yorkshire Dragoons in the first Bishops War and also fought in the second Bishops War. In 1641 he was knighted for his services.

In the run up to the First Civil War when King Charles was in dispute with Parliament Sir Thomas and his Father Lord Fairfax sided with the Parliamentarians.

When the First Civil War broke out Lord Fairfax was in charge of Parliament's Northern Association army with Sir Thomas as second in command.

Sir Thomas gained a reputation as a courageous and gallant commander and by 1645 Parliament voted to appoint him as commander-in chief of the New Model Army. In 1647 he was appointed as commander-in-chief of all of Parliaments land forces.

On the death of his father in 1648, he succeeded as 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron.

In 1649 he was appointed as Lord-General of Commonwealth land forces in England and Ireland. However, when asked to lead a pre-emptive invasion of Scotland against Charles II in 1650 he resigned as commander-in-chief of the New Model Army stating that he would defend England from invasion but did not wish to attack a country linked by the Solemn League and Covenant.

After the collapse of the protectorate in 1659, Thomas Fairfax assisted in the negotiations for the restoration of Charles II to the throne. He was elected as MP for Yorkshire and provided the horse for Charles II at his coronation.

He lived quietly until his death in 1671 at his Yorkshire home of Nunappleton Hall and was buried alongside his wife Anne in the 15th century chapel of the church of St James in Bilbrough.