Forsith History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The background history of the name Forsith starts in ancient Scotland among the Pictish people. The name Forsith is derived from the old Gaelic personal name Fearsithe, which means man of peace. ^[1]

However, some recorded examples of the surname Forsith suggest that it is occasionally a local name derived from residence a place named Forsythe.

There appears to be two origins for the family: Stirlingshire and Edinburghshire. ^[1] Another source claims the family came from "Forcett (whence also Fawcett) a township in the wapentake of Gillingwest, in the [North Riding] of Yorkshire," ^[2] but this source's claim is doubtful.

Early Origins of the Forsith family

The surname Forsith was first found in Stirlingshire, where "Osbert filius Forsyth [who] had charter of a hundred shilling land in the tenement of Salakhill (now Sauchie), sheriffdom of Stirling, from Robert I c. 1308." ^[3]

The Edinburghshire's first entry was that of "William de Fersith, bailie of Edinburgh, 1365, [who] may be William of Forsythe, servant of Aleyn of Bollone of Edinburgh, merchant of Scotland, 1394." ^[3]

Early History of the Forsith family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Forsith research. Another 278 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1364, 1364, 1368, 1405, 1420, 1418, 1428, 1446, 1451, 1461, 1471, 1497, 1498, 1504, 1525, 1525, 1512, 1446, 1504, 1621, 1980, 1929, 1402, 1423, 1439, 1424, 1426, 1452, 1487 and are included under the topic Early Forsith History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Forsith Spelling Variations

Prior to the invention of the printing press in the last hundred years, documents were basically unique. Names were written according to sound, and often appeared differently each time they were recorded. Spelling variations of the name Forsith include Forsyth, Forsythe, Forseyth, Forsy, Foursides and others.

Early Notables of the Forsith family (pre 1700)

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was William de Fersith, who participated at an inquest in Edinbergh, 1402. He may be William Fersith (without 'de'), who was burgess of Edinbergh in 1423. Thomas of Forsythe was listed in Edinburgh, 1439. Robert of Forsythe had a safe conduct in England...
Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Forsith Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Forsith family to Ireland

Some of the Forsith family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 76 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Forsith migration to the United States +

The freedom of the North American colonies was enticing, and many Scots left to make the great crossing. It was a long and hard journey, but its reward was a place where there was more land than people and tolerance was far easier to come by. Many of these people came together to fight for a new nation in the American War of Independence, while others remained loyal to the old order as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of Scots in North America have recovered much of this heritage in the 20th century through Clan societies and other such organizations. A search of immigration and passenger lists revealed many important and early immigrants to North America bearing the name of Forsith:

Forsith Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Forsith, who arrived in Virginia in 1649 ^[4]

The Forsith Motto +

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: Instaurator ruinae
Motto Translation: A repairer of ruin.

Citations +

^ Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
^ Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. 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)
^ 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)