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George Forbes, 4th Earl of Granard

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Earl of Granard
Member of the Irish House of Commons for Mullingar
In office
1749–1765
Preceded bySir Arthur Acheson, 5th Bt
Succeeded byRichard Steele
Personal details
Born
George Forbes

(1710-03-15)15 March 1710
Died16 October 1769(1769-10-16) (aged 59)
Spouse
(m. 1736)
RelationsJohn Forbes (brother)
William Stewart, 1st Viscount Mountjoy (grandfather)
Arthur Forbes, 2nd Earl of Granard (grandfather)
ChildrenGeorge Forbes, 5th Earl of Granard

George Forbes, 4th Earl of Granard (15 March 1710 – 16 October 1769)[1] was an Irish soldier and politician.

Early life

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He was the eldest son of George Forbes, 3rd Earl of Granard by his wife Mary, daughter of William Stewart, 1st Viscount Mountjoy;[1] while heir-apparent to the earldom he was styled Viscount Forbes.[2]

Career

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Forbes entered the Army in 1726, and served as Quartermaster-General in Ireland from 1754 to 1757. He was lieutenant-colonel in the Tangier Regiment in 1756, then colonel of the 76th Regiment of Foot the same year.[1] He was promoted to major-general in 1759, transferred to the colonelcy of the 29th Regiment of Foot in 1761, and was promoted lieutenant-general in 1765.[3]

Besides his military career, Forbes sat in the Irish House of Commons for Mullingar from 1749 until he succeeded to his father's seat in the Irish House of Lords in 1765. He was a Governor of County Longford from 1756 and Custos Rotulorum of Longford from 1765 until his death.[3]

Personal life

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On 16 July 1736 Forbes was married to his cousin Letitia Davys,[4] daughter of Arthur Davys of Hampstead by his wife Catherine, daughter of the 1st Viscount Mountjoy.[5] They had one son:[2]

Lord Granard died on 16 October 1769 and was succeeded in his earldom by his only son, George. His widow, Lady Granard, died on 19 May 1778.[3]

Coat of arms

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Coat of arms of George Forbes, 4th Earl of Granard
Coronet
A coronet of an Earl
Crest
Azure three Bears' Heads couped Argent muzzled Gules.
Escutcheon
A Bear statant Argent guttée de sang muzzled Gules.
Supporters
Dexter: an Unicorn Erminois armed maned tufted and unguled Or; Sinister: a Dragon wings expanded Ermine.
Motto
Fax Mentis Incendium Gloriae (The incitement to glory is the firebrand of the mind)[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Forbes (hon.), John (1868). Memoirs of the Earls of Granard, ed. by George Arthur Hastings, earl of Granard. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Lodge, Edmund (1832). The Peerage of the British Empire as at Present Existing: Arranged and Printed from the Personal Communications of the Nobility : to which is Added a View of the Baronetage of the Three Kingdoms. Saunders and Otley. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Cracroft-Brennan, Patrick. "Granard, Earl of (I, 1684)". www.cracroftspeerage.co.uk. Heraldic Media Limited. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  4. ^ Debrett, John (1831). Debrett's Peerage of England, Scotland, and Ireland. [Another]. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  5. ^ Gasper, Julia (13 April 2018). Elizabeth Craven: Writer, Feminist and European. Vernon Press. ISBN 978-1-62273-408-5. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  6. ^ Debrett's peerage & baronetage 2003. London: Macmillan. 674. p. 456.
Military offices
Preceded by Colonel of the 29th Regiment of Foot
1761–1769
Succeeded by
Peerage of Ireland
Preceded by Earl of Granard
1765–1769
Succeeded by
Viscount Granard
1765–1769
Baronetage of Nova Scotia
Preceded by Baronet
(of Castle Forbes)
1765–1769
Succeeded by