The Famous Faces of Clan Forbes

Alexander Forbes was the 1st Lord Forbes, making his claim to fame the origin of the title. After fighting in the Battle of Harlaw in 1411, the Earl of Mar presented Sir Alexander with the lands of Forbes in Aberdeenshire. It was on these lands that Castle Forbes was built. Today, his legacy remains as Castle Forbes is still the Clan seat. In addition to creating and holding the title of Lord Forbes, after 1436, he was created a Lord of Parliament. Alexander’s wife, Lady Elizabeth, was actually a granddaughter of King Robert III of Scotland.

Duncan Forbes, 5th Laird of Culloden, was born in 1685 and he inherited his title and the Culloden Estate in 1734. As Laird of Culloden, Duncan Forbes was not a Jacobite supporter and when Bonnie Prince Charlie arrived in Scotland in 1745 and began laying siege to various areas, Forbes sought refuge on the Isle of Skye. Of course, Culloden House was used by Charles Stuart for the remaining duration of the uprising. When Lord Culloden returned home following the infamous Jacobite defeat at Culloden, he found the estate looted. Despite his alliance with the British Crown during the uprising, Duncan Forbes was largely unsupportive of the acts surrounding the Highland Clearances that restricted the wearing of Highland dress.

Anne Forbes was born in the incredibly significant year of 1745 in Inveresk. When she was 15 years old, her talent for drawing was discovered and was sent to study art in Italy under Scottish artists Gavin Hamilton and James Nevay. After returning to Scotland, she was appointed Portrait Painter to the Society of Antiquaries in Edinburgh in 1788. You can find her portraits on display at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, the National Galleries of Scotland, and the University of Aberdeen. Definitely one on my list when I next head up north!

David Forbes was a Scottish ethnologist, botanist, and explorer. He is well known as a sugarcane plantation manager on the island of Hawaii. His impressive work consisted of forestry, agronomy, and horticulture. His early work was in private estate nurseries of Moray and soon after in Edinburgh. In 1905, he became the first district forester of South Kohala, later being appointed a judge in Waimea. Also in 1905, he discovered the greatest collection of Polynesian artefacts ever found in what is known today as Forbes Cave.

More well known as B.C. Forbes, this famous face from Aberdeenshire gives the Forbes name its international popularity. This St. Andrew’s University graduate founded Forbes magazine in 1917. Prior to this, Forbes began his career as a reporter and editorial writer with a local newspaper. In 1901, when he moved to South Africa, where he worked on the Rand Daily Mail. A few years later, he emigrated to New York City where he worked as a writer and financial editor at various publications. Still owned by the Forbes family, Forbes magazine HQ is located in New Jersey, USA. It features original articles on finance, industry, investing, technology, and marketing.

Esther Forbes was a beloved children’s writer, novelist, and historian. She won both the Pulitzer Prize and the Newbery Medal. In addition, Esther was the first woman elected to membership in the American Antiquarian Society. Her interest in American Revolutionary era history sprung from her parents, who were both historians, and her own familial relations -- Samuel Adams, leader of the Sons of Liberty, was her great-uncle! Her historical biography, Paul Revere and the World He Lived In, won her the 1943 Pulitzer Prize in History. In 1944, her most famous children’s work, Johnny Tremain, won the Newbery Medal.

Though we don’t know what this famous face looked like, his claim to fame as the first Forbes in America begs for his inclusion in our blog! John Forbes lived from 1608 to 1661 and was actually born in Holland. As the son of a Puritan who moved from Aberdeen to Holland seeking refuge from the Church of England, Forbes was primed to join the Puritans on the ship called Talbot to sail to their new community in the Plymouth Colony. He arrived in the colony as an indentured tradesman, but after seven years, he acquired land and eventually earned freedom from his indentured servitude. After John, there were generations of Forbes in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Thank you for paving the way for our own journey across the sea to America, John!