George (Forrester) Vth Lord Forrester of Corstorphine (1688 - abt. 1727)

Born 23 Mar 1688 in Corstorphine, Midlothian, Scotland

Ancestors

Descendants

Died about 17 Feb 1727 at about age 38 in France

Biography

George (Forrester) Vth Lord Forrester of Corstorphine was born in Scotland.

Family

George was born 23 March 1688^[1] and baptised on 27 March of the same year at Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland, the son of William Baillie Forrester and Margaret Birnie.^[2][3]

Military Career

He succeeded his father as Lord Forrester in 1705.^[4]

George Forrester, 5th Lord Forrester, served as an officer in the army under the Duke of Marlborough on the continent, and rapidly gained a reputation for his bravery and leadership during battle.^[4][5] He led the 26th foot (called the 'Cameronians') as their lieutenant-colonel during the battle at Preston, in Lancashire, on 13 November 1715 and was wounded when he rode into battle at the head of his men.^[5] In January of the following year he was made colonel of the 30th foot,^[5] and on 17 July 1717 he was promoted to the command of the 2nd troop of horse grenadier guards.^[5] Two years later, in April 1719, he became colonel of the fourth (Scots) troop of the horse guards.^[4][5]

Marriage and Children

George Forrester married Charlotte Rowe, a daughter and co-heir of Anthony Rowe of Oxfordshire.^[4] The date of their marriage is uncertain, Scottish historian Gordon MacGregor gives it (without any source) as about 1716^[6] and Sir James Balfour Paul says only that it was "in or before 1724" (also giving no sources).^[4] Since there is some evidence that Forrester's eldest son and heir was born in 1718, it seems likely that 1716 is a more accurate estimate of the date they were married. There were four children from this marriage:

• George Forrester, 6th Lord Forrester of Corstorphine; b. 10 June 1718;^[6] d. (unmarried) 26 Jun 1748^[7]
• (Unknown) Forrester; a son, captain in the Royal Navy who died w/o issue Mar/Apr 1736^[8]
• Caroline Forrester, Baroness Forrester of Corstorphine; b. 23 Sep 1722^[9] m. George Cockburn of Ormiston;^[10] d. 25 Feb 1784^[11]
• Harriet Forrester; m. 6 May 1754 Edward Walter, Esq. of Stallbridge;^[12] d. 5 Mar 1795^[10]

Death

George Forrester, 5th Lord Forrester, died in France on 17 February 1727, at the age of 38.^[4][6]

Sources

1. ↑ Cokayne, G.E. The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant. Glouster, UK: Alan Sutton (1926), vol, 5, pp. 558-559.
2. ↑ "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XYQS-T13 : 11 February 2020), George Baron Forrester Forrester.
3. ↑ "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X1TS-99W : 11 February 2020), George Baron Forrester Forrester, 1688.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5} Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: D. Douglas (1904), vol. 4, p. 95.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4} Anderson, William. The Scottish Nation. (1863) , digitized by Electric Scotland. Forrester.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} MacGregor, Gordon. The Red Book of Scotland. Scotland: by the author (2016), rv. 2020, p. 382.
7. ↑ OPR, Kingston, St Michael, cited in MacGregor, Gordon. The Red Book of Scotland. Scotland: by the author (2016), rv. 2020, p. 382.
8. ↑ Caledonian Mercury, 26 Apr 1736 ed., cited in MacGregor, Gordon. The Red Book of Scotland. Scotland: by the author (2016), rv. 2020, p. 383.
9. ↑ Services of Heirs, cited in MacGregor, Gordon. The Red Book of Scotland. Scotland: by the author (2016), rv. 2020, p. 383.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} MacGregor, Gordon. The Red Book of Scotland. Scotland: by the author (2016), rv. 2020, p. 383.
11. ↑ Hereford Journal, 18 Mar 1784 ed., cited in MacGregor, Gordon. The Red Book of Scotland. Scotland: by the author (2016), rv. 2020, p. 383.
12. ↑ OPR, Dorking, cited in MacGregor, Gordon. The Red Book of Scotland. Scotland: by the author (2016), rv. 2020, p. 383.

See Also:

• Douglas, Sir Robert. The Peerage of Scotland. Edinburgh: R. Fleming (1764), p. 272.

• Wikipedia entry for Clan Forrester.