JAMES FORBES
The first confirmed record of James Forbes from whom my line of Forbes
descends, dates back to 1652 in a census of the residents of Hartford in the
Colony of Connecticut. A map from the anniversary book of the FIRST
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH records of East Hartford places James as having
property there in 1660.
A check of all the available sailing company passenger manifestos was made
for the period of 1648 -1652 and there was no record of James to be found.
It is
believed therefore that James became a prisoner of the English during the
civil war between Scotland and England 1647-1649 and that James was
transported to America to serve in an indentured capacity (probably the
Massachusetts Bay Colony) for 2 years.
There is no record of how or why he relocated to Connecticut.
"Commemorative Biographical Record of Hartford County,
Connecticut" J.H. Beers &
Co. (1901), page 690:
"Captain James FORBES, of Caithness, Scotland, was a younger son of Duncan Forbes,
first Laird of Culloden, and provostof Inverness, and brother
of John FORBES, second Laird of Culloden. James FORBES was
captain in the Royal army, and
fought under Montrose. He
was captured at the battle of
Philiphaugh, near Selkirk,
Scotland, in 1645, and for a time was imprisoned in the
Tower of London, then banished to America. He reached Hartford,
Connecticut in 1654, and for many years, until his death, was a
prominent resident of the Colony."
"Genealogies & Biographies
of Ancient Wethersfield"
Volume II, by Henry Reed
Stiles, (1904), page 330:
FORBES, JAMES, b. prob. in
Scotland, m. Catteran (Catharine) _____; sett.
prob. at Burnside, in E. Htfd., Ct., abt. 1645? where he d.
intestate, 27 Nov., 1692; adm. gr. on his est. at Htfd., 11
Jan., 1702-3; he is said to have settled
first at Windsor, Ct., Hinman credits him with 15 children. in all;
but those mentioned below are
all which appear in Prob. Ct. Recs.
There are indications that
James Forbes of East Hartford., was the Capt. James Forbes, of
Culloden, Scotland, who m. Agnes Munro,in 1643, and by her had
children. who "came to be men and women," and
that "Catteran"
was his second wife.
"Directory
of Scottish Settlers in North America, 1625-1825"
by David Dobson, (1993),
Page 50:
FORBES, JAMES - Born in Scotland. Possibly
a Cromwellian prisoner transported
to America after the
Battle of Dunbar in 1650. Resident at
Goodwin's farm by 5 August
1659. Married Katherine in Hartford c 1660. Father
of John, Mary, Sarah. David, Dorothy,
and James, born 1677. Died on 27 March 1692.
http://www.scotwars.com/html/battle_of_dunbar.htm
WILLIAM FORBES, of Craigievar, 2nd
son of William Forbes, 4th Baron o'Neil and Laird of Corse, born
1566, died 1635; m. Margaret Udward d. of the Lord Provost, of
Edinburgh, and had issue. WILLIAM, from whom is descended the present Baronet (see Burke's
Peerage, etc)
ROBERT (SIR), of Newton.
JOHN (PARSON), of Kincardine.
JAMES (CAPTAIN). And three daughters.
JAMES (CAPTAIN), the youngest son of Sir William
Forbes, of Craigievar, m. a sister of Burnet, of
Cowcardie, by whom he had issue.
The first of
the Forbes of Culloden,
Inverness-shire,
was Duncan Forbes, great-grandfather of the celebrated Lord President
Forbes, descended from the noble family of Forbes through that of
Toquhoun, and by the mother's side from that of Keith, Earl Marischal.
He was M.P. and provost of Inverness, and purchased the estate of
Culloden from the laird of Mackintosh in 1626. He died in 1654, aged 82.
Duncan Forbes, the first of Culloden, married Janet, eldest daughter of
James Forbes of Corsindae, also descended from the noble family at the
head of the clan, and had, his heir, Captain James Forbes of Caithness,
and Captain Duncan Forbes of Assynt.
Further research has shown that Captain James Forbes may have been buried in Scotland. If this is true then our James Forbes could not have been Captain James Forbes. I will look into the matter further.
According to Skene, in his treatise De Verborum Significatione, Duncan Forbois got from King Alexander (but which of the three kings of that name is not mentioned) a charter of the lands and heritage of Forbois in Aberdeenshire, whence the surname. In the reign of King William the Lion, John de Forbes possessed the lands of that name. His son, Fergus de Forbes, had a charter of the same from Alexander, Earl of Buchan, about 1236. Next of this race are Duncan de Forbes, his son, 1262, and Alexander de Forbes, grandson, governor of Urquhart castle in Moray, which he bravely defended for a long time, in 1304, against Edward I of England; but on its surrender all within the castle were put to the sword, except the wife of the governor, who escaped to Ireland, and was there delivered of a posthumous son. This son, Sir Alexander de Forbes, the only one of his family remaining, came to Scotland in the reign of Robert the Bruce, and his patrimonial inheritance of Forbes having been bestowed upon others. he obtained a grant of other lands instead. He was killed at the battle of Duplin, in 1332, fighting valiantly on the side of King David, the son of Bruce. From his son, Sir John de Forbes, 1373, all the numerous families in Scotland who bear the name and their offshoots, trace their descent.
http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/dtog/forbes2.html
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