James Duncan Forbes

Male19 July 1887–14 December 1957

Brief Life History of James Duncan

When James Duncan Forbes was born on 19 July 1887, in Pennsylvania, United States, his father, James D Forbes, was 31 and his mother, Margaret Hellena Davis, was 28. He married Clare Maude Dresser on 19 July 1912, in Alameda, California, United States. They were the parents of at least 1 son and 1 daughter. He lived in San Francisco, California, United States in 1920 and Oakland, Alameda, California, United States for about 10 years. He died on 14 December 1957, in Alameda, California, United States, at the age of 70.

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Family Time Line

James Duncan Forbes
1887–1957
Clare Maude Dresser
1893–1986
Marriage: 19 July 1912
James E Forbes
1915–
Acinith I Forbes
1917–

Sources (8)

  • James Forbes, "United States Census, 1920"
  • James Duncan Forbes, "United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942"
  • James Duncan Forbes, "California Death Index, 1940-1997"

Spouse and Children

  • Marriage
    19 July 1912Alameda, California, United States
  • Children (2)

    Parents and Siblings

    Siblings (6)

    +1 More Child

    World Events (8)

    1890 · The Sherman Antitrust Act

    Age 3

    This Act tried to prevent the raising of prices by restricting trade. The purpose of the Act was to preserve a competitive marketplace to protect consumers from abuse.

    1905 · The Movie Theater

    Age 18

    The world’s first movie theater was located in Pittsburgh. It was referred to as a nickelodeon as at the time it only cost 5 cents to get in. 

    1906 · Saving Food Labels

    Age 19

    The first of many consumer protection laws which ban foreign and interstate traffic in mislabeled food and drugs. It requires that ingredients be placed on the label.

    Name Meaning

    Scottish: habitational name from Forbes in Tullynessle, Aberdeenshire, so named from Gaelic forba ‘field, district’ + the locative suffix -ais. The placename is pronounced in two syllables, with the stress on the second, and the surname until recently reflected this. Today, however, it is generally a monosyllable.

    Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Firbhisigh ‘son of Fearbhisigh’, a personal name composed of elements meaning ‘man’ + ‘prosperity’.

    History: A family of this name (see 2 above) in Connacht was famous for its traditional historians, compilers of the Book of Lecan.

    Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.

    Possible Related Names

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