| ![Show Contents]() Forbush History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of ForbushWhat does the name Forbush mean? The story of the Forbush family begins in ancient Scotland among the Pictish clans. The Forbush family lived in the lands of Forbes on Aberdeenshire where the family's history dates back before 1000 AD Forbush Coat of Arms CreationThere are various guesses as to the origin of this name. One writer says that a gentleman who, wishing to secure the hand of a lady named "Bess," showed his courage by slaying a ferocious bear, and on being asked why he did it, replied, "For Bess." Another version is that the founder of the family of Forbes was a man named Bois, who received lands from an early king of Scotland, who, in making the gift, said they were "for Bois." Others say the word is derived from the Gaelic word Ferbasach-a bold man. In any case, the progenitor of the family must have had something to do with bears, as the various branches carry bear's heads in their shields. The bear is a cruel and fierce animal, and in armorial bearings represents a man that had over-come a cruel and vicious enemy. Dr William Mackay, in his "History of Urquhart and Glenmoriston,"says that Conacher of Ulster was the progenitor of the families of Forbes, Mackay, and Urquhart; and in allusion to his wonderful feat of killing a wild boar of extraordinary ferocity and strength the three families in after years adopted the boar's head as their arms. Clans did sometimes change their crest, but though the Urquharts still have the boar's head and the motto, "Mean, speak, and doe well," the Forbes and the Mackays have certainly changed theirs. 1 Early Origins of the Forbush familyThe surname Forbush was first found in Aberdeenshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Obar Dheathain), a historic county, and present day Council Area of Aberdeen, located in the Grampian region of northeastern Scotland, at Pitscottie from 1168, which was later named "the Braes of Forbes." Legend has it that the founder of the Clan, Oconochar, slew a bear in order to take up residence there. One of the first records of the name from this region was Duncan de Forbeys who received a grant of lands c. 1272 from King Alexander III. Later, John de Fernboys was listed as rendering allegiance to King Edward I of England in 1296 and later still, William of Forbace was canon of Aberdeen in 1464. 2 Early History of the Forbush familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Forbush research. Another 159 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1165, 1214, 1380, 1448, 1581, 1590, 1611, 1623, 1626, 1629, 1632, 1644, 1671, 1680, 1684, 1685, 1696, 1704, 1712, 1747 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Forbush History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Forbush Spelling VariationsTranslation has done much to alter the appearance of many Scottish names. It was a haphazard process that lacked a basic system of rules. Spelling variations were a common result of this process. Forbush has appeared Forbes, Forbose, Forbess, Forbeis (Gaelic) and others. Early Notables of the Forbush familyAlexander de Forbes, (c. 1380-1448) 1st Lord Forbes, progenitor of the lordship. He was "the eldest son of Sir John de Forbes of that ilk. The lands of Forbes in Aberdeenshire gave name to the family, who trace back their ancestors in it to the time of King William the Lion (1165-1214). Sir John de Forbes was justiciar and coroner for Aberdeenshire...
Another 62 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Forbush Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Forbush Rankingthe United States, the name Forbush is the 12,634th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3 Migration of the Forbush family to IrelandSome of the Forbush family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 134 words (10 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Forbush migration to the United States | + |
Many Scots left their country to travel to the North American colonies in search of the freedom they could not find at home. Of those who survived the difficult voyage, many found the freedom they so desired. There they could choose their own beliefs and allegiances. Some became United Empire Loyalists and others fought in the American War of Independence. The Clan societies and highland games that have sprung up in the last century have allowed many of these disparate Scots to recover their collective national identity. A search of immigration and passenger ship lists revealed many early settlers bearing the Forbush name:
Forbush Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Jon Forbush, who arrived in Virginia in 1638 4
- Hugh Forbush, who arrived in Virginia in 1650 4
- John Forbush, who landed in Virginia in 1650 4
- James Forbush, who landed in Maryland in 1662 4
Forbush Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Ruben Forbush, who landed in New England in 1718 4
| Forbush Motto and War Cry | + |
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Grace me guide
War Cry: "Leonach"
War Cry Description: Significance - a hill in Strathdon
- Polson, Alexander, The Romance of Scottish Crests and Mottoes. Inverness: Walter Alexander, Inglis Street 1929. Print
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- 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)
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