In records of the time, names have many spelling variants, this was the case with surnames like our James Forbes. Records show our James Forbes as a Forbes, Fobes, Forbush, Forbrush, etc. For a moment forget how a name is spelled, imagine an accent is saying the name and how it would sound and then be spelled.
James Forbush is first found in Accomack tax records 1678-1694. Land records of 1694 show that James Fourbush bought 100 acres near Modest Town on the eastern shore of Virginia.
James met Alice, (see her memorial for 3 theories on her maiden name), and in Accomack County they had 6 children. The children were:
1. Thomas, m. Abigail Gulford, 3 sons
2. Bailey, m. Elizabeth Bray, 6 ch
3. Edward, no marriage info found
4. Elizabeth, m. John Relfe, m. John Caroon
5. James, m. Rebecca Jennings Barecock, 7 ch
6. John, m. Martha Barecock, 2 ch
The family stayed in Accomack County, Virginia until 1701 when James & Elas sold their 100 acres. The opportunity of new land in North Carolina called.
The entire Forbes family along with the Knight family came to Riddle, Camden County, North Carolina where James was granted the entire headright for 532 acres of land.
James and his family were the first Forbes to settle in NE North Carolina. While descendants of James & Alice are scattered nation wide, today Forbes still live on parcels of the original land grant land.
Through the fine efforts of Willard Forbes this Forbes Memorial was erected. The memorial is on land that was part of the original Forbes grant. It is just across the road from where James & Alice's Forbes home was built in 1701. James & Alice remained in that home until they left this world. Several unmarked grave sites were found there in 2001. Which ones were for James and Alice?
The Forbes Memorial is located on the north side of Pond road and just west of the town of Riddle (formerly Forbestown).
Click on the pictures for more information.
(Note, professional genealogists have been unsuccessful in their attempts to find any valid info on James' parents/siblings. One researcher indicates that this James was James Henry Forbes s/o James & Catherine Forbes. That family is shown in Connecticut. It is an entirely different Forbes family. Also a middle name was never shown for this James or any of his children.)
In records of the time, names have many spelling variants, this was the case with surnames like our James Forbes. Records show our James Forbes as a Forbes, Fobes, Forbush, Forbrush, etc. For a moment forget how a name is spelled, imagine an accent is saying the name and how it would sound and then be spelled.
James Forbush is first found in Accomack tax records 1678-1694. Land records of 1694 show that James Fourbush bought 100 acres near Modest Town on the eastern shore of Virginia.
James met Alice, (see her memorial for 3 theories on her maiden name), and in Accomack County they had 6 children. The children were:
1. Thomas, m. Abigail Gulford, 3 sons
2. Bailey, m. Elizabeth Bray, 6 ch
3. Edward, no marriage info found
4. Elizabeth, m. John Relfe, m. John Caroon
5. James, m. Rebecca Jennings Barecock, 7 ch
6. John, m. Martha Barecock, 2 ch
The family stayed in Accomack County, Virginia until 1701 when James & Elas sold their 100 acres. The opportunity of new land in North Carolina called.
The entire Forbes family along with the Knight family came to Riddle, Camden County, North Carolina where James was granted the entire headright for 532 acres of land.
James and his family were the first Forbes to settle in NE North Carolina. While descendants of James & Alice are scattered nation wide, today Forbes still live on parcels of the original land grant land.
Through the fine efforts of Willard Forbes this Forbes Memorial was erected. The memorial is on land that was part of the original Forbes grant. It is just across the road from where James & Alice's Forbes home was built in 1701. James & Alice remained in that home until they left this world. Several unmarked grave sites were found there in 2001. Which ones were for James and Alice?
The Forbes Memorial is located on the north side of Pond road and just west of the town of Riddle (formerly Forbestown).
Click on the pictures for more information.
(Note, professional genealogists have been unsuccessful in their attempts to find any valid info on James' parents/siblings. One researcher indicates that this James was James Henry Forbes s/o James & Catherine Forbes. That family is shown in Connecticut. It is an entirely different Forbes family. Also a middle name was never shown for this James or any of his children.)
Inscription
History of the Forbes Family
in Northeastern North Carolina
James Forbes was born in 1657 in Scotland and later immigrated to America. He settled in Accomack County Virginia where his name first appeared on the tax books in 1678. Forbes acquired 100 acres of land near Modest town on the Eastern Shore from Daniel of St. Thomas and Elizabeth Jennifer.
While in Accomack, James met and married Alice and they began their family which eventually included five sons and one daughter. These offspring were John, James Jr., Elizabeth, Thomas, Bailey and Edward.
James Forbes and his family were admitted to North Carolina on October 20, 1701, after having sold the farm in Accomack in April of 1701. Forbes was admitted and assigned to Isaac Guilford who sponsored him.
The next actual record of Forbes in North Carolina was his acquisition of a land grant in the present community of Riddle, NC. The record shows, "James Forbes 21 October 1715. 532 acres on ye N East side of Pasquotank River joining a beaver dam swamp" in present day Camden County.
The next documentation of Forbes was a deed regarding the distribution of his property to his sons. One son was missing in the deed - John. However, one hundred acres had been left out which was later deeded to him.
It is documented that James, Jr., Bailey and Thomas were each given 100 acres of land. However, the youngest son, Edward was given 132 acres and the Manor Plantation (after the death of his mother and father). The Forbes daughter was deeded no property as was the custom of that time.
The gift was acknowledged to be probated April 23, 1719 by W. Morris, Register of Deeds. This deed was actually recorded in Pasquotank County in 1719, because deeds and records were not recorded in Camden County until 1777 when Camden was recognized as a separate county.
The Forbes clan, although scattered nationwide today has continued to live in and around the section of Camden County called Riddle.
This area was first called Forbes until after the Civil War. Then it was called Bray's. However, after a post office was started and the public school in the 1880's, it became known as Riddle after a popular schoolmaster.
The spelling of the Forbes name is as diversified as the many areas in which the people have settled. Some of the various spellings include: Forbes, Forbis, Forbish, Farbush, Forbush, Foorebush and Fordyce.
Thanks for the conception and ultimate realization of this monument go to Willard Forbes who traveled to Scotland, Barbados, Eastern Shore, Virginia and Raleigh North Carolina in search of the Forbes lineage.
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