|
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION:
From Salem Marriages
Forbes, John and Sarah Whitford,
Sept 10, 1782
From Salem Deaths
Forbes, John, m[arried]. drowned in Virginia, Feb. -----,
1791, a[ge] 28 y. [East Church Records]
From The Parish List of Deaths recorded by William Bently,
Pastor of the East Church, Salem, Massachusetts.
Aug. 19, 1791. News of John
Forbes, drowned in Virginia, a[ged] 28. He has left a wife and
four children.1 Died in February.
From The Diaries of William Bently , Pastor of the East
Church, Salem, Massachusetts.
August 19, 1791 John Forbes, who went with Capt.
Strout from this port in December last, as a mate, was by orders
from Mr. Derby dismissed in Virginia & another person sent
out to take his place. Whatever was the cause, the
Captain under whom he served had no complaint. But the effect
was supposed to be a voluntary death as he was found drowned
in the river, without the knowledge of an accidental cause which
could occasion it. He has left a wife, lately delivered 2. At present
I have but an imperfect knowledge of the event, & its circumstances
& must enquire.
August 20, 1791 In regard to J[ohn] Forbes,
Capt. Strout informed me that in the month of February last,
he stripped himself near the River, putting his cloathes upon
a bush & writing upon his shoes, bury me, I have left enough. He
was found naked. He was a man, a foreigner &
addicted to intemperance, upon which account he was probably
dismissed....This evening I was informed that Forbes was a man
of small powers, & had left our worship for several years
& joined the new lights. It was no small consolation to receive
such information, as superstition would have made a cruel application
to a Liberal Society.
From the 1790 United States Census, Salem, Essex, Massachusetts
John Forbes: 1 male over 16 (John), 2 males under 16 (John
Jr. and another son), 2 females (Sarah and dau. Sarah)
Footnotes
1 Three of the four children are on the 1790 census
above.
2 Charles
Forbes was born in the summer after his father's death in 1791.
William Bentley later became a mentor of Charles Forbes. (See
CHARLES FORBES)
Footnotes 1-2 : NHC,
10/2001
|
REFERENCES:
Vital Records of Salem, Mass
Vol. 3,4- Salem Marriages
Essex Institute [Salem, Ma] 1916
US/Can 974.45/S1 V2e v.4
Vital Records of Salem, Mass
Vol. 5 - Salem Deaths
Essex Institute [Salem, Ma] 1916
US/Can 974.45/S1 V2e v.5
Parish List of Deaths
Essex Institute [Salem, Ma] 1882
US/Can 974.45/S1 K2b
The Diaries of William Bentley
Essex Institute [Salem, Ma] 1906
JSMB US/Can 921.73 B446b v.1
1790 United States Census
Salem, Essex, Massachusetts p.10
|