forbes3

FORBES.

The following lineage of the Forbes family and branches is copied from various entries in Burke's Peerage & Baronetage, 105th Edition, which is in Poole library. The copy was made by Eardley Bryan on 24th June 1991.
It will be seen that some of the earlier entries do not agree with the Forbes lineage chart that was compiled by Alfred Monroy Montanaro and published in 1885.

Baron Forbes, in Scotland, Premier Baron in the Peerage of Scotland.
The lands of Forbes, in Aberdeenshire, described as "duthus" or chief's tribe land of the Forbes family, were originally held alloidially (and traditionally by "first occupation"), and were apparently feudalised in 1271 2, when,
DUNCAN DOMINUS DE FORBES has a charter of the lands of Forbes and Kern as a baronial fief from Alexander III, in the 23rd year of his reign (1272). His son,
JOHN DE FORBES, gave homage to Edward I, 12 March 1295/6, but was subsequently, apparently, a supporter of The Bruce, and Governor of Urquhart Castle, 1305, (from the non adherence of John and Christian del Ard), and who traditionally fell in 1305, leaving by his wife (possibly a dau. of John del Ard), a posthumous son,
JOHN DE FORBES of that Ilk, witness to two charters of the Earl of Mar in 1359, and who d. before 1362, leaving,
SIR ALEXANDER FORBES, of that Ilk, gave in 1362 a vari coloured altar front to the chapel of St. Anne in the Church of St. Nicholas at Aberdeen, and d. before 3 July, 1364, leaving,
JOHN DE FORBES, of that Ilk, had a charter from Thomas, Earl of Mar, of the lands of Edinbanchory and Craiglogy, which was confirmed by DAVID II, 3 July, 1364, and 15 Nov. 1374, in which latter year he was Sherrif of Aberdeen. The Bishop of Moray granted by charter 18 July, 1378, the lands of Findrassie to him and his wife Margaret. His son,
SIR JOHN FORBES, of that Ilk, who s. before 20 Aug 1387, and by further acquisitions increased the family possessions, was knighted before 6 April 1391, and d. before 20 Nov. 1406, having four sons,
   1. ALEXANDER, his heir.
   2. William (Sir), of Kinaldy, who m. Agnes, dau. of Sir William Fraser, of Philorth, with whom he obtained Pitsligo, and was ancestor of the Lords of Pitsligo (see BURKE'S Dormant and Extinct Peerages).
   3. John (Sir), obtained Tolquhoun by marriage with Marjory, dau. and co heir of Sir Henry Preston of Formartin, and was ancestor of the Forbes of Tolquhoun, Foveran, Waterton, and Culloden.
   4. Alaster Cam, obtained Brux by marriage with Katherine, dau. and co heir of Sir Ewan Cameron, and was ancestor of the Forbes of Brux.
   Sir John was s. by his eldest son,
SIR ALEXANDER FORBES, 1st Lord Forbes, who, in 1408, accompanied Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar, and Sir Walter Lindsay in an expedition into England to tilt with Lord Beaumont and other English knights. He had a safe conduct to go to France and visit JAMES I with the English Army there, 1421. He had a charter of the lands and barony of Forbes 16 Oct, 1423, and was made a Lord of Parliament as LORD FORBES, before 1 July, 1445. In 1436 he gave a cover of green velvet for the Alter of St. Ann in St. Nicholas Church in Aberdeen. He m. Elizabeth, only dau. of George Douglas, Earl of Angus, and grand dau. of Robert III, and d. in 1448, having by her, who m. 2ndly, Sir David Hay of Yester, had issue,
   1. JAMES, 2nd Lord.
   2. William, Provost of St. Giles, Edinburgh.
   1. Annabella, m. 1445, Patrick, Master of Gray.
   2. Margaret, m. Meldrum of Fyvie.
   3. Elizabeth, m. Alexander Irvine, of Drum.
   His son and successor,
JAMES, 2nd Lord Forbes, had, in 1456, a licence to fortify his castle of Druminor, commonly called Forbes, then the chief seat of the family (the name of Castle Forbes has since been transferred to Putachie). He m. Egidia, dau. of the 1st Earl Marischal, and had, with another son,
   1. WILLIAM, 3rd Lord.
   2. Duncan, m. Christian, dau. of Mercer of Balliel, and widow of Gilbert Skene, of that ilk, and was ancestor of the Forbes of Corsindae and Moneymusk (see STUART FORBES, Bt)
   3. Patrick, of Corse, ancestor of the Forbes of Craigievar, and the EARLS OF GRANARD.
   1. Egidia, m. Malcolm Forbes of Tolquhoun.
   His Lordship d. before 30 July, 1462, and was s. by his eldest son.

The lineage then continues along the line of the Lords Forbes. We leave them there and look at the lineage of the Earls of Granard on page 1153.
THE HON. PATRICK FORBES, armour bearer to KING JAMES III, 3rd son of the 2nd Baron Forbes and Egidia, his wife, dau. of William Keith 1st Earl Marischal (see KINTORE, E.), and grandson of 1st Baron Forbes by Elizabeth his wife, only dau. of 1st Earl of Angus, and Grand dau. of Robert III. He had a charter of Corss 10 Oct. 1482, and founded the house of Forbes of Corss. His son,
DAVID FORBES, of Corss, called "Trail the Axe", was father of PATRICK FORBES, infeft in 1554, who m. Marjory Lumsden and was s. by his son,
WILLIAM FORBES, of Corss, who m. Elizabeth Strachan, dau. of the Laird of Thornton, and had issue. 1. Patrick, Bishop of Aberdeen, b. 1564, d. 1635; 2. William of Craigievar, ancestor of FORBES of Craigievar; 3. John, minister of Delft, in Holland; 4. Alexander; 5. James; 6. ARTHUR (Sir), of whom we treat; and 7, Robert.

This lineage then continues along the line of the Earls of Granard, so we will leave it and join the lineage of SEMPILL on page 2402. There is a certain amount of repetition, but we have the line which interests us extended by one more generation. (Note the different spelling of Corss and Corse.)
PATRICK FORBES, of Corse, Armour bearer to JAMES II, 3rd son of James, 2nd Lord Forbes, had a charter from the Crown of Coull, Kincraigie, and Corse, the barony Oneil, 1482.
DAVID FORBES of Forthirbirss, as son of Patrick, had the same lands confirmed to him in 1506, and in 1511 they were (except Coull, which he resigned) erected in his favour into the Barony of Oneil. His son, by his wife Elizabeth Panter,
PATRICK FORBES, of Corse, m. Marjory, dau. of Lumsden, of Cushny, and was father of,
WILLIAM FORBES, of Corse, who d. 1596, having m. Elizabeth Strachan of Thornton, by whom he had, with other issue,
   1. PATRICK of Corse, Bishop of Aberdeen, 1618 35. b. 1564, famous for his piety and bearing, m. Lucretia, dau. of Spens of Warmiston. His son John Forbes, Professor of Theology in Aberdeen Univ. (expelled from his chair by the Covenanters), was father of George Forbes, of Corse. The male line of Bishop Forbes failing in the following generation, the family estate devolved on the issue of the next brother.
   2. WILLIAM, of Menie and Craigievar, who made a large fortune by mercantile pursuits abroad, purchased Craigievar from John Mortimer, in 1610, and finished the beautiful castle of Craigievar, which Mortimer had begun. He m. Margaret, dau. of Nicol Udward, provost of Edinburgh, and d. Dec 1627, having had issue,
       1. WILLIAM, (Sir), 1st Bt.
       2. Robert (Sir), of Newton, m. Margaret Lindsay.
       3. John, Parson of Kincardine.
       4. James, m. dau. of Burnet of Cowcardie. (This is the line that leads to the Montanaro/Paske/Walkey interest.)
   3. John. Parson of Alford, deprived for his adherence to Presbytery, settled in Delft, Holland, m. Christian dau. of Barclay of Mathers, and had issue, 1. Arthur; 2. Patrick, Bishop of Caithness, 662 80.
   4. Arthur (Sir), a Baronet of Nova Scotia, and father of the 1st EARL OF GRANARD.

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