James & Alice Forbes Cemetery
Camden Co., NC
Surveyed by Diane Siniard September 2013




The following is a complete listing of the tombstones in the James & Alice Forbes Cemetery in Camden County, NC.

Location 265 Pond Rd

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    GPS Coordinates:
    36º 17.236 N
    76º 02.989 W

    The epitaphs are as follows:

    Double Stone Forbes James 1657-ca 1726 Alice Ca 1664- ca 1732 FS 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 1701. Forbes was admitted and assigned to Issac 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 pm ye N East side of Pasquotank River joining 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 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 travelled to Scotland, Barbados, Eastern Shore, Virginia and Raleigh, North Carolina in search of the Forbes lineage. FS A Lasting Tribute According to the records of Pasquotank and Camden Counties, James Forbes, his wife Alice and their sons and daughter were the only Forbes immigrants to settle in this area. For this reason a monument was established commemorating the living legace to each person who bears the family name of Forbes. The monument has been located near the center of the original land grant where James Forbes settled and was buried. It was dedicated on October 20 2001 in celebration of the 300th anniversary of James and Alice Forbes arrival in Riddle North Carolina. The parcel of land on which the monument was placed was donated by the Reverend Daniel Forbes. The committee responsible for raising the funds necessary to establish the monument are listed below: Committee Willard Forbes, Chairman Joseph Forbes, Treasurer Reggie Forbes Rev Daniel Forbes Robert L Forbes Henrietta Forbes Leary Dr Alan G Forbes DSS Arnette Forbes Manning Drawing of land grant Double Stone Forbes Daniel Mercer Sep 26 1901 Mar 1 1976 Mary Ferebee May 3 1909 Dec 15 1996 Wilford F Forbes Apr 18 1932 Oct 24 1950

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