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Ascertained information

The blog is dedicated to George E. Forbush, born circa 1700 in an unidentified British American Colony (Maryland / Virginia / Pennsylvania?), and who died in Rowan County, North Carolina, on 2 November 1768. George married a woman named Olive/Olif. 

Undocumented connection

Many websites list her as Olif Ferree, daughter of Phillip Ferree; however, this information is undocumented and most likely erroneous.

Theory 1: Connection with John Forbush, 17th century resident of Accomack Co., Virginia

A John Forbush is listed in the "Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents, The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 5, No. 3 (Jan., 1898), pp. 338-347 (10 pages)", as follows:

John Forbush, 100 acres in Accomack, on the bay. Due for the transportation of two persons, John Lewis and Christopher Dixon. By West, June 20, I636.

Any of the two individuals by the name of John Forbush listed in the book Early Virginia Immigrants, 1623-1666 (published 1912) by George Cabell Greer could refer to him.

Theory 2: Connection with William Forbis Jr.

Although no birth record for George E. Forbush has been found, his close connection with William Forbis—evident in their move to North Carolina with their families and their small age gap—strongly suggests they were brothers.

In fact, the book "Early Settlers of Maryland: An Index to Names of Immigrants Compiled from Records of Land Patents, 1633 – 1680" in the Hall of Records, Annapolis, Maryland lists a William and Margaret Forbis (with a son named William Jr.) arriving in Dorchester County, Maryland, in 1679.

Extract from book "Early Settlers of Maryland" referenced above

Interestingly, a James Forbush with wife Margaret and son John also appear in the same document (transported to Dorchester Co. but in different years: 1662 for James Forbush and wife Margaret, 1668-70 for John Forbush). 

It is my unverified assumption that this William Jr. Forbis was the brother- or uncle, if William Jr. was James' brother - of George E. Forbush. The ship that took them to Dorchester County, MD, departed from the port of Hull in Yorkshire, England.

I am launching a call to any fellow researcher wanting to ascertain:

  • A possible connection between John Forbush of Accomack County, Virginia (and descendants) with George Forbush.
  • Whether William Forbis (died 1763) and George Forbush (d. 1768) were indeed brothers.
  • Where William Forbis Sr. and his wife Margaret came from, and if they were indeed the parents of William Forbis Jr.

Biography notes for George Forbush:

  • Carolina Cradle. Settlement of the northwest Carolina frontier, 1747-1762
  • A Land Grant dated 12 Jan 1746 Augusta Co. VA 400a. provides an acquisition of land by George Forbis (Forbush) on the north branch of the Shaenandoah in the gap of the Mountain. August 5, 6 George Forbush and wife Olive sell for 110pds. 5 sh.400a (as above) at or near the mouth of "beaver Dam run". This tract was apparently in Brock's Gap in northwestern Rockingham.
  • George Forbush with Morgan Bryan Sr. (B.1691) both sold land in Virginia and made their way to the Yadkin Valley (Rowan Co. N.C.) in the Fall of 1748. This area is still known as the Bryan settlement.

Get in touch!

If you have any information you would like to share, or wish to start a group research effort, please get in touch in the comments section below.

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Olive / Olif Forbis / Forbush

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  Gravestone of Olive aka Olif Forbis. Photo: Anne J Puryear Many websites, including Findagrave , where the above photograph was downloaded from, show Olive's maiden name as Ferree, daughter of Philip Ferree . However, I could not find any documentary evidence for this, not even in the comprehensive Genealogy of the Ferree family or, most notably, in the will of Philip Ferree. Given the complete absence of any contemporary documentary evidence linking our Olif (Olive) Forbis to the Ferree family, it is my considered opinion that this supposed connection is entirely unfounded . Neither George Forbis’s 1765 will, nor any surviving Rowan County probate, land, or court record from the period, contains even a passing reference to a Ferree (or any spelling variant) in connection with George, Olif, or their immediate descendants. The only “evidence” for such a link appears to originate from modern, unsourced online trees and misreadings of Olif Forbis’s name in 18th-century script...
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Descendants of George E. Forbush and his wife Olive

To facilitate your research, here is a list of George E. Forbush and his wife Olive's offspring: Robert Forbes aka Forbush / Forbis / Faubus, b. circa 1734-35 (Virginia?) / d. 28 June 1813 in Henry County, Kentucky. Married Mary Eleanor Curtis, b. on 12 July 1741 in Rowan, NC / d. in September 1826 in Henry County. John William Forbes , b. c. 1732 / d. 10 June 1780 in Rowan County, North Carolina, married Martha Bryan b. circa 1729 (North Carolina?) / died 10 June 1780. Elizabeth (Forbes) Ferree , b. c. 1736 / d. 1806 in Surry, North Carolina. Married Isaac Ferree, b. 1725 / d. 1759. George II Forbes , b. c. 1738 / d. 21 November 1831 in Green, Kentucky. James Forbes , b. c. 1740 / d. 16 February 1805 in Green, Kentucky. Married Hannah Turner, b. 1737 / d. ? Margaret (Forbes) Montgomery , b. 1754 / d. ?. Married William Montgomery, b. 1754 / d. 7 September 1818 in Wilkes, Georgia. Catherine (Forbes) Cook , b. 1760 in Yadkin, Rowan County, North Carolina / d. 1830 in Barren, Kentuc...
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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 rec...
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