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Social Victorians/People/Forbes

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Also Known As edit

  • Family name: Forbes
  • St. Clair-Erskine Forbes
  • Earl of Rosslyn (UK peerage, created in 1801)
    • Robert Francis St. Clair-Erskine, 4th Earl of Rosslyn (16 June 1866 – 6 September 1890)[1]
  • The families of the Earl of Buchan and the Earl of Mar and Kellie are named Erskine.
  • Baronet Forbes of Newe

Acquaintances, Friends and Enemies edit

Angela St. Clair Erskine edit

Timeline edit

1889 March 5, Evelyn Elizabeth Forbes and William Dodge James married.[2]

1890 July 19, James Francis Harry St. Clair-Erskine and Violet Aline Vyner married.[3]

1896 April 27, Angela Selina Bianca St. Clair-Erskine and James Stewart Forbes married.[4]

1897 July 2, Friday, several people named Forbes attended the Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball at Devonshire House: Lady Angela Forbes and Mr. Jim Forbes, and Miss Blanche Forbes. Lord and Lady Rosslyn also attended.

1899, John Blundell Leigh and Lady Rose Nevill Leigh were divorced.

1901 January 16, Helen Blanche Forbes and John Blundell Leigh married.[5]

1902, James Francis Harry St. Clair-Erskine, 5th Earl of Rosslyn and Violet Aline Vyner divorced.[3]

1907, Angela St. Clair-Erskine and James Forbes divorced.

1908 October 8, James Francis Harry St. Clair-Erskine, 5th Earl of Rosslyn and Tommy (Vera May) Bayley married.[6]

1913 August 30, Evelyn Elizabeth Forbes James and Lt.-Col. John Chaytor Brinton married.[2]

1927, Evelyn Elizabeth Forbes James Brinton and Lt.-Col. John Chaytor Brinton divorced.[2]

1929, Angela St. Clair-Erskine Forbes went back to her maiden name, St. Clair-Erskine.[4]

Costume at the Duchess of Devonshire's 2 July 1897 Fancy-dress Ball edit

The Times says Mr. and Lady A. Forbes attended the ball, which would be Lady Angela and Mr. Jim Forbes.[7]:p. 12, Col. 4b Evelyn Elizabeth Forbes James (at 364) and William Dodge James (at 686) also attended the Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball and are treated on the James page.

Lady Angela Forbes edit

Lady Angela St. Clair-Erskine Forbes (at 37) attended . She

  • "appeared as the Queen of Naples, in an Empire dress of cream satin, embroidered with chaplets of laurels in silver."[8]:p. 3, Col. 3a
  • was dressed as "Queen of Naples. Empire dress of cream satin, embroidered with chaplets of laurels in silver, diminishing in size from the hem upwards, and silver embroidered collar curved over the shoulders; train of faded petunia velvet lined with satin and bordered with the richest silver embroidery; small crown of jewels and two large white ostrich plumes on one side."[9]:p. 7, Col. 7b
  • "wore white and mauve as Queen of Naples."[10]:p. 5, Col. 7c
  • "made a dainty Queen of Naples in a white satin Empire dress, with silver and diamond embroideries, and a train of petunia velvet embroidered to correspond."[11]
 
Order of St. Catherine

Mr. Jim Forbes edit

Mr. JIm (James Stewart) Forbes (at 273) was dressed as an Imperial Guard in the Court in the Empress Catherine II of Russia procession.[9]:p. 7, Col. 5b

  • "Lord Raincliffe, Lord Romilly, Mr. H. T. Barclay, Mr. J. Forbes, Mr. C. H. Wellesley Wilson, Captain E. B. Cook, the Hon. Gerald Ward, the Hon. Cecil Campbell (eight officers of the Imperial Guard, attending Catherine of Russia), white and gold uniform with blue facings; ribbon and Order of Catherine of Russia."[12]:p. 36, Col. 3b
  • He "and seven other gentlemen formed an Imperial guard, wearing splendid white uniforms, with blue facings and trimmed with gold. They all wore the ribbon of the Order of Catherine of Russia."[10]:p. 5, Col. 7a

The Ribbon of the Order of Catherine of Russia would have crossed the chest, perhaps from right to left, with the star (right) attached near the left hip.

 
Miss B. Forbes in costume as Donna Lucrezia Arcalla. ©National Portrait Gallery, London.

Miss Blanche Forbes edit

Miss Blanche Forbes (at 285) was dressed as

  • Donna Lucrezia Arcella in the Italian procession.[9][7]
  • (Venetian lady, fourteenth century), robe of mauve and gold Venetian brocade; dalmatique of white crêpe de Chine handsomely embroidered Venetian pattern of mauve, rose and gold edged with pearls."[12]:p. 40, Col. 3a

Lafayette's portrait of "Miss B. Forbes as Donna Lucrezia Arcalla" in costume is photogravure #221 in the album presented to the Duchess of Devonshire and now in the National Portrait Gallery.[13] The printing on the portrait says, "Miss B. Forbes as Donna Lucrezia Arcalla," with a Long S in Miss.[14]

If Blanche Forbes is right about Donna Lucrezia Arcalla living in the 14th century in Venice, then who she is thinking of is not clear.

The region in Italy called Avigliano had a number of owners in the middle of the 16th century, one called Lucrezia Arcellla [sic] as well as a number of members of the Caracciolo family.[15] One of the Caracciolos was Giovanni Battista Caracciolo (1578–1635), or Battistello, an early-17th-century painter strongly influenced by Caravaggio.[16]

Arcella is a region of Italy. Fabio Arcella (–1560) held a number of high offices in the Catholic Church but seems not to have married.[17]

Lord and Lady Rosslyn edit

James, 5th Earl of Rosslyn (at 416) and Violet, Countess of Rosslyn (at 417) attended the ball.

Demographics edit

  • Nationality: British
  • Angela St. Clair-Erskine Forbes: nearly 6 feet tall

Family edit

Family of the Baronet of Newe edit

  • Sir Charles John Forbes of Newe, 4th Bt. (24 March 1843 – 24 July 1884)[18]
  • Helen Moncreiffe (18 July 1845 – 12 November 1913)[19]
  1. Sir Charles Stewart Forbes of Newe, 5th Bt. (19 January 1867 – 12 December 1927)
  2. Evelyn Elizabeth Forbes (c. 1868[20] – 13 May 1929)
  3. Blanche (Helen Blanche) Forbes (c. 1870[20] – 7 June 1934)
  4. Mabel Susan Forbes (1871[20] – 14 February 1919)


  1. Helen Milicent James ( – 15 Aug 1967)
  2. Silvia Helena Sophia James ()
  3. Edward James James ()
  4. Alexandra Maud Venetia James (26 December 1896 – 4 February 1981)
  5. Audrey Evelyn James (21 April 1902 – 14 February 1968)
  • Lt.-Col. John Chaytor Brinton ( – 6 April 1956)[22]


  • John Blundell Leigh (13 December 1858 – 27 July 1931)[23]
  • Lady Rose Nevill (7 December 1866 – 2 May 1913)[24]
  1. Honor Dorothy Leigh (1892 – 25 December 1982)
  • Blanche (Helen Blanche) Forbes ( – 7 June 1934)[5]

Family of the Earl of Rosslyn edit

  • Blanche Adeliza Fitzroy (1839 – 8 December 1933)[25]
  • Colonel Hon. Charles Henry Maynard (1814 – 2 January 1865)[26]
    1. Frances Evelyn Maynard (10 December 1861 – 26 July 1938)
    2. Blanche Maynard (14 February 1864 – 17 August 1945)
  • Robert Francis St. Clair-Erskine, 4th Earl of Rosslyn (2 March 1833 – 6 September 1890)[1]
    1. Lady Millicent Fanny St. Clair-Erskine (20 October 1867 – 20 August 1955)
    2. James Francis Harry St. Clair-Erskine, 5th Earl of Rosslyn (16 March 1869 – 10 August 1939)
    3. Hon. Alexander Fitzroy St. Clair-Erskine (22 April 1870 – 25 February 1914)
    4. Lady Sybil Mary St. Clair-Erskine (20 August 1871 – 21 July 1910)
    5. Lady Angela Selina Bianca St. Clair-Erskine (11 June 1876 – 22 October 1950)


  • James Francis Harry St. Clair-Erskine, 5th Earl of Rosslyn (16 March 1869 – 10 August 1939)[27]
  • Violet Aline Vyner ( – 17 February 1945)[3]
    1. Lady Rosabelle Millicent St. Clair-Erskine (30 October 1891 – 12 December 1956)
    2. Francis Edward Scudamore St. Clair-Erskine, Lord Loughborough (16 Nov 1892 – 4 August 1929)
  • Tommy (Vera May) Bayley ( – 24 February 1975)[6]
    1. Major Hon. James Alexander Wedderburn St. Clair-Erskine (23 August 1909 – 17 December 1973)
    2. Lady Mary Sybil St. Clair-Erskine (9 May 1912 – 1993)
    3. Major Hon. David Simon St. Clair-Erskine (18 November 1917 – 25 October 1985)


  • Lady Angela Selina Bianca St. Clair-Erskine Forbes (11 June 1876 – 1950)[28]
  • Jim (James Stewart) Forbes (1872–1957)[29]
    1. Marigold Forbes (26 August 1897 — 11 February 1975)
    2. Flavia Forbes (18 December 1902 — 13 October 1959)
  • Hugo Richard Charteris, 11th Earl of Wemyss, not a marital relationship, though they lived together from 1912; he remained married.[4]

Relations edit

Questions and Notes edit

  1. The NPG identifies her as Miss B. Forbes, but Miss Blanche Forbes in the Morning Post and the Times came as the same person, Donna Lucrezia Arcella or Arcalla. Blanche Forbes appears in contemporary magazines with enough information to identify her, however, at least enough to find her as Helen Blanche Forbes in The Peerage. Especially around the time of her marriage in 1901 is she mentioned with her mother's name, associating her with a Baronetage in Newe, Scotland, which is enough to identify her as Helen Blanche Forbes.[30][31]

Bibliography edit

Footnotes edit

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Robert Francis St. Clair-Erskine, 4th Earl of Rosslyn." "Person Page". www.thepeerage.com. Retrieved 2021-07-28. https://www.thepeerage.com/p1241.htm#i12409.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Evelyn Elizabeth Forbes." "Person Page". www.thepeerage.com. Retrieved 2021-07-28. https://www.thepeerage.com/p41396.htm#i413951.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Violet Aline Vyner." "Person Page". www.thepeerage.com. Retrieved 2021-07-28. https://www.thepeerage.com/p1467.htm#i14662.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 "Lady Angela Forbes". Wikipedia. 2020-10-02. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lady_Angela_Forbes&oldid=981518955.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Angela_Forbes.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Helen Blanche Forbes." "Person Page". www.thepeerage.com. Retrieved 2021-07-28. https://www.thepeerage.com/p32923.htm#i329229.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Vera Mary Bayley." "Person Page". www.thepeerage.com. Retrieved 2021-07-28. https://www.thepeerage.com/p5337.htm#i53364.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Ball at Devonshire House." The Times Saturday 3 July 1897: 12, Cols. 1a–4c The Times Digital Archive. Web. 28 Nov. 2015.
  8. ↑ “The Ball at Devonshire House. Magnificent Spectacle. Description of the Dresses.” London Evening Standard 3 July 1897 Saturday: 3 [of 12], Cols. 1a–5b [of 7]. British Newspaper Archive https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000183/18970703/015/0004.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 "Fancy Dress Ball at Devonshire House." Morning Post Saturday 3 July 1897: 7 [of 12], Col. 4a–8 Col. 2b. British Newspaper Archive https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000174/18970703/054/0007.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Duchess of Devonshire's Fancy Ball. A Brilliant Spectacle. Some of the Dresses." London Daily News Saturday 3 July 1897: 5 [of 10], Col. 6a–6, Col. 1b. British Newspaper Archive http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000051/18970703/024/0005 and http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000051/18970703/024/0006.
  11. ↑ “The Devonshire House Ball. A Brilliant Gathering.” The Pall Mall Gazette 3 July 1897, Saturday: 7 [of 10], Col. 2a–3a. British Newspaper Archive http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000098/18970703/019/0007.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 “The Duchess of Devonshire’s Ball.” The Gentlewoman 10 July 1897 Saturday: 32–42 [of 76], Cols. 1a–3c [of 3]. British Newspaper Archive https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003340/18970710/155/0032.
  13. ↑ "Devonshire House Fancy Dress Ball (1897): photogravures by Walker & Boutall after various photographers." 1899. National Portrait Gallery https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait-list.php?set=515 (accessed February 2020).
  14. ↑ "Miss B. Forbes as Donna Lucrezia Arcalla." Diamond Jubilee Fancy Dress Ball. National Portrait Gallery https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw158584/Miss-B-Forbes-as-Donna-Lucrezia-Arcalla (accessed February 2020).
  15. ↑ Falasca, Vincenzo. "Avigliano." Institute for Historical Archaeological Research in Basilicata. http://www.lucania.one/chiese/avigliano/Tscritto/avigliano.htm.
  16. ↑ "Battistello Caracciolo". Wikipedia. 2021-12-05. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battistello_Caracciolo&oldid=1058829831.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battistello_Caracciolo.
  17. ↑ "Fabio Arcella". Wikipedia. 2021-02-14. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fabio_Arcella&oldid=1006803175.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fabio_Arcella.
  18. ↑ "Sir Charles John Forbes of Newe, 4th Bt." "Person Page". www.thepeerage.com. Retrieved 2021-07-28. https://www.thepeerage.com/p7879.htm#i78790.
  19. ↑ "Helen Moncreiffe." "Person Page". www.thepeerage.com. Retrieved 2021-07-28. https://www.thepeerage.com/p27861.htm#i278605.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Ancestry.com. 1871 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.
  21. ↑ "William Dodge James." "Person Page". www.thepeerage.com. Retrieved 2021-07-28. https://www.thepeerage.com/p3435.htm#i34342.
  22. ↑ "Lt.-Col. John Chaytor Brinton." "Person Page". www.thepeerage.com. Retrieved 2021-07-28. https://www.thepeerage.com/p41396.htm#i413953.
  23. ↑ " John Blundell Leigh." "Person Page". www.thepeerage.com. Retrieved 2021-07-28. https://www.thepeerage.com/p1440.htm#i14391.
  24. ↑ "Lady Rose Nevill." "Person Page". www.thepeerage.com. Retrieved 2021-07-28. https://www.thepeerage.com/p1124.htm#i11238.
  25. ↑ "Blanche Adeliza Fitzroy." "Person Page". www.thepeerage.com. Retrieved 2021-07-28. https://www.thepeerage.com/p1126.htm#i11251.
  26. ↑ "Colonel Hon. Charles Henry Maynard." "Person Page". www.thepeerage.com. Retrieved 2021-07-28. https://www.thepeerage.com/p1241.htm#i12407.
  27. ↑ "James Francis Harry St. Clair-Erskine, 5th Earl of Rosslyn." "Person Page". www.thepeerage.com. Retrieved 2021-07-28. https://www.thepeerage.com/p1466.htm#i14660.
  28. ↑ "Lady Angela Selina Bianca St. Clair-Erskine." "Person Page". www.thepeerage.com. Retrieved 2021-07-28. https://www.thepeerage.com/p7109.htm#i71085.
  29. ↑ "Lt.-Col. James Stewart Forbes." "Person Page". www.thepeerage.com. Retrieved 2021-07-28. https://www.thepeerage.com/p3075.htm#i30742.
  30. ↑ "Prince Attends Another Smart Wedding, The." The Sketch: A Journal of Art and Actuality 28 January 1901 (Vol. 33): 11, Col. 1a. Google Books https://books.google.com/books?id=Cns4AQAAMAAJ (accessed February 2020).
  31. ↑ "Ladies Pages." Illustrated London News 26 January 1901: 140, Col. 1a. Google Books https://books.google.com/books?id=wb4sAQAAMAAJ (accessed February 2020).
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