Clan Forbes Society Blogs

Few surviving sporting scrapbooks preserve the daily life of Ireland's Edwardian hunting world as vividly as that of Lady Eva Mary Margaret Forbes. Compiled during the opening year of the twentieth century, her album records not only horses and hunts but the people, landscapes, and social traditions of a vanished Anglo-Irish society.

The Vanishing Laird: Scotland's Elusive Jacobite, Lord Forbes of Pitsligo is available worldwide from Amazon! This is a remarkable collection of stories gathered by Jim and Liz Taylor, continuing an oral tradition that has echoed for generations along the northern coast of Aberdeenshire. These tales center on the life and legend of Alexander Forbes, fourth Lord Pitsligo, (1678–1762) who remains one of the most beloved figures in Scottish memory. He was a laird of compassion

By Paul Moore, Gainesville, Florida Detail of Engagement at the North Bridge in Concord, Amos Doolittle. Credit: Concord Museum, Concord, MA This year, the United States marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. For some, this was a revolutionary break. For others, this was a gradual separation due to Britain's century of "salutary neglect," according to Edmund Burke in his “Speech on Conciliation with America” in the Ho

For over thirty years, Jean and Robert Forbes of Dallas, Texas, shaped the cultural landscape of Scottish arts in the American Southwest. Their names became synonymous with excellence in Highland dance and piping, but their true legacy lies in the generations of young people they inspired, the communities they built, and the traditions they safeguarded with unwavering devotion.

Bart Forbes is a distinguished American painter and illustrator whose career has spanned more than five decades and who has become one of the most recognized figures in sports art and commercial illustration in the United States. Known for his loose yet realistic style, Forbes’s work has been featured in major magazines and institutional collections, and he has earned recognition from some of the most prominent art institutions in America.

Frances Mary Forbes (née Petre) does not feature prominently in historical accounts of the Forbes family. However, the traces she left in ledgers, mortgages, and probate books reveal a woman whose authority ran deeper than the public roles available to her.

Lady Adelaide Jane Frances Forbes was born in 1860 as the eldest daughter of George Forbes, 7th Earl of Granard, and Jane Frances Grogan-Morgan. Lady Jane was the Wexford heiress whose family seat would eventually pass to Lady Adelaine.

The book Leapin Lena: A Small Ship at War, 1942–45 (Murson Holdings Pty Ltd, 2020), chronicles the remarkable life of the ketch Forbes Brothers, built in 1912 by John Ernest Forbes and his brothers on Lake Macquarie, New South Wales. Originally a sail-powered vessel used in South Australia's Spencer Gulf, she was later renamed Leprena and nicknamed "Leapin Lena." The ship served with the United States Army Small Ships Section during World War II, supporting operations in New

John Forbes of Alford was a Scottish theologian and clergyman whose life spanned one of the most turbulent periods in the religious and political history of Scotland. A staunch Presbyterian and a man of principled conviction, Forbes is remembered for his unwavering dedication to the Reformed faith, his role in ecclesiastical conflicts with the monarchy, and the legacy he left through his writings.

In the bustling port city of Helsingør during the height of the Sundtoldstiden (Sound Toll Era), one of the earliest documented Scots to settle in Denmark was William Forbes, also known as Willum Forbus. Forbes was born sometime before 1474 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. His grandfather was likely Duncan Forbes, a “natural” (illegitimate) son of Sir William Forbes, 1st laird of Pitsligo. In about 1500, Forbes established himself as a merchant in Ålborg. He later became a Council

Lady Angela St. Clair-Erskine at her debut By Jonathan Forbes, Viscount Forbes Lady Angela Forbes (1876–1950), was born to the St Clair-Erskine family, daughter of the 4th Earl of Rosslyn. In 1896, she married Charles John Forbes, a grandson of Sir Charles Forbes, 3rd Baronet of Newe. The couple had two daughters (Burke, 2003, p. 340). Eventually Lady Angela and John Forbes got divorced (Percy, 2007). At the time, divorce was a significant social stigma, nonetheless Lady Ange

The Forbes family of Boston were descended from the Forbes of Newe through a minister in East Florida. They married into the wealthy merchants called the “Boston Brahmins” and became themselves wealthy traders.

Alexander Forbes was born in 1564 as the son of John Forbes, 2nd laird of Ardmurdo, and his wife Helen Graham of Morphie. His grandfather William Forbes, third son of William Forbes of Little Kildrummy, had acquired the estate of Ardmurdo in the parish of Keith Hall in about 1500. (Tayler, Alistair and Henrietta. 1937. House of Forbes. Edinburgh: Third Spalding Club.)

Thanks to a Forbes, the Church of Saint Giles in Edinburgh was elevated to the status of St. Giles Cathedral. King Charles I was so impressed with a sermon by the Right Reverend William Forbes that he created the Episcopal Diocese of Edinburgh, raised Saint Giles Kirk to a Cathedral, and appointed Forbes as the First Bishop of Edinburgh. William was born in 1585 to William Forbes, a burgess in Aberdeen, in a cadet family of the Forbes of Corsindae. (Keith, Robert. 1824. An Hi

By B. R. Forbes, Clan Historian & Storyteller Stanhope Alexander Forbes (1857-1947) was an influential artist of the Victorian Age. He is known for his paintings, and as the co-founder, with his wife Elizabeth, of the Forbes School at Newlyn. Both Stanhope and Elizabeth were highly regarded for their skills in painting and illustration. Stanhope was born November 18, 1857, in Dublin, Ireland, to William Forbes and Juliette de Guise Forbes. His father was considered to have

From recorded Scottish history in the13th century until today, members of the House of Forbes have amply demonstrated their military prowess in service to their country. The Forbeses were well represented in many crucial battles throughout Scottish history and achieved recognition for their military leadership skills throughout the world. This tradition continues into the 20th and 21st century as we salute the Forbeses in the Military. Atholl Laurence Cunyngham Forbes, 21st L

By B. R. Forbes, Clan Historian & Storyteller Alastair “Cam” is generally considered to be the fourth and youngest son of Sir John “of the Black Lip” (c. 1350 - c.1387) but mystery surrounds his true relationship due to his given name. The name “Alastair” (also spelled Alister and Alistair) is the Gaelic version of “Alexander,” the same as his older “brother.” Gaelic families often give the same name to another child if the first has died. However, naming two children the sam

By B. R. Forbes, Clan Historian & Storyteller John “Ian Roy” Forbes lived up to the Forbes of Skellater motto "Solus inter plurimos” ("Alone among many”) by forging his own path as a skilled warrior outside the country of his birth. John “Ian Roy” Forbes of Skellater The lands of Skellater were granted to George Forbes, second son of William Forbes, 2nd Laird of Barnes which was a cadet of Towie, itself a cadet of Brux. His son William Forbes, 2nd laird of Skellater, (1615 –

By B. R. Forbes, Clan Historian & Storyteller Archibald Forbes may be the most-decorated war correspondent to have ever lived. From the Russian Order of St Stanislaus to the Prussian Iron Cross via awards for services in Afghanistan, the litany of medals Forbes accumulated testifies to his prolific journalistic record and the wide geographic span of his reporting. (“War Reporters: Archibald Forbes.” The Past: Military History. September 14, 2019) Archibald Forbes was born on

By B. R. Forbes, Clan Historian & Storyteller Rev. Robert Forbes attempted to join the Jacobite army in 1745 – but was arrested and imprisoned for the entire coup attempt by “Bonnie Prince Charlie.” Stuart’s defeat at the Battle of Culloden did not daunt Bishop Forbes’s zeal for the Jacobite cause. In 1747, he began collecting materials that would eventually become the ten volumes of what he called The Lyon in Mourning, or A Collection of Speeches Letters Journals Etc. Relati