Clans of the North-East: Forbes

May 2009

There are four Forbes tartans, the youngest being Forbes of Druminnor, designed in 1968. The principal and commonest sett in use today is said to have been produced by a Miss Forbes in 1822 for the Forbeses of Pitsligo. It is a good story – but the records indicate that ‘her’ design actually appears in the pattern book of the noted commercial tartan weavers Wilsons of Bannockburn in 1819. A contemporary account states: “The Forbes Tartan here given, was once worn by the 74th regiment, but that corps now wear the Lamont”. Lamont is the same as Forbes but minus black guard line on the white. Best known use of Forbes tartan today is by the Lonach Highlanders, parading annually in the sett of their patron, Sir James Forbes of Newe, 8th baronet, and chieftain of Newe. tartan courtesy of scottish tartans authority

by Gordon Casely

The power that Forbeses once wielded may be judged by the story that there were once some 150 great houses and estates of the name situated along the winding rivers that flow eastwards and northwards from the mountains ranges of Aberdeenshire and Banffshire.

That tradition is maintained in Castle Forbes by the river Don, occupied today by Malcolm, Master of Forbes, son and heir of the 91-year-old clan chief, Nigel, 22nd Lord Forbes, premier baron of Scotland and whose title dates from around 1445. The lands around Castle Forbes go back to a charter dated 1271, signed by Alexander III (1249-86).

A distinguished Scot, Lord Forbes kbe dl jp lives nearby on the south side of the River Don. A Regular soldier like his father Atholl, 21st of Forbes, Lord Forbes was commissioned into the Grenadier Guards and fought throughout the major campaigns of World War 2 before becoming a military assistant to the High Commissioner for Palestine.

Elected to serve as a representative peer for Scotland in the House of Lords, he was Minister of State for Scotland during the Conservative government of Harold Macmillan in 1958-59. At home, he remains passionately interested in his corner of Aberdeenshire, and was appointed to an honorary post with the Bailies of Bennachie, guardian volunteers of the hill overlooking his home.

There are several suggestions for the origin of the name Forbes, some best avoided as inventive fairy tales. The one to which I lean is that the name comes from Gaelic term forb-ais means ‘at the land’ or ‘land stance’, and maintaining the pronunciation of the name in two syllables as in Dallas, Geddes and Fiddes. Dr Adam Watson, scientist and place-name scholar, points out that in Gaelic, Forbes is Foirbeis, pronounced in three syllables as approximately Firabish. And he adds teasingly “Only panloafers pronounce it as in the English word Forbs”. Tullynessle and Forbes today remains a parish by this particular bend in the Don.

Strong Jacobite supporters

Down the centuries, the number of Forbes houses created in this part of Scotland could almost run to an ABC, starting with Asloun, Brux, Craigievar, Druminnor and Edinglassie, and their involvement in Scotland’s affairs has been absolute, including a notable stand by the heir in the principal line beside the earl of Mar at the Battle of Harlaw in 1411 against Donald, Lord of the Isles.

Life might have treated Forbeses better had they and the House of Gordon and clan Leslie not engaged in centuries-long feuds involving two battles and several massacres. It took two Acts of Parliament to force the factions to lay down their arms. When in 1582, King James VI (1567-1625) confirmed the Forbes in their lands, the cost of the struggle with the Gordons had created such debts that much Forbes land had to be sold – and neither was this great house helped by their strong Jacobite support in 1745.

The arms of Lord Forbes maintain a long history, first appearing on seals of 1427. They feature bears’ heads, an item unusual in Scots heraldry, shared only with chiefs of Mackay and Urquhart. The version shown here dates from around 1600, and comes from the armorial belonging to the Earl of Crawford and Balcarres, and published last year by the Heraldry Society of Scotland. Three white bears’ heads with red muzzles sit on a blue background, with the chiefly motto Grace Me Guide. The plant badge traditionally worn in the bonnet is broom.

Septs are said to include: Berry, Boyes, Fordyce, Michie, MacQuattie, MacWatt, Walters, Watson and Wattie.

This is an article from the May 2009 edition of Leopard Magazine. To read much more like this every month, subscribe to Leopard Magazine.