Arms: Azure, three bears’ heads couped Argent muzzled Gules
SOURCES/NOTES & CREDITS: Illustration for background purposes
And blazon: pages 42 and 68, Douglas, “The Scots Peerage, Vol. IV,
Edinburgh, 1907, for text the same, and pp 437-441, 19th Ed BLG, plus
Internet articles.
The Lord Forbes is the Premier Lord in the Peerage of Scotland
Sir Alexander Forbes, became the 1st Lord Forbes
The exact date the lordship was created in the 15th century, is not precisely known but is believed to be somewhere between 1440 and 1442 by King James II. Credence has been given to a precept dated 12 July 1442 where Sir Alexander Forbes is styled Lord Forbes.
He was born circa.1380 and succeeded his father as Laird of Forbes on 20 Nov 1406. He married Elizabeth, only daughter of George Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas and granddaughter of King Robert III. We found it amusing that someone has written that the first Lord Forbes was the grandson-in law of the King… The Lord Forbes and his lady had two sons and three daughters. Sir Alexander before and after becoming a peer acquired most of the possessions subsequently held by his family. According to Sir James Balfour Paul in “The Scots Peerage” the Laird of Forbes was a great trader in properties.
The first Lord Forbes died in 1448 and was succeeded by his elder son John as the second Lord Forbes.
Today the current peer is Malcolm Forbes, 23rd Lord Forbes born in 1946 and who succeeded his father in 2013. He has an heir the Hon. Neil Malcolm Ross Forbes, Master of Forbes born in 1970 and he in turn has a son, Geordie Malcolm Andrew Forbes born in 2010. Think we can say this Peerage of Scotland’s title’s future looks good.
Note: the current Lord Forbes father, Sir Nigel Ivan Forbes, KBE, 22nd Lord Forbes , 1918-2013 was well known both as a farmer ( of 5000 acres ) and as a British Statesman,
Please see His entry in the WA Auld Scots Album on this website.
The artwork is a rendition by John Hamilton Gaylor.
2019 0316
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