James FORREST (c1740-Unknown)

James FORREST (called James The Mariner here to distinguish him from his father) was born sometime between 1740 and 1760, the son of James FORREST "The Farmer". His parentage is known only from the following family story told by his granddaughter Margaret Anne Forrest (1849-1932)in the early 1900s: "When young, he was taken prisoner by the French off the Gold Coast. When he returned home, he brought some gold with him which was made into a watch. We still have the watch but it no longer keeps time. His father's name was also James, a farmer near Bathgate. His father had a bad temper; he made his wife a deathbed promise not to hit their son with a stick. He kept the promise by throwing the stick at him instead. The stick was a fine Malacca cane, and is also still in the family. James was brought up by his uncle, David Forrest, a minister of Inverkeithing. James's first wife died. After he married Margaret Hutton, they moved to Stirling and bought Whinfield. At time of his marriage to Margaret was Master, Royal Merchant Service.

James appears to have settled on a career as a mariner early in life. He sailed out of Liverpool, Lanark and Alloa, Clackmannanshire

(Under construction by Robert Forrest 18 Mar 20009)