View source for John Forbes (died 1734)

{{Short description|British Member of Parliament (died 1734)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
'''John Forbes'''  (c. 1673–1734), 4th of Culloden, Inverness, was a Scottish politician who sat in the [[Parliament of Scotland]] from 1704 to 1707 and in the [[British House of Commons]] from 1713 to 1727. He was known as ‘Bumper John’   from his enduring belief that ‘another bumper’ (of drink) would cure all ills

Forbes was the eldest son of [[Duncan Forbes (died 1704)|Duncan Forbes]], Shire Commissioner, of Culloden and his wife Mary Innes, daughter of Sir Robert Innes, 2nd Baronet,  of Innes, Elgin. He was educated at Inverness Royal Academy and privately in Edinburgh in 1692 although he shirked  his studies. In 1692 he was sent to the Low Countries though without a settled objective and spent about a year there. He spent money but read little, and disappointed his parents by failing improve himself in useful skills, preferring the bottle instead. He eventually married Jean Gordon, daughter of Sir Robert Gordon, 2nd Baronet, of Gordonstoun, Elgin,  in June 1699 and was Commissioner justiciary for the Highlands in 1701 and 1702.<ref name = HOP>{{cite web| url = http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1690-1715/member/forbes-john-1673-1734| title= FORBES, John (c.1673-1734), of Culloden, Inverness.| publisher= History of Parliament Online (1690-1715)| accessdate = 7 March 2019 }}</ref>
[[File:Culloden House (old).jpg|thumb|Old Culloden House]]
Forbes succeeded his father to the Culloden estate in 1704 and became [[Shire Commissioner]] for  [[Nairnshire (Parliament of Scotland constituency)|Nairnshire]] in the Scottish parliament  He   immediately associated himself with the opposition and appears to have stayed with the Country party, at least with regard the Union, which he denounced as a road to ‘inevitable ruin, with regard to Church and state’.   In   the Scottish parliament he registered a large number  of anti-Court votes. Some of these may have been  the result of    Presbyterian scruples; but he had a material concern  that the Union might end  a lucrative excise exemption which he had and he became involved in a lengthy legal dispute.<ref name=HOP/>

Forbes did not stand at  the [[1708 British general election]], but his subsequent manoeuvring shows that he wanted to increase his political influence by gaining a seat in the House of Commons.  However he did not stand at the [[1710 British general election]].  At the [[1713 British general election]] he was returned as a Whig [[Member of Parliament]] for [[Nairnshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Nairnshire]], which he had represented in the pre-Union Parliament of Scotland. He established a connection with the Duke of Argyll but made little  impression  in Parliament. He was in Edinburgh for the proclamation of King George, which he duly subscribed.<ref name=HOP/>

Forbes worked hard in the Whig interest at the [[1715 British general election]]  when he was returned as MP for [[Inverness-shire (UK Parliament constituency)|Inverness-shire]]. He  took part in the defence of the northern counties during the 1715 Jacobite rebellion but deprecated the harsh treatment of the rebels, especially with regard to forfeitures. He spent about £3,000 in the service of the crown, which was only partly recompensed by  a post as Commissioner of the Equivalent at £500 a year from 1716. He was also in 1716  a Commissioner  to oversee elections of council at Elgin, a Councillor of Inverness   and provost of Inverness until 1717. He was also a visitor at Aberdeen University from 1716 to 1717. With his brother, [[Duncan Forbes, Lord Culloden|Duncan]], he became attached to the Duke of Argyll, and voted against the Government on the motion of 4 June 1717 against Argyll's military rival, Lord Cadogan. Four days later, he attended the dinner given by Argyll for his followers.  Although he lost his place as Commissioner of the Equivalent, he voted with the Government in 1719, when Argyll returned to office. He was  provost of Inverness again in 1721.  Drink took a firmer hold over him, and when in 1721 he was elected as an elder of his local synod, there was a protest on the grounds that he was ‘a habitual neglecter of family worship’ and ‘a known drunkard’   At the [[1722 British general election]] he was defeated at Inverness-shire, but was  once more returned for Nairnshire. At the [[1727 British general election]]  there was no representation at Nairnshire and he was defeated at Inverness-shire. He stood for   Inverness-shire unsuccessfully in [[1734 British general election|1734]], when he was a dying man.<ref name = HOP2>{{cite web| url = http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1715-1754/member/forbes-john-1673-1734 | title=FORBES, John (c.1673-1734), of Culloden, Inverness. | publisher= History of Parliament Online (1715-1754)| accessdate = 2 January 2019 }}</ref>

Forbes  was ‘a friend to a cheerful glass’ to the end, and died at Edinburgh on 18 December 1734 of ‘a complaint in his bowels’. He left one son, but his other children predeceased him.  His brother Duncan inherited the estate.<ref name=HOP/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|gb}}
{{s-bef 
 | before = ''No representation [[1710 British general election|1710]]–[[1713 British general election|1713]]''
 | before2 =  [[Hugh Rose, 16th of Kilravock|Hugh Rose]] 1708-1710
}}
{{s-title
 | title =  [[Member of Parliament]] for [[Nairnshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Nairnshire]]
 | years =   [[1713 British general election|1713]]–[[1715 British general election|1715]]
}}
{{s-aft 
 | after =  ''No representation [[1715 British general election|1715]]–[[1722 British general election|1722]]''    
 | after2 = Self
}}
{{s-bef
 | before  = [[Alexander MacKenzie (MP)|Alexander MacKenzie]]
}}
{{s-title
 | title =  [[Member of Parliament]] for [[Inverness-shire (UK Parliament constituency)|Inverness-shire]]
 | years =   [[1715 British general election|1715]]–[[1722 British general election|1722]]
}}
{{s-aft
 | after  = [[Sir James Grant, 6th Baronet|Sir James Grant, Bt.]]
}}
{{s-bef
 | before  =  ''No representation [[1715 British general election|1715]]–[[1722 British general election|1722]]''
 | before2 = Self
}}
{{s-title
 | title =  [[Member of Parliament]] for [[Nairnshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Nairnshire]]
 | years =   [[1722 British general election|1722]]–[[1727 British general election|1727]]
}}
{{s-aft
 | after = No representation [[1727 British general election|1727]]–[[1734 British general election|1734]]
 | after2  = [[John Campbell (1695–1777)|John Campbell]] 1734-1741
}}
{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Forbes, John}}
[[Category:1670s births]]
[[Category:1734 deaths]]

[[Category:Year of birth uncertain]]
[[Category:Members of the Parliament of Scotland 1702–1707]]
[[Category:Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Scottish constituencies]]
[[Category:British MPs 1710–1713]]
[[Category:British MPs 1713–1715]]
[[Category:British MPs 1715–1722]]
[[Category:British MPs 1722–1727]]