Genealogy

The subject of genealogy is one of the most important aspects of our Society.

Many peoples' first reason for joining our Society is to find out more about their own particular family.

As a Society we are very fortunate in that we have a wealth of records and data on various sections of our family.

These records have been collected over many years and are the efforts of many peoples' hard work. As a Society we are happy to answer individual inquiries but will never make our records public knowledge like putting the information on the Internet.

Before making any contact with the Society we recommend you get as much information together as you can from old records or just by talking to older family members.

A family history form is available here and we recommend you fill in as much of this as you can and then send it to us and in the first hand we will endeavour to try and match you up with existing records if this is not possible then we might have to ask for a fee to conduct a more in depth search on your behalf.

The genealogical assistance given by our Society is normally done by volunteers and so if there is ever a backlog of work priority will always be given to paid up members of the Society.

Tracing your Ancestors

We have always been aware in the Society about the level of interest in people wanting to trace their ancestors. This can be from the person who is doing it for the first time or those who have completed their family tree and wanting to look for additional information.

Since setting up our website we have been receiving enquiries from all over the world from people wanting to trace Forsyth’s and their relatives. Previously we printed these enquiries in our newsletters but now we are proposing to publish these on our website in order to give them maximum exposure.

Only the original enquiry is being shown as there will be a number of e-mails sent in reply. All of the people who sent in these enquiries have given their agreement for them to be published. For reasons of data protection we have removed any postal address details.

Can we ask you to look through these and if you have any further information or interest, that you contact the society, via our website, quoting the initial reference and we will pass it on to the person who made the initial enquiry.

We are always happy to publish any enquiries you might have regarding your own Forsyth ancestors. Any enquiries just send them in via our website.

Latest enquiries

Dr Noel C Forsyth & Dorothea Forsyth
Alan Forsyth:

I hope you can help. I am visiting the UK in July this year. My grandparents were residents of Malton Yorkshire. They were: Dr Noel C Forsyth who passed away in 1948 and Dorothea Forsyth who passed away in 1945. I would be interested in visiting their grave site/s. Can you advise where they are buried or perhaps direct me to those who can furnish that info. Thank you in advance.

Major Maxwell Hanton Forsyth DSO MC
Message:

Dear Mr Forsyth, I am a great grandson of one R.W. Forsyth who ran a high class clothing business in Glasgow & Edinburgh. I am trying to research one of his sons, Major Maxwell Hanton Forsyth DSO MC, who died of wounds on 11th March 1918, aged 25. I have a fair amount of basic military information, but almost nothing else. Might there be any way through the Society of appealing for help?

Joseph Forsyth and Margaret Rae
Message:

I have restarted doing some family history on the Forsyth side but currently stuck at Joseph Forsyth and Margaret Rae my Great Great Grand parents. I have been using the ScotlandsPeople site. Joseph Forsyth seems to originated from Old or West Kilpatrick. I did find a birth of a son Joseph Forsyth; with parents Joseph and Margaret born on 29 Jan 1837. This was in the Old Parish Registers Births 501/ 40 231 Old or West Kilpatrick Page 231 of 627. But I have not see the son in any formal census or death or marriage reocords.

Joseph (father) was 45 years old in the census of 1861, so birth year around 1816. He died 24 April 1889 in Dalmuir.

Children four children John (14 - correct for Great Great Grandfather, as gives 1847 for birth), Margaret (12), William (7 ), Mary(4) and Elisabeth (3).

However in a 1851 census he was 34, so birth year 1817. His wife Margaret Rae was spelt Ray (assume an error), but four children Jean(12), Mary (10) John (4 - correct for Great Great Grandfather, as gives 1847 for birth) and daughter (1). I was born in Greenock and my brief line is as follows:

Father Andrew Forsyth 1907-1997 (Mary Swales Pearson 1928 - 2001).

Grandfather Andrew Forsyth 1875-1916; (Helen Graham 1884-1930); They did not marry as first cousins.

Great Grandfather John Forsyth 1847 - 1923 (Mary Hutton 1851-1884); Married 29 December 1871 in Patrick, Glasgow.

Great Great Grandfather Joseph Forsyth 1813? - 1889; (Margaret Rae ? - 1888).

In the census Joseph and Margaret came from Ireland and his descendants from the Dumbarton/Dalmuir area.

Any help with Joseph Forsyth and Margaret Rae most appreciated.

Robert Forsyth born approx 1784 Berwickshire
Message:

Dear Mr Forsyth, I am a great grandson of one R.W. Forsyth who ran a high class clothing business in Glasgow & Edinburgh. I am trying to research one of his sons, Major Maxwell Hanton Forsyth DSO MC, who died of wounds on 11th March 1918, aged 25. I have a fair amount of basic military information, but almost nothing else. Might there be any way through the Society of appealing for help?

GGG Grandfather is Robert Forsyth b 1784-86ish in Scotland...
Message:

Hi, yes I'm tracing my family tree. I live in the US, my mother was a Forsyth. Most of the Forsyth family that I grew up with still live in the NJ area.

I have traced and know that my GGG Grandfather is Robert Forsyth b 1784-86ish in Scotland. He is buried in Mendham NJ America d.1864. Headstone inscription says "Robert Forsyeth died May 30th,1864 age 79 yrs, 7 mo, 15 days.” I also found an 1850 US census that has Robert (age 64) it says he was born in Scotland, his wife was born in NJ. He's a farmer, their is a son Thomas b.1833 NJ, age 17, Thomas is my GG gf. But that makes Robert & Mary in there 40's when having Thomas my GGgf. Here is what I'm trying to find out...

Buried near my GGG father Robert is a headstone with the inscription. “In memory of Isabella Forseyth wife of Robert Forseyth from Eccles Shire of Berwick North Britain who departed this life 3rd of June 1807 aged 63 years.” So her b.1744 would have been around 1744ish.

Below that it reads “Robert Forsyeth died Jan. 20, 1810 76 years, 8 months and 19 days.” So his date of birth would be around 1734ish.

If the above Robert & Isabella are my GGGGrandfather Robert Jr. parents, Isabella would also have been around 40 when she had him. This gave me some doubts. It is usual back then to have children at that age? Could this be my GGGgrandfather’s parents?

It would mean that Robert and Isabella came to the US along with son Robert from Scotland. Is there a way to find out when or why they came to the US? I just can't seem to find the real connection to father(s) and son(s). I was hoping maybe you can help me.

There is also a George Forsyeth b.1763 buried near with an inscription that says native of Kelso. Possible another son, which would mean the al came together. I would think they are all related somehow, just would really love to make the correct connection to my GGG Gf to his father. I have been searching as much as I can from the internet, as I live in CA, and don't get back to NJ as much as I would like. I hope that I explained it in a way that it makes sense.

Any help or direction would be so appreciated.

William Forsyth marriage to Jane Todd in Glencairn, Scotland on 26 Jan 1834
Message:

Hello, I am in the process of tracing back my family history, but I've figuratively hit a wall in my research. Through Canadian and Scottish census data, marriage logs, and immigration forms, I've found that my grandfather is a first-generation Canadian and the history before that is Scottish. I finally found a record of a William Forsyth marrying a Jane Todd in Glencairn, Scotland on 26 Jan 1834. I believe his father's name was William Forsyth as well, but after that, I can find nothing. Can you help me or point me in the right direction?

My father is passionate about his history, and I'm trying to trace our lineage back to the Clan Forsyth. He'd be elated to know with certainty where we came from! Thank you for anything you can do.

Augustus Govan Forsythe. Guyana died in 1927
Message:

I got as much as I can. It seems like the forsythe family was very private. My dad's name is John Govan Forsythe and his dad's was Augustus Govan Forsythe, he died in 1927, he was born in Guyana, nothing of his dad is known, in those days the church kept the data on people. My cousin who lives in London told me that she had heard that the first family member first went to Peru before coming to guyana. Augustus was married to Engerita Fieudtkou. My spelling might be wrong. My dad was born on August 4th 1914. He is deceased. I hope that can help. I also think the e was added on to the name. Sometimes we would spell our name with the e and without the e. Now I think the family decided to leave the e, it was very confusing.

Adam Forsyth married Agnes Fairbairn. 21\5\1773 Kelso

Andrewina/Andrina Forsythe
Message:

I am trying to trace my relatives from the Forsyth side of my family,my mothers side .They go back as far as Adam Forsyth who was married on 21\5\1773. he was from Kelso and married Agnes Fairbairn. No other info to hand. James Forsythe died Edinburgh 1893. Daughter Andrewina. Hi I am looking into my family history. I know my great great grandmother was from Scotland. Andrewina/Andrina Forsythe. Daughter of James.