Lords Forbes (c.1442)

 

1st Lord Forbes, Alexander Forbes, b.c.1380, a.c.1442, d.1448

 

The name Forbes comes from the Gaelic Ferbasach, meaning bold man, and is of ancient origin in the Pictish North-East of Scotland. Alexander’s grandfather John Forbes of that Ilk had been made Sheriff of Aberdeen by Robert III. The precise date of the peerage is not known exactly but Alexander is referred to as Lord Forbes in a precept dated 1442.

 

2nd Lord Forbes, James Forbes, b.?, a.1448, d.c.1461

 

Son of the 1st Lord and Lady Elizabeth Douglas, daughter of George Douglas, 1st Earl of Angus.

 

3rd Lord Forbes, William Forbes, b.?, a.c.1461, d.c.1483

 

Son of the 2nd Lord and Egidia Keith, daughter of William Keith, 1st Earl Marischal.

 

4th Lord Forbes, Alexander Forbes, b.?, a.b.1483, d.c.1491

 

Son of the 3rd Lord and Lady Christian Gordon, daughter of Alexander Gordon, 1st Earl of Huntly. He married Margaret Boyd (b.b.1468, d.1516), daughter of Thomas Boyd, 1st Earl of Arran and Princess Mary Stewart, but he died young and had no children.

 

5th Lord Forbes, Arthur Forbes, b.?, a.c.1491, d.1493

 

Younger brother of the 4th Lord. He also died young.

 

6th Lord Forbes, John Forbes, b.b.1483, a.1493, d.1547

 

Younger brother of the 4th and 5th Lords. He married three times, firstly to Catherine Stewart, daughter of John Stewart, 1st Earl of Atholl, secondly to Christian Lundin, daughter of Sir John Lundin of that Ilk, and thirdly to Elizabeth Barlow, widow of Alexander Elphinstone, 1st Lord Elphinstone. was accused of treason in 1536 and held in Edinburgh Castle, though he was later released.

 

7th Lord Forbes, William Forbes, b.?, a.1547, d.1593

 

Son of the 6th Lord and Christian Lundin. His older brother John Forbes, Master of Forbes (b.?, d.1537) was beheaded for treason, and in compensation, William was treated well by the state and became a Gentleman of the Bedchamber in 1539.

 

8th Lord Forbes, John Forbes, b.1542, a.1593, d.1606

 

Son of the 7th Lord and Elizabeth Keith, daughter of Sir William Keith of Inverugie. He was a Privy Counsellor in 1593-1594 and fought for the King at the Battle of Glenlivet.

 

9th Lord Forbes, John Forbes, b.c.1570, a.1606, d.1606

 

Son of the 8th Lord and Margaret Gordon (b.?, d.1606), daughter of George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly. He was influenced by his mother and joined a religious order. He died soon after succeeding his father and is sometimes not counted in the sequence of lords.

 

10th Lord Forbes, Arthur Forbes, b.1581, a.1606, d.1641

 

Half-brother of the 9th Lord, being a son of the 8th Lord and his second wife Janet Seton (b.?, d.1616).

 

11th Lord Forbes, Alexander Forbes, b.?, a.?, d.1672

 

Son of the 10th Lord and Jean Elphinstone (b.1582, d.1628), daughter of Alexander Elphinstone, 4th Lord Elphinstone. He served in the Swedish Army before returning to Scotland during the Civil Wars, fighting against the Catholics in Ireland. He was later held prisoner in England and returned to Sweden on his release.

 

12th Lord Forbes, William Forbes, b.?, a.1672, d.1697

 

Son of the 11th Lord and Anne Forbes, daughter of Sir John Forbes of Pitsligo.

 

13th Lord Forbes, William Forbes, b.c.1689, a.1697, d.1716

 

Son of the 12th Lord and Jean Campbell (b.?, d.1666), daughter of Sir John Campbell of Cawdor. He reached the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the Horse Guards. He supported the Glorious Revolution and was a Privy Counsellor by William of Orange. He was also a supporter of the Act of Union.

 

14th Lord Forbes, William Forbes, b.?, a.1716, d.1730

 

Son of the 13th Lord and Anne Brodie, daughter of James Brodie of Brodie.

 

15th Lord Forbes, Francis Forbes, b.1721, a.1730, d.1734

 

Son of the 14th Lord and Dorothy Dale, daughter of William Dale of Covent Garden.

 

16th Lord Forbes, James Forbes, b.1689, a.1734, d.1761

 

Younger brother of the 14th Lord.

 

17th Lord Forbes, James Forbes, b.c.1725, a.1761, d.1804

 

Son of the 16th Lord and Mary Forbes, daughter of Alexander Forbes, 3rd Lord Forbes of Pitsligo. He reached the rank of Captain in the 26th Foot Regiment in 1746 and was Grand Master of the Freemasons from 1754 to 1755.

 

18th Lord Forbes, James Ochoncar Forbes, b.1765, a.1804, d.1843

 

Son of the 17th Lord and Catherine Innes (b.?, d.1805), daughter of Sir Robert Innes, 6th Baronet Innes of Balvenie. He joined the Coldstream Guards in 1781 and reached the rank of Major General in 1802 and of Lieutenant-General in 1808. He was Colonel of the 94th Foot Regiment from 1809 to 1816 and thereafter Colonel of the 21st Foot Regiment (Scots Fusiliers) and reached the rank of General in 1819. He was a Representative Peer from 1806 to his death and High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland from 1825 to 1830.

 

19th Lord Forbes, Walter Forbes, b.1798, a.1843, d.1868

 

Son of the 18th Lord and Elizabeth Hunter (b.1775, d.1830). He served in the Coldstream Guards and fought at the Battle of Waterloo, where he is reckoned to have been the youngest serving officer. His older brother, James Forbes, Master of Forbes (b.1796, d.1835), also fought at Waterloo but died unmarried.

 

20th Lord Forbes, Horace Courtenay Gammell Forbes, b.1823, a.1868, d.1914

 

Son of the 19th Lord and Horatia Shaw (b.1799, d.1862), daughter of Sir John Gregory Shaw, 5th Baronet Shaw of the City of London. He was a Representative Peer from 1874 to 1906. He died unmarried.

 

21st Lord Forbes, Atholl Monson Forbes, b.1841, a.1914, d.1916

 

Younger brother of the 20th Lord.

 

22nd Lord Forbes, Atholl Laurence Cunyngham Forbes, b.1882, a.1916, d.1953

 

Son of the 21st Lord and Margaret Alice Dick-Cunyngham (b.?, d.1943), daughter of Sir William Dick-Cunyngham, 8th Baronet Dick-Cunyngham of Lambrughton. He fought in the Second World War and reached the rank of Captain in the Grenadier Guards. He was a Representative Peer from

 

23rd Lord Forbes, Nigel Ivan Forbes, b.1918, a.1953

 

Son of the 22nd Lord and Lady Mabel Anson (b.1882, d.1972), daughter of Thomas Francis Anson, 3rd Earl of Lichfield.  He reached the rank of Major in the Grenadier Guards and was invested as a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE). He is the the premier ranked lord in the Scottish Peerage and is also Chief of the Name and Arms of Forbes.

 

The courtesy title for the heir is Master of Forbes.

 

(Last updated: 24/03/2010)