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
Diane Siniard Send your questions (and thanks) directly to Diane
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