Forbes baronets

There have been five baronetcies created for people with the surname Forbes, four in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia and one in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. The first holder of the Burn baronetcy of Jessfield, created in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom in 1923, assumed the surname of Forbes-Leith of Fyvie in 1925.

Forbes, later Stuart-Forbes, of Monymusk (1626)

The Forbes baronetcy, of Pitsligo and Monymusk in the County of Aberdeen, was created in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia on 30 March 1626 for William Forbes, with remainder to heirs male whatsoever.^[1] He was a descendant of Duncan Forbes, second son of James Forbes, 2nd Lord Forbes (see the Lord Forbes). The eighth Baronet assumed the additional surname and arms of Hepburn. He was the heir general of the last Lord Forbes of Pitsligo (his ancestor, the fourth Baronet, having married Hon. Mary, daughter of Alexander Forbes, 3rd Lord Forbes of Pitsligo). His only child, Harriet Williamina, married Charles Henry Rolle Trefusis, 20th Baron Clinton. On the Baronet's death in 1828 the Forbes of Pitsligo estates passed to his daughter and son-in-law (see the Baron Clinton). The seventh Baronet married Williamina Wishart, only child and heiress of Sir John Belshes Wishart (later Stuart), 4th Baronet. The tenth Baronet assumed the additional surname of Stuart.

Baronets

• 1st 1626–c. 1650: William Forbes, 1st Baronet (d. c. 1650, son of William Forbes of Monymusk)
• 2nd c. 1650–c. 1680: William Forbes, 2nd Baronet (d. c. 1680)
• 3rd c. 1680–c. 1700: John Forbes, 3rd Baronet (d. c. 1700)
• 4th c. 1700–c. 1720: William Forbes, 4th Baronet (d. c. 1720)
• 5th c. 1720–1743: William Forbes, 5th Baronet (d. 1743)
• 6th 1743–1806: William Forbes (1739–1806)
• 7th 1806–1828: William Forbes, 7th Baronet (1773–1828)
• 8th 1828–1866: John Stuart Hepburn Forbes, 8th Baronet (1804–1866)
• 9th 1866–1906: William Forbes (1835–1906, nephew of John Stuart Hepburn Forbes and son of Charles Hay Forbes)
• 10th 1906–1927: Charles Hay Hepburn Stuart-Forbes (1871–1927)
• 11th 1927–1937: Hugh Stuart-Forbes (1896–1937)
• 12th 1937–1985: Charles Edward Stuart-Forbes, 12th Baronet (1903–1985)
• 13th 1985–present: William Daniel Stuart-Forbes (b. 1935)

The heir apparent is the present holder's son Kenneth Charles Stuart-Forbes, Younger of Pitsligo (born 1956).
The heir apparent's heir apparent is his only son Samuel Alexander Murray Stuart-Forbes (born 1989).

Forbes, of Castle Forbes (1628)

The Forbes baronetcy, of Castle Forbes in the County of Longford, was created in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia on 29 September 1628 for Sir Arthur Forbes, 1st Baronet.^[2] He was the great-great-grandson of the Hon. Patrick Forbes, third son of the aforementioned James Forbes, 2nd Lord Forbes. His son, the second Baronet, was elevated to the Peerage of Ireland as Earl of Granard in 1684.

Baronets

See the Earl of Granard

Forbes, of Craigievar (1630)

 

Craigievar Castle

The Forbes baronetcy, of Craigievar in the County of Aberdeen, was created in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia on 20 April 1630 for William Forbes.^[3] He was also a descendant of Hon. Patrick Forbes, third son of the second Lord Forbes, and the nephew of the first Baronet of the 1628 creation. The fourth Baronet represented Aberdeenshire in the House of Commons. The fifth Baronet married the Hon. Sarah Sempill, eldest daughter of Hugh Sempill, 12th Lord Sempill. Their grandson, the eighth Baronet, succeeded as seventeenth Lord Sempill in 1884 (see Lord Sempill for earlier history of this title). The titles remained united until the death of his grandson, the nineteenth Lord and tenth Baronet, in 1965.

At that time great controversy arose. As the 10th Baronet only had female issue, the barony and the baronetcy had to be separated. He was succeeded in the lordship by his daughter (see Lord Sempill for later history of this title) but the baronetcy had to pass to a male successor. His youngest sibling, a trans man,^[4] had changed his legal gender from female to male by petitioning the Sheriff of Aberdeen in 1952, becoming Ewan Forbes-Sempill, and assumed the right of succession. A male cousin challenged Ewan's right to the title, but after a two-year legal dispute the title was succeeded by Ewan as Sir Ewan Forbes, 11th Baronet (the Sempill surname was dropped on his request). On his death in 1991 the title was then inherited by the same person who had challenged the legality of the succession, his cousin Sir John Alexander Cumnock Forbes, 12th Baronet.

On the death of Sir John A. C. Forbes in 2000, the baronetcy was inherited by a kinsman, Andrew Iain Ochoncar Forbes (1945), the only son of Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Walter Forbes OBE, elder son of Lieutenant Colonel James Ochoncar Forbes, younger son of James Ochoncar Forbes, younger brother of the 8th baronet and 17th Lord Semphill.^[5] However, the baronetcy is on the dormant list of the Standing Council of the Baronetage, as the 13th baronet has not yet established his claim to the title. In 1984 the 13th baronet married Jane Elizabeth Dunbar-Nasmith, a daughter of Rear-Admiral David Dunbar-Nasmith, and they had two sons, James and David Forbes, and two daughters, Isabel and Anna Elizabeth Abercrombie Forbes.

 

Portrait of Sir John Forbes, 2nd Baronet of Craigievar.

Baronets

• Sir William Forbes, 1st Baronet (died 1648)
• Sir John Forbes, 2nd Baronet (1636–1703)
• Sir William Forbes, 3rd Baronet (1660 – c. 1730)
• Sir Arthur Forbes, 4th Baronet (1709–1773)
• Sir William Forbes, 5th Baronet (1755–1816)
• Sir Arthur Forbes, 6th Baronet (1784–1823)
• Sir John Forbes, 7th Baronet (1785–1846)
• William Forbes, 17th Lord Sempill, 8th Baronet (1836–1905) (succeeded as 17th Lord Sempill in 1884)
• John Forbes-Sempill, 18th Lord Sempill, 9th Baronet (1863–1934)
• William Francis Forbes-Sempill, 19th Lord Sempill, 10th Baronet (1893–1965)
• Sir Ewan Forbes, 11th Baronet (1912–1991)
• Sir John Forbes, 12th Baronet (1927–2000)
• Sir Andrew Forbes, 13th Baronet (1945–2023)^[6]
• Sir James Patrick Ochoncar Forbes, 14th Baronet (born 1986)

The heir presumptive is David Ian Ochoncar Forbes (born 1993), younger brother of the present holder.

Forbes, of Foveran (1700)

 

Sir Arthur Forbes (1784–1823), 6th Bt of Craigievar, painted by Gilbert Stuart.

The Forbes baronetcy, of Foveran, was created in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia on 10 April 1700 for Samuel Forbes. The title became dormant on the death of the third Baronet in circa 1760.

Baronets

• Sir Samuel Forbes, 1st Baronet (1653–1717), son of Alexander Forbes of Foveran, who d. 1697
• Sir Alexander Forbes, 2nd Baronet (died before 1755), son of the 1st Baronet
• Sir John Forbes, 3rd Baronet of Knaperna (d. c. 1760), second cousin and heir male, being son and heir of Samuel Forbes of Knaperna, by Margaret, daughter of Hew Crawford, of Jordan Hill which Samuel was son of John Forbes, of Knaperna, younger brother to the 1st Baronet. He succeeded to the title before 1755, but, on his death, the baronetcy became dormant.

Forbes, of Newe (1823)

 

Sir Charles Forbes (1803–1877) funerary monument, Brompton Cemetery, London.

The Forbes baronetcy, of Newe in the County of Aberdeen, was created in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom on 4 November 1823 for Charles Forbes, a merchant in Bombay, India. In 1833 he became the heir male of Alexander Forbes, 3rd Lord Forbes of Pitsligo (a title which had been attainted in 1745), and was allowed by the Lord Lyon to use the Pitsligo arms and supporters. Forbes was a descendant of William Forbes, younger brother of Sir Alexander Forbes of Pitsligo (from whom the Lords Forbes of Pitsligo descended) and great-grandson of Sir William Forbes, brother of Alexander Forbes, 1st Lord Forbes.

Baronets

• Sir Charles Forbes, 1st Baronet (1774–1849)
• Sir Charles Forbes, 2nd Baronet (1832–1852)
• Sir Charles Forbes, 3rd Baronet (1803–1877)
• Sir Charles John Forbes, 4th Baronet (1843–1884)
• Sir Charles Stewart Forbes, 5th Baronet (1867–1927)
• Sir John Stewart Forbes, 6th Baronet (1901–1984)
• Sir Hamish Stewart Forbes, 7th Baronet (1916–2007)
• Sir James Thomas Stewart Forbes, 8th Baronet (born 1957)

There is no heir to the baronetcy.

Burn, later Forbes-Leith of Fyvie, of Jessfield (1923)

The Forbes-Leith of Fyvie baronetcy, of Jessfield in the County of Midlothian, originally the Burn baronetcy, was created in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom on 7 March 1923 for the soldier and Conservative politician Charles Rosdew Burn. He had previously represented Torquay in the House of Commons. Burn was the youngest son of General Robert Burn and the husband of Hon. Ethel, only daughter and heiress of Alexander John Forbes-Leith, 1st Baron Leith of Fyvie. By edict of the Lord Lyon in 1925 Burn assumed the surname and arms of Forbes-Leith of Fyvie, for himself, his wife and son, according to the terms of his father-in-law's will. Lord Leith of Fyvie was the eldest son of Rear-Admiral John James Leith by his wife Margaret, daughter and heir of Alexander Forbes, a descendant of Duncan Forbes, second son of the second Lord Forbes. The first Baronet's younger son, the second Baronet, served as Lord Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire from 1959 to 1973.

Baronets

• Sir Charles Rosdew Forbes-Leith, 1st Baronet (1859–1930)
• Sir (Robert) Iain (Algernon) Forbes-Leith, 2nd Baronet (1902–1973)
• Sir Andrew George Forbes-Leith, 3rd Baronet (1929–2000)
• Sir George Ian David Forbes-Leith, 4th Baronet (born 1967)

The heir apparent is the present holder's son Alexander Philip George Forbes-Leith (born 1999).

Family tree

v t e Forbes family tree

John de Forbes Lord Forbes, c. 1444 Alexander Forbes (c. 1380–1448) 1st Lord Forbes c. 1444–1448 James Forbes (d. 1462) 2nd Lord Forbes 1448–c. 1461 William Forbes (d. 1483) 3rd Lord Forbes c. 1461–by 1488 Duncan Forbes Patrick Forbes Alexander Forbes (d. c. 1491) 4th Lord Forbes by 1488–c. 1491 Arthur Forbes (d. c. 1496) 5th Lord Forbes c. 1491–c. 1496 John Forbes (d. 1547) 6th Lord Forbes c. 1496–1547 Forbes, later Stuart-Forbes, of Monymusk Forbes, of Castle Forbes William Forbes (1513–1593) 7th Lord Forbes 1547–1593 John Forbes (1542–1606) First called "Master of Forbes", then 8th Lord Forbes 1593–1606 William Forbes of Corse Castle (d. 1627) Forbes baronets, of Castle Forbes, 1628 William Forbes (1563–1592) John Forbes (1570–1606) "(9th) Lord Forbes" 1606–1606 His brief lordship was disputed and retroactively discounted.^[a]^[7] Arthur Forbes (1581–1641) 9th Lord Forbes 1606–after 1634 John Forbes 8th of Pitsligo (d. 1625) William of Craigievar Arthur Forbes d. 1632 1st Baronet of Castle Forbes Lord Forbes of Pitsligo, 1633 Forbes baronets, of Craigievar Castle, in the County of Aberdeen, 1630 Viscount Granard and Baron Clanehugh, 1675 Earl of Granard, 1684 Alexander Forbes (1600–1672) 10th Lord Forbes after 1634–1672 Anne Alexander Forbes (d. 1636) 1st Lord Forbes of Pitsligo 1633–1636 William Forbes, 1st Baronet d. 1648 1st Baronet of Craigievar and Fintray 1630–1648 Arthur Forbes 1623–1695 1st Earl of Granard, 1st Viscount Granard, 1st Baron Clanehugh, 2nd Baronet of Castle Forbes William Forbes (d. 1697) 11th Lord Forbes after 1672–1697 John Forbes of Moneymusk (d. c. 1713) 3rd Baronet of Monymusk Alexander Forbes (d. 1690) 2nd Lord Forbes of Pitsligo 1636–1690 Alexander Forbes of Foveran (d. 1697) John Forbes, 2nd Baronet ("Red Sir John") (1636–1703) 2nd Baronet of Craigievar and Fintray 1648–1703 Arthur Forbes (c. 1656–1734) 2nd Earl of Granard, 2nd Viscount Granard, 2nd Baron Clanehugh, 3rd Baronet of Castle Forbes William Forbes (1656–1716) 12th Lord Forbes 1697–1716 William Forbes of Monymusk 4th Baronet of Monymusk John Forbes (b. 1680) Alexander Forbes (c. 1655–1690) 3rd Lord Forbes of Pitsligo 1690–1690 Sir Samuel Forbes, 1st Baronet (1653–1717) 1st Baronet of Foveran John Forbes, of Knaperna William Forbes, 3rd Baronet (1660–c. 1730) 3rd Baronet of Craigievar and Fintray 1703–c. 1730 George Forbes (1685–1765) 3rd Earl of Granard, 3rd Viscount Granard, 3rd Baron Clanehugh, 4th Baronet of Castle Forbes William Forbes (d. 1730) 13th Lord Forbes 1716–1730 James Forbes (1689–1761) 15th Lord Forbes 1734–1761 Mary Forbes John Forbes (d. 1715) Alexander Forbes (1678–1762) 4th Lord Forbes of Pitsligo 1691–1748 William Forbes Sir Alexander Forbes, 2nd Baronet (d. before 1755) 2nd Baronet of Foveran Samuel Forbes, of Knaperna Sir Arthur Forbes, 4th Baronet (1709–1773) 4th Baronet of Craigievar and Fintray c. 1730–1773 George Forbes 1710–1769 4th Earl of Granard, 4th Viscount Granard, 4th Baron Clanehugh, 5th Baronet of Castle Forbes Lordship Forbes of Pitsligo attainted, 1748 Francis Forbes (1721–1734) 14th Lord Forbes 1730–1734 James Forbes (c. 1725–1804) 16th Lord Forbes 1761–1804 William Forbes (d. 1743) 5th Baronet of Edinburgh 1720–1743 Christian Forbes (1705–1789) Forbes Baronets of Newe in the County of Aberdeen Sir Charles Forbes, 1st Baronet (1774–1849) 1st Baronet of Newe 1823–1849 Sir John Forbes, 3rd Baronet (d. c. 1760) 3rd Baronet of Knaperna George Forbes (1740–1780) 5th Earl of Granard, 5th Viscount Granard, 5th Baron Clanehugh, 6th Baronet of Castle Forbes Baronetcy of Foveran/Knaperna dormant, c. 1760 Baron Granard (UK), 1806 James Ochoncar Forbes (1765–1843) 17th Lord Forbes 1804–1843 William Forbes (1739–1806) 6th Baronet of Edinburgh, and later Pitsligo 1743–1806 William Forbes (1755–1816) 5th Baronet of Craigievar and Fintray 1773–1816 George Forbes (1760–1837) 6th Earl of Granard, 6th Viscount Granard, 6th Baron Clanehugh, 1st Baron Granard, 7th Baronet of Castle Forbes Walter Gammell Forbes (1798–1868) 18th Lord Forbes 1843–1868 Charlotte Elizabeth William Forbes (1773–1828) 7th Baronet of Pitsligo 1806–1828 [m. Williamina, daughter of Sir John Stuart/Belshes/Belshes-Wishart (3rd Baronet (S. 1707) of Fettercairn co. Kincardine] Arthur Forbes, 6th Baronet (1784–1823) 6th Baronet of Craigievar and Fintray 1816–1823 John Forbes, 7th Baronet (1785–1846) 7th Baronet of Craigevar and Fintray 1823–1846 George Forbes (1785–1836) styled Viscount Forbes John Stuart Hepburn Forbes (1804–1866) 8th Baronet of Fettercairn and Pitsligo and later of Invermay and Balmanno 1828–1866 [Inherited Invermay and Balmanno as heir and cousin of Alexander Hepburn-Murray-Belshes (d. 1864)] Charles Hay Forbes (d. 1859) William Forbes-Sempill (1836–1905) 17th Lord Sempill 1884–1905 and 8th Baronet of Craigievar and Fintray 1846–1905 (married Carlone Louisa, daughter of Charles Forbes, 3rd Baronet of Newe) James Ochoncar Forbes (1837–1900) George Arthur Hastings Forbes (1833–1889) 7th Earl of Granard, 7th Viscount Granard, 7th Baron Clanehugh, 2nd Baron Granard, 8th Baronet of Castle Forbes Horace Courtenay Gammell Forbes (1829–1914) 19th Lord Forbes 1868–1914 Atholl Monson Forbes (1841–1916) 20th Lord Forbes 1914–1916 William Forbes (1835–1906) 9th Baronet of Fettercairn, Pitsligo, Invermay, and Balmanno 1866–1906 John Forbes-Sempill (1863–1934) 18th Lord Sempill and 9th Baronet of Craigievar and Fintray 1905–1934 Arthur Lionel Ochoncar Forbes-Sempill (1877–1962) James Ochoncar Forbes (1867–1945) Bernard Arthur William Patrick Hastings Forbes (1874–1948) 8th Earl of Granard, 8th Viscount Granard, 8th Baron Clanehugh, 3rd Baron Granard, 9th Baronet of Castle Forbes Atholl Laurence Cunyngham (1882–1953) 21st Lord Forbes 1916–1953 William Francis Forbes-Sempill (1893–1965) 19th Lord Sempill and 10th Baronet of Craigievar and Fintray 1934–1965 Nigel Ivan Forbes (1918–2013) 22nd Lord Forbes 1953–2013 Ann Forbes-Sempill (1920–1995) 20th Lady Sempill Ewan Forbes (1912–1991) 11th Baronet of Craigievar and Fintray 1965–1991 Patrick Walter Forbes (1914–1979) Arthur Patrick Hastings Forbes (1915–1992) 9th Earl of Granard, 9th Viscount Granard, 9th Baron Clanehugh, 4th Baron Granard, 10th Baronet of Castle Forbes John Forbes (1920–1982) John Alexander Cumnock Forbes (1927–2000) 12th Baronet of Craigievar and Fintray 1991–2000 Malcolm Nigel Forbes (b. 1946) 23rd Lord Forbes 2013–present James Sempill (b. 1949) 21st Lord Sempill Andrew Iain Ochoncar Forbes (1945–2003)^[8] 13th Baronet of Craigievar and Fintray 2000–2003 Peter Arthur Edward Hastings Forbes (b. 1957) 10th Earl of Granard, 10th Viscount Granard, 10th Baron Clanehugh, 5th Baron Granard, 11th Baronet of Castle Forbes Francis Henry William Sempill (b. 1979) styled Master of Sempill James Patrick Ochoncar Forbes (b. 1986) 14th Baronet of Craigievar and Fintray 2003–present David Ian Ochoncar Forbes (b. 1993) Heir presumptive to the Baronetage of Craigievar and Fintray Jonathan Peter Hastings Forbes b. 1981 styled Viscount Forbes The numbering dispute vacillated over the years and was most recently (As of 2023^[update]) settled in 2018.

See also

• Lord Forbes
• Lord Forbes of Pitsligo
• Earl of Granard
• Clan Forbes
• Baron Leith of Fyvie

Notes

Works cited

1. Cokayne (1902), p. 305.
2. Cokayne (1902), p. 360.
3. Cokayne (1902), p. 373.
4. Playdon 2021.
5. Charles Kidd, Christine Shaw, Debrett's Peerage & Baronetage 2008 (2007), p. B-356.
6. "Forbes of Corse". Register. The Times. No. 74045. London. 16 March 2023. col 5, p. 55.
7. "John Forbes - The Lord Who Wasn't". Retrieved 15 November 2023.
8. "Forbes of Corse". Register. The Times. No. 74045. London. 16 March 2023. col 5, p. 55.

References

• Cokayne, George Edward, ed. (1902). Complete Baronetage volume 2 (1625-1649). Vol. 2. Exeter: William Pollard and Co. p. 305. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
• Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990, ^{[page needed]}
• Playdon, Zoë (2021). The Hidden Case of Ewan Forbes: The Transgender Trial That Threatened to Upend the British Establishment. London: Bloomsbury. ISBN 9781526619136.
• Leigh Rayment's list of baronets –