Forset History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Forset is derived from an ancient word meaning "fox on a hillside." Fa’side Castle, sometimes known as Fawside, Falside, Ffauside, Fauxside, or Fawsyde, is a 14th century Keep located in East Lothian, approximately 2 miles southwest of Tranent, and two miles southeast of Musselburgh. The castle dates to 1189, when the monks of Newbattle Abbey granted land to Saer de Quincy, 1st Earl of Winchester to build the castle on the site. Today the privately held castle still stands and includes a Bed and Breakfast for the weary traveler.

Early Origins of the Forset family

The surname Forset was first found in East Lothian, at Fawsyde where one of the first records of the name was Aedmundus de Fayeside who witnessed the grant of Tranent church to Holyrood Abbey be Thos filius Swani (c. 1150.) More than a century later, Alan de Fausyde witnessed a grant by Peter de Grame to the Hospital of Soltre before 1238.

Early History of the Forset family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Forset research. Another 113 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1238, 1296, 1332, 1398, 1548, 1553, 1583, 1630, 1789, 1824, 1840, 1845 and 1852 are included under the topic Early Forset History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Forset Spelling Variations

The name, Forset, occurred in many references, and from time to time, it was spelt Fawcett, Fawsyde, Faucett, Fallcett, Fawcitt, Faucitt, Fawside and many more.

Early Notables of the Forset family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was

Edward Forsett (1553?-1630?), English political writer who obtained from Elizabeth in 1583 a twenty-one years' lease of the manor of Tyburn, Middlesex, at the annual rent of 16l. 11s. 8d. "As a justic...

Migration of the Forset family to Ireland

Some of the Forset family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Forset migration to the United States +

The New World beckoned settlers from the Scottish-English borders. They sailed aboard the armada of sailing ships known as the "White Sails" which plied the stormy Atlantic. Some called them, less romantically, the "coffin ships." Among the early settlers bearing the Forset surname who came to North America were:

Forset Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Heatry Forset, who landed in Maryland in 1665 1

Forset Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Angel Forset, aged 29, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1832 1

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)