Biography

William Forbes. (1739-1806) (aka. of Pitsligo)

6th Baronet of Pitsligo. Son of Sir William Forbes (d. 1743), 5th of Pitsligo, and Christian Forbes (1705-1789), daughter of John Forbes, 1st of Boyndlie. Married (1770) to Elizabeth Hay (d. 1806).

Apprentice (1754-59) to the banking firm Coutts & Co. in Edinburgh of which he later became a partner (1761). In 1773 the bank changed its name to Forbes, Hunter & Co. Grand Master of the masonic Grand Lodge of Scotland (1776-78). Founder member of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (1780) and the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1783). In 1803 he published Memoirs of a Banking House. Despite a few accounts stating otherwise, Forbes was probably not a member of Johnson's Club.

Life with James Boswell:

From Boswell's memos one could get the impression that Boswell didn't meet Forbes until September 21, 1763, in Utrecht. Boswell's brother, David, was at that time an apprentice in the bank of which Forbes was a partner. However, in a letter to Boswell's daughter Veronica, dated June 13, 1795 (a few weeks after Boswell's death), Forbes wrote about "the memory of a friend with whom I had lived in the strictest intimacy for thirty-six years, and to whose steady and unalterable regard and attachment I shall ever look back with gratitude and affection". Presumably they met in 1759, and became friends later.

Forbes was executor of Boswell's estate following his death.

External links:

• William Forbes - detailed bio at Electric Scotland

Literature:

It is usually possible to find antiquarian copies of Forbes' Memoirs of a banking-house via the via the Abebooks used books search engine.

This article was last updated at January 28 2008 13:09:35 CET

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