New Spalding Club > Thanage of Fermartyn including the district commonly called Formartine

Knapcnia. 465
;^9oo, including Mains of Knapernay, Upper Tilliemauld, Nether Tilliemauld, Denend."
The rental of Mains of Knapernay let to Thomas Gordon, amounted in 1670, to thirty-
one bolls meal, eight bollis of bear, two wedderis, one dozen capons, one dozen poultry,
four geese, one leit of peats, and ^^105 of money.- After this date Knaperna became
the property of John Forbes, second son of Alexander Forbes of Foveran, by Margaret,
daughter of Samuel Hunter, apothecary in Edinburgh. He married, and had issue at
least one son,
IV. Samuel Forbes of Knaperna.
He was served heir to his father, John Forbes of Knapernay, May 24, 1719,^ from
him it passed to Irvine of Saphock. In 1765, his son John, who had succeeded to the
baronetcy of Foveran under the title of Sir John Forbes, was served heir to his father,
Samuel Forbes of Knapernay.'' This was to make up his titles on succession. The
following, not a very flattering account of Samuel Forbes of Knapernay, is con-
tained in a letter of date, September, 1727, addressed by George I.ockhart of Carnwath
to Sir John Graeme then at Avignon, the secretary of the then exiled Prince of Wales,
commonly called by Hanoverians, the " old Pretender." Mr. Lockhart appears to have
written under the apprehension of Forbes making some attempt on the life of the
Prince : —
" There has been here for some months a countryman and near kinsman of mine,
Samuel Forbes of Knapernay, one of the most execrable villains nature ever formed.
He committed some seven or eight years ago a most barbarous murder uit Algiers, on
the person of Mr. a very worthy young English gentleman, and about two years
ago a barbarous robbery of a Dutch gentleman, who had invited and was entertaining
him at his house. In short there is no kind of wickedness he is not capable of And
though he is excluded the Hanoverian allegiance by being sure to be hanged, if he is
caught within the territories of the three chief branches of it, that is France, Holland,
and Brittany, yet his zeal is great for the present English Government, in hopes, I
suppose, to get the remission which he has hitherto been refused; and I lately discovered
that he is actually in pay, whether to inform or perform, or both, God knows ; but he is
a very resolute fellow, and well qualified for all manner of villainous undertakings. I was
mightily uneasy on his sudden setting out from hence a few weeks ago, and not going
to Spa as he pretended. However, he has again cast up here. If he happen to come
where you are at any time, for God's sake, cause secure him. It is probable some of his
company may know him, if not, all the description I can give of him is that he is well
set, a middle-sized gentleman of a ruddy complexion, broad-faced, and about thirty
years old, and speaks French correctly, and wears good clothes. I have talked with
some persons of distinction here of him, and they are of opinion, that, if either the
States General or the French King would demand him, he would be given up as a
1 Poll Book, II. p. iSi. 3 Decen. Rets. 1715.
2 Waterton Papers, p. 6. 4 Id., 1763.