A System of Heraldry - Clan Strachan Society

, muzzled
OF FOUR- LOOTED BEASTS.
The surname of FORBES with us bears azure ; three bears' hc;ui< ompcd
gules. These of this name are said, by our historian-., to be originally
from one Ochonacher, \vho tame from Ireland, and, for killing a wild bear, took
the name Forbear, now pronounced Forbes. Skene, in his Treatise de Verborum
Signifaatiotie, at the title Liberitm Teneirientum, tells us, that Duncan Forboi-, got
from King Alexander (but tell.s us not which of the Alexander'-) a charter of th-
lands and heritage of Forbois in Aberdeenshire. And Mr Crawfurd, in his Peerage;
says, by an original charter in the custody of the Lord Forbes, Fergus, the son of
John, got the lands of Forbes from King Alexander II. from whence the sur-
name. The next to be met witli of this family was Alexander Forbes, Governor
of the Castle of Urquhart in Murray ; he defended it bravely for a long time against
Edward 1. of England, who at lust took it, and put all within it to the sword ;
but the Governor's lady, says Hector Boece, being with child, escaped to Ireland,
and there brought forth a son called Alexander, who was the chief and raiser of
the name again, and who came to Scotland, in the reign of Robert the Bruce, to seek
to others for their
his father's heritage, but could not get it, being before given
good services ; but in lieu of it he got other lands. This Alexander Forbes of that
Ilk was killed at the battle of Duplin, fighting for the interest of King David
Bruce against Edward Baliol.
The next of the family I have met with is
Joannes Forbes de eodern, miles, wit.
ness in a charter which- I have seen, (now penes Comitem de Mortoun) of Isabel
Countess of Marr, of the lands of Bonjedworth, to Thomas Douglas, son of John,
and her beloved sister Margaret, of the date the ioth of November 1404. Which
Sir John Forbes married a daughter of Kennedy of Dunnure, by whom he had three
sons, Alexander Forbes his successor, William the ancestor of Pitsligo, and John
the founder of the family of Tolquhon.
Which ALEXANDER was father of James who was knighted by King James III.
and was the first Lord FORBES. He had two sons by a daughter of William Earl
Marischal, William his successor, and Patrick the first of the family of Corse.
William, second Lord Forbes, married Christian Gordon, a daughter of the Earl
of Huntly ; and with her he had four sons, Alexander, Arthur, and John, all
three successively Lords, and Duncan, ancestor of the Forbesses of Corsindae ; the
first two died without issue, and John became Lord Forbes, to whom King James
IV. gives a charter of confirmation of the barony of King-Edwards, wherein
that King tells, that these lands " fuerunt quondam AJexandri Forbes militis,
"
proavi & predecessoris dicti Johannis Domini Forbes, per hereditariam infeoda-
"
tionem, chartam & sasinam, dicto quondam Alexandra, per quondam Johan-
" nem Stewart Comitem Buchanue, & baroniae de Kinedward, desuper confectam
u cum confirmatione progenitoris nostri Jacobi Regis primi, sub magno sigillo ;"
for which see Haddington's Collections, p. 389. Of whom is descended the present
Lord Forbes, who carries azure, three bears' heads couped argent, muzzled gules,
supported by two greyhounds argent, collared gules ; crest, a stag's head attired,
proper : motto, Grace me guide.
The armorial bearings of the cadets of this family which I have met with in
our ancient and modern books are these :
FORBES Lord PITSLIGO carries quarterly, first and fourth Forbes, with a crescent
for difference ; second and third azure, three cinquefoils argent, for Frazer ; supporters,
two bears, proper ; crest, a : falcon, proper motto, Altius ibunt qui ad
summci nituntur. And at other times, for a crest, a hand holding a sword, proper;
with the motto, Nee timidenec teniere.
The first of this family was Sir WILLIAM FORBES, second brother to Sir Alexander
Forbes of that Ilk. In the reign of King James- I. he married Margaret
Fraser, only daughter of Sir William Fraser of Philorth, and got with her these
lands, for which the family quarters the Frasers' arms with their own and the
;
family was afterwards dignified with the title of Lord Pitsligo by King Charles I.
the 24th of June 1633, in the person of Sir Alexander Forbes ; of him is lineally
descended Alexander the present Lord Pitsligo.
FORBES of Corsindae, descended of Duncan Forbes, fourth son of William Lord
Forbes, carried the Forbcss's arms, with a crescent for difference; and for crest^,
a bear's head ; with the motto, Spe expecto. Font's MS.
4 M