Arthur Forbes, 2nd Earl of Granard

Arthur Forbes, 2nd Earl of Granard (c. 1656 – 1 April 1724), was an Irish soldier and peer.

Early life

Forbes was born c. 1656 as the eldest son of Arthur Forbes of Castle Forbes in Aberdeenshire and the former Catharine (née Newcomen) Stewart (widow of Sir Alexander Stewart, 2nd Baronet). His mother was the eldest daughter of Sir Robert Newcomen, 4th Baronet, of Kenagh, and the former Anne Boleyn.[1] His younger sister, Lady Catharine Forbes, was married to Arthur Chichester, 3rd Earl of Donegall, as his second wife.[2]

His paternal grandfather was Arthur Forbes, who was created a Baronet of Castle Forbes in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia on 29 September 1628.[3] In 1632, Forbes' father succeeded as the 2nd Baronet. In November 1675, his father was created Baron Clanehugh and Viscount of Granard in his own right, followed by the earldom of Granard on 30 December 1684.[2]

Career

Forbes was a Col. of the 18th Regiment of Foot (the Royal Irish regiment) from 1686 to 1688,[4] when he was removed by King William III and was thrice imprisoned in the Tower of London for his "suspected co-operation with the Stuarts".[4] He served on the Continent under Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, Viscount of Turenne, and took part in the Siege of Buda in 1686 as part of the Great Turkish War.[5] His younger brother, Lt.-Col. Hon. Robert Forbes, was killed in the trenches in the Siege of Buda.[6]

He was in favour of William III's successor, Queen Anne, and during her reign, he received an offer of the governorship of Jamaica, which as a non-juror he declined.[4]

Personal life

In October 1678, Forbes married Mary Rawdon (1661–1724), eldest daughter of Sir George Rawdon, 1st Baronet, of Moira, by his second wife, Hon. Dorothy Conway (eldest daughter of Edward Conway, 2nd Viscount Conway).[1] Together, they were the parents of several children, including:[2]

Lady Granard died on 1 April 1724. Lord Granard died on 24 August 1734 and was buried at Newtownforbes, County Longford.[7] He was succeeded in the earldom by his eldest son George.[2]

References
  1. Forbes, John (1868). Memoirs of the Earls of Granard. Longmans, Green, Reader and Dyer. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  2. "Granard, Earl of (I, 1684)". www.cracroftspeerage.co.uk. Heraldic Media Limited. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  3. Nexus: The Bimonthly Newsletter of the New England Historic Genealogical Society. New England Historic Genealogical Society. 1996. p. 209. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  4. Manuscripts, Great Britain Royal Commission on Historical (1874). Report of the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts. H.M. Stationery Office. p. 211. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  5. Childs, John (1980). The Army, James II, and the Glorious Revolution. Manchester University Press. p. 65. ISBN 978-0-7190-0688-3. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  6. James, Jeremy (2005). The Byerley Turk: The Incredible Story of the World's First Thoroughbred. Stackpole Books. p. 332. ISBN 978-0-8117-0155-6. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  7. O'Hart, John (1881). Irish Pedigrees, Or, The Origin and Stem of the Irish Nation. M.H. Gill & Son. p. 244. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
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