FORBES, JAMES [SSNE 3881]

Surname

FORBES

First name

JAMES, JACOB

Title/rank

LT. COLONEL

Nationality

SCOT

Region

ABERDEENSHIRE

Social status

OFFICER

Text source

James Forbes was the sixth son of Arthur, 9/10th Lord Forbes who became a lieutenant colonel in the Swedish army. He was born in 1617 and was the brother of Alexander, Master of Forbes [SSNE 1616], John [SSNE 4332], William [SSNE 2262] and Arthur [SSNE 2226] who all served in the Swedish army. They also had an illigitimate half-brother, Major John Forbes [SSNE 2243] in Swedish service. According to several reports he died in 1654 and had some valuable estates in Sweden which he inherited from his brother William. In 1690 these were said to be worth 12,000 rixdaler and 750 rixdaler per annum. Given the date of death and the timing of the purchase of a house once belonging to a Jacob Forbos in 1654, we can probably place this man as the owner of the house then known as 'Kyskendal' in Trivia 4, Österlånggatan 34.

This man is sometimes confused with his cousin in Russian service of the same name [SSNE 6962]

 

Sources:

A. and H. Tayler, The House of Forbes (revised edition, Bruceton Mills, 1987), pp.169, 201 and 225; National Archives of Scotland [NAS], PC 11/5A, no.18 and NAS, GD 52/1184, 18 April 1690, copy of a review of papers in German concerning lands, houses and money given to Lt. Colonel James Forbes by Queen Christina and claimed by Lt. Colonel James Forbes, uncle of William Master of Forbes; Ragnar Josephson, Borgarhus i Gamla Stockholm (Stockholm, 1916), p.189. 

 

A 'Jacob Forbes' is said to have been a son to Arthur Forbes, but this is not supported in the various Forbes genealogies unless he was the same man as this James. For this reference see Detlev PLEISS, Das Kriegstagebuch des schwedischen Offiziers William Forbes: Von seiner Landung an der Unterelbe im Sommer 1634 bis zu seiner Rückkehr nach Stade im Winter 1649/50, in: Stader Jahrbuch Neue Folge 85, (1995), pp. 135-153, p. 152. (Kindly provided by Dr Bernd Warlich).

 

It may be this James Forbes mentioned here; Riksarkivets ämnessamlingar. Personhistoria: https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/A0069635_00191#?c=&m=&s=&cv=190&xywh=1463%2C738%2C3983%2C2183

Service record

SWEDEN, ARMY

Arrived 1635-01-01, as CAPTAIN

Departed 1654-12-31, as LT. COLONEL

Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY

,