Documentary evidence on George E. Forbush

George E. Forbush (also recorded as Forbis or Forbes), born circa 1700 (Maryland / Virginia / Pennsylvania?), died between 2 November 1768 and the proving of his will in 1769 in Rowan County, North Carolina. He married Olive (also spelled Oley, Olif in records; maiden name unknown).

George E. Forbush’s migration path is partly documented and partly reconstructed from frontier settlement patterns. Surviving records place him in Augusta County, Virginia, by the late 1740s, and in Rowan County, North Carolina, by 1768. Later traditions have him moving through Maryland and Pennsylvania in the 1730s and 1740s, but primary proof before 1748 is lacking.

In his will, signed on 2 November 1768 in Rowan County, NC, George names:

• Wife: Olif
• Children: Robert, James, George, John, Elizabeth Jones, and Mary Bryan
• Granddaughter: Olif (first name only)

The will is recorded in Rowan County Will Book A and was proved in 1769.

Spelling variations such as Forbush and Forbis occur in contemporary legal records. These are consistent with 18th-century orthography and do not necessarily imply separate families, but they do mean researchers must check all variants when searching.

George and his family are documented among the earliest permanent European settlers west of the Yadkin River in North Carolina. The Yadkin Valley and adjoining backcountry would later serve as the launching point for migration into Kentucky and Missouri by members of the same and allied families.

“The world was so recent that many things lacked names, and in order to indicate them it was necessary to point.” 

― Gabriel García Márquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude

By August 1748, George Forbush was in Augusta County, Virginia, where a deed shows “George Forbush … and Oley his wife” selling land to John Miller. The record includes Oley’s private examination and dower release, signed by her mark. This is the earliest surviving document naming his wife.

By the 1760s, George had established himself in Rowan County, North Carolina. His will confirms his home was there in 1768, and his probate in 1769 firmly fixes his death in that period.

The township of Forbush in Yadkin County, along with the local high school and many other places and businesses in the area, carry his name—though often without awareness of the pioneer behind it.

Primary Sources

Augusta County, Virginia Deed Book 2, p. 5 (6 Aug 1748; proved 17 Aug 1748):

“George Forbush … and Oley his wife” to John Miller, 150 acres on Beaver Dam Run. Oley privately examined; both sign by mark. Recorded in Augusta County Court, 17 Aug 1748.

Image: Library of Virginia, Augusta County (Va.) Deed Book 2, 1747–1749, pp. 5–6.

Rowan County, North Carolina Will Book A (1768/1769):

Will of “George E. Forbis,” dated 2 Nov 1768, proved 1769. Names wife Olif, children Robert, James, George, John, Elizabeth Jones, Mary Bryan, and granddaughter Olif. North Carolina State Archives, Rowan County Wills, 1757–1971, Book A.