Forbes (No.2) family genealogy

Earls of Granard

Arms: Az. three bears' heads couped ar. muzzled gu. Crest: A bear pass. ar. gutlée de sang muzzled gu. Supporters: Dexter, a unicorn erminois, armed, maned, tufted, and unguled or; sinister, a dragon, wings expanded erm. Motto: Fax mentis incendium gloriae.

ACCORDING to the Linea Antiqua, this family derives its origin from Connor, who was a younger brother of Aodh (or Hugh), No.71 on the "O'Connor" (Corcomroe) pedigree. But according to O'Donovan, O'Curry, and Cronnelly, it is derived from the Clann Firbisigh, whose pedigree is traced in the foregoing ("Forbes," No.1) genealogy. The following is the ascertained regular descent of the family:

1. Sir Alexander de Forbes, chief of the ancient Scottish House of Forbes, created a Peer of Scotland, about 1370, by King James II., by the title of "Baron Forbes," d. 1448; m. Elizabeth Douglas, dau. of George, Earl of Angus, by the Princess Mary his wife, dau. of King Robert III.

2. James, second Lord Forbes; m. Lady Egidia Keith, dau. of William, first Earl Marischal, by Mary his wife, dau. of James, first Lord Hamilton, and had three sons—1. William, third Lord Forbes, ancestor of the Lords Forbes, of Scotland; 2. Duncan, of Corsindie, ancestor of Forbes of Pitsligo, etc.; 3. Honourable Patrick Forbes, of Corss, Armour Bearer (according to the Lumsden MS.) to King James III.

3. David, of Corss, called "Traill the Axe:" son of the Hon. Patrick Forbes; m. Elizabeth, dau. of Patrick Panter, of Newmanswaes, Old Montrose.

4. Patrick, of Corss; m. Marjory, dau. of Robert Lumsden, of Maidler and Cushney.

5. William Forbes, Laird of Corss, county Aberdeen: eldest son of Patrick; m. Elizabeth Strachan, dau. of the Laird of Thornton.

6. Sir Arthur Forbes, Knt.; created, 26th Sept., 1628, a Baronet of Nova Scotia; d. 14th April, 1632; m. Jane, dau. of Sir Robert Lauder[1] of the Bass, and widow of Sir Alex. Hamilton, Knt., and had two sons—1. Sir Arthur, 2. Patrick, who was killed in Poland. This Sir Arthur was Lieut.-Colonel to the Regiment of the Master of Forbes sent from Scotland to Ireland, in 1620.

7. Sir Arthur Forbes, Bart., b. 1623; elevated to the Peerage in 1673, as Baron Clanehugh and Viscount Granard; created Earl of Granard in 1684; Will dated 12th March, 1693; d. 1696; buried at Newtown Forbes, county Longford, Ireland; m. to Catherine (d. 1714), dau. of Sir Robert Newcomen, Bart., of Moss Town, co. Longford, and relict of Sir Alexander Stewart. The issue of that marriage were five sons and one daughter: the sons were—1. Arthur; 2. Robert, d. 1686, unm.; 3. Francis, d. unm.; 4. Patrick, d. unm.; 5. Thomas, d. unm.; and the daughter was Lady Catherine Forbes (d. 1743), m. to Arthur, third Earl of Donegall.

8. Arthur Forbes, second Earl of Granard, d. 1734, and buried at Newtown Forbes; m. Mary (d. 1724), eldest dau. of Sir George Rawdon, Bart., of Moira, co. Down. The issue of this marriage were two sons and two daughters; the sons were—1. Arthur Lord Forbes, d. unm. 1704; 2. George, third Earl of Granard. The daughters were— 1. Lady Jane (d. 1760), m. to Major Josias Champagné (d. 1737); 2. Lady Dorothy (d. unm. 1729).

9. George, third Earl of Granard, b. 1685, d. 1765, and buried at Newtown Forbes; m. Mary (d 1755), dau. of Sir William Stewart, first Viscount Mountjoy. The issue of this marriage were two sons; and one daughter, Lady Mary, m. to James Irvine of Kingcausie. The sons were—1. George, b. 1710; 2. John, Admiral of the Fleet, and General of the Marine Force, d. 1796, m. to Lady Mary Capel (d. 1782), fourth dau. of William, Earl of Essex, and had issue two daughters—1. Catherine-Elizabeth, m. to William, Earl of Mornington, 2. Mary-Eleanor, m. to John-Charles, Earl of Clarendon.

10. George Forbes, fourth Earl of Granard, b. 1710, d. 1769, and buried at Newtown Forbes; m. Letitia (d. 1778), dau. of Colonel Arthur Davys of Hamstead, county Dublin, and had an only son.

11. George, fifth Earl of Granard, only son, b. 1740, d. 1781, and buried at Newtown Forbes; was twice married: first, in 1759, to Dorothea (d. 1764), second dau. of Sir Nicholas Bayly, Bart., of Plas Newydd, Isle of Anglesey, and had a son George, sixth Earl of Granard; and secondly, in 1766, to Lady Augusta Berkeley (d. 1820), eldest dau. of Augustus, Earl Berkeley, and had issue—1. Henry, 2. William, 3. Augustus, 4. Cranfield, 5. Frederick, 6. Lady Anne-Georgina, 7. Lady Augusta, 8. Lady Louisa-Georgina, 9. Lady Elizabeth.

12. George, sixth Earl of Granard, only son by the first marriage, b. 1760, created in 1806 a Peer of the United Kingdom, as "Baron Granard, of Castle Donnington," county Leicester; d. 1837, and was buried at Newtown Forbes; m. in 1779 Lady Selina-Frances Rawdon (d. 1827), second dau. of John, first Earl of Moira, and of Elizabeth, Baroness Hastings, etc., dau. of Theophilus, Earl of Huntington, and had issue—1. George-John, 2. Francis-Reginald, 3. Hastings-Brudenell (d. 1815), 4. Angouleme-Moira (d. 1810), 5. Ferdinando-William (d. 1802), 6. Lady Elizabeth-Mary-Theresa (d. 1852), 7. Lady Selina-Frances (d. 1791), 8. Lady Adelaide-Dorothea (d. 1858), 9. Lady Caroline-Selina (b. 1799).

13. George-John, Viscount Forbes, eldest son, b. 1785, d. 1836, and buried in the old ruined church of Clongish, in the demesne of Castle Forbes; m. in 1832 to Frances-Mary, only dau. of William Territt, LL.D., of Chilton Hall, Suffolk, England, and had issue—1. George-Arthur-Hastings, 2. William-Francis, Colonel Leitrim Rifles, and a Resident Magistrate, b. 1836, living in 1887, m. to Phillis, dau. of John Rowe, of Ballycross House, county Wexford, and has had issue George-Francis-Reginald Forbes, b. 6th Sept., 1866.

14. George-Arthur-Hastings Forbes, seventh Earl of Granard, b. 5th August, 1833, and living in 1887, m. first, in 1858, to Jane Colclough (d. 1872), younger dau. and co-heiress of Hamilton-Knox Grogan-Morgan, M.P., of Johnstown Castle, county Wexford, and had—1. Lady Adelaide-Jane Frances, m. to Lord Maurice FitzGerald in 1880; 2. Lady Sophia Maria Elizabeth, born 1861; 3. Lady Caroline (d. an infant, 1865); and m. secondly, in 1873, to the Hon. Frances-Mary, daughter of Lord Petre, and has had issue—1. Bernard-Arthur-William-Patrick Hastings, Viscount Forbes, born 17 th September, 1874; 2. the Hon. Fergus-Reginald-George, b. 20th Jan., and d. 20th Feb., 1876; 3. the Hon. Reginald-George-Benedict, and Lady Eva-Mary-Margaret (twins), b. 25th June, 1877; 4. Lady Margaret-Mary-Theresa, b. 13th Jan., 1879; 5. the Hon. Donald-Alexander, b. 3rd Sept., 1880.

Notes

[1] Lauder: This Jane Lauder is mentioned as Jane "Lowther" in the MS. Vol. F. 418, Trin. Coll., Dublin.