Peter Forbes
Born:
July 19, 1807 Marchwall, Keig, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Died:
January 21, 1885 Woodside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Father:
Peter/Patrick Forbes
b. 1760
Mother:
Elspet (Elizabeth) Moir
b. 1768
Spouse:
Jean (Jane) Hardie
b. about 1808 Maryculter, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
d. 12/31/1893 Woodside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
13 Children
:
William b. 1829 d. 1849
Janet (Jesse) b. 1831 d. 1901
Jane b. 1833 d. 1915
Elizabeth b. 1836
Mary b. 1838 d. 1839
Christian (female) b. 1840
Patrick Moir b. 1842 d. 1901
James b. 1844 d. 1910
Benjamin b. 1847
Alexander b. 1849 d. 1938
Susan b. 1851
Arthur b. 1853
Margaret Nicholson b. 1855 d. 1927
Other Information:
We believe that Peter Forbes was born the third and last child of Peter (Patrick) Forbes and Elspet Moir. He was
born at Marchwall in Keig, Aberdeenshire. His father was a general merchant, most probably of wool.
Peter married Jean Hardie on February 21, 1829 in New Machar, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
They had 13 children between 1829 and 1855.
Peter worked in the woolen mills of Aberdeenshire owned by the Crombie family, as did many of his children.
Mill records show that he worked at both Cothal Mill and Grandholm Mill all of his adult life.
The Crombies bought Cothal Mill in 1805. Later, wanting to expand, they bought Grandholm in 1859.
Peter moved with them. In a memorandum book at the mill he is described thus:
" old Peter Forbes in 'Finishing' wore an extraordinary beard'.
'Crombie' clothing is famous in England. Per their website: "In 1805 John Crombie founded what was to become an
irrefutable British brand, which over the years would adorn the backs of presidents, tsars and royalty alike."
The Crombie factory was world famous and in the 1860s even produced the grey wool that was used by the
Confederate Army in the Civil War.
In a book about his grandson John Keith Forbes' wartime experiences, Peter Forbes is described as "a man of
severely studious habits, widely read in many branches of learning and possessed of an almost encyclopedic
knowledge of Shakespeare and the Bible,"
The Scotland Census of 1841 finds Peter's family at Houghead, Fintray, Aberdeenshire with 5 children.
The 1851 Census shows the family at Tod Fauld, Fintray, with 8 children. The 1861 Census shows them in Old
Machar, Aberdeenshire, with 10 children. By 1871, Peter is still in Old Machar working the mills but he and Jean only
have 4 children left at home. By 1881, Peter is 75 and is retired and only his wife Jean and Margaret are at home
with him. The family is still on Queen Street in Old Machar, Aberdeenshire.
Peter died at age 77 on June 21, 1885, in Woodside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
His wife Jean lived another 8 years until 1893.
"Cothal Mill" painted by Peter Forbes
"Grantholm Mill" painted by Patrick Moir Forbes
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