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James Alexander Forbes (1805–1881)

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296:. In 1853 he raised the money for the construction, and in 1854 the mill was built. After many delays, the mill started grinding flour on December 1, 1855. However, the location Forbes chose was unfortunate, as there was only enough water in the creek to power the mill during the winter months. This, coupled with the delays in its opening which allowed competitors into the market thus dropping flour prices from a lucrative $ 50/barrel to a mere $ 5, meant that it was not generating enough income and eventually Forbes was forced into 183:
He was appointed British vice-consul in 1842. While serving as vice-consul, he advocated the takeover of California by the British government; the proposal was flatly rejected. Forbes was informed that Great Britain had no desire to interfere in California politics, but that she would look with great
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Los Gatos historian William A. Wulf describes Forbes as "a suede-shoe man . He was bright, and better educated than most men in California when he first arrived. But he was basically a bad guy who ended up losing control of circumstances." When the Jesuits arrived from Oregon to Mission Santa Clara,
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on the house. Also, according to the Hernandez family, Forbes never paid $ 8,000 he owed for the Los Gatos rancho. With regards to his marriage, he is described as having treated his wife as a servant, often not allowing her to converse with dinner guests; instead she was made to help the other
341: The two Forbes are often confused for each other, as J. A. Forbes is sometimes described as the author of the California history book. It is also unclear if the two were related. Some sources describe them as unrelated, but others describe Alexander as James Alexander's uncle. 267:
whereupon it was finally decided in 1862 that, the mine was on the Larias grant, and that the furnaces and improvements of the company below the hill were on the Berreyessa grant. The company bought into these two titles and then sold the entire operation in 1864 to the
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for US$ $ 10,500, a high price for the time. The couple had a total of twelve children, three daughters and nine sons. In 1851, he persuaded the Jesuits to establish a school at Mission Santa Clara to educate his sons; this school formed the basis of what would become
300:, much of his money also being tied up in litigation with regards to the mine. In 1858, he was evicted due to non-payment of the loan. However, a town sprang up around the mill and was initially known as Forbestown before changing its name to Los Gatos. 235:, British consul to Mexico and author of one of the first histories of California in the English language. Their company had purchased the title to the mine from Andrés Castillero in 1846, and it proved to be extremely profitable. However, 309:
they asked him to move out of the mission, which he did, but not before getting $ 11,000 from them. He then used this money to build a mansion right behind the mission. Later, he sold this to a group of
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also claimed ownership. Even the United States government stepped in to claim that the mine lay on public land between the two grants. A complex legal case involving Mexican laws and the
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Forbes' lasting legacy, however, is the town of Los Gatos. In 1850, noticing that there was no local production of flour (it was being imported from
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beginning in 1836, becoming administrator of the company's affairs in California in 1845, although that office closed the following year.
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The Beginnings of San Francisco from the Expedition of Anza, 1774 to the City Charter of April 15, 1850
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disfavor upon such interference by any other power. This sentiment was communicated to
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around the age of 12 with an uncle who owned a shipping line. He was later educated by
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The History of San José and Surroundings: With Biographical Sketches of Early Settlers
839: 150:. He then came to California on a whaleship in 1831, and worked for a while as an 702: 225: 111: 102:
as well as the first British consul to the U.S. state of California. He built a
216:. Five of the Forbes sons were part of the first class at Santa Clara College. 745: 473: 297: 165:. In 1834, he married Ana María Galindo, daughter of Jose Crisostino Galindo, 151: 147: 139: 166: 131: 127: 103: 60: 257:
as "one of the most remarkable civil trials in this or any other country",
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James Alexander Forbes (1804 -1881): His Descendants for Four Generations
130:, Scotland to John Alonzo Forbes and Marta Rodriguez, he emigrated to 679:
Commander of All Lincoln's Armies: A Life of General Henry W. Halleck
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in 1844. The rancho and cattle were sold in 1847 to Commodore
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Kavenaugh, Dennis J., S. J. (1905). Irvine, Lee H. (ed.).
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also laid claim to the mine on the basis that it lay on
706:, U.S. Supreme Court, 69 U.S. 2 Wall. 649 649 (1864) 243:. Furthermore, Berreyesa's neighbor Justo Larios of 621:
Land and Law in California: Essays on Land Policies
284:), he purchased about 2,000 acres (8.1 km) of 146:, having converted one of his uncle's ships into a 68: 46: 39: 769:. The History Museum of Los Gatos. Archived from 497:Kyle, Douglas E.; Hoover, Mildred Brooke (2002). 744:. Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce. Archived from 313:, neglecting to tell them there was a $ 20,000 142:, Uruguay, and fought for Argentina during the 444:Butler, Phyllis Filberti (December 9, 2001). 8: 661:: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ( 624:. Purdue University Press. pp. 132–33. 818:A History of California: The Spanish Period 503:. Stanford University Press. p. 370. 467: 465: 36: 571:The United States Consulate in California 478:A History of Berkeley, From the Ground Up 413: 411: 409: 407: 405: 797:. Charles Scribner & Sons. pp.  682:. Harvard University Press. p. 93. 422:. Los Gatos Weekly-Times. Archived from 91:(January 6, 1804 – May 6, 1881) was the 794:The United States and Mexico, 1821–1848 351: 827:british consul James Alexander Forbes. 803:james alexander forbes british consul. 654: 446:"Los Gatos' small-town holiday charms" 292:with the intent of building a mill on 224:He was also an early investor in the 7: 704:The Fossat or Quicksilver Mine Case 474:"Assembling the Cast of Characters" 596:. History San José. Archived from 568:Kelsey, Rayner Wickersham (1910). 260:United States v. Andres Castillero 25: 18:James Alexander Forbes (1805-1881) 856:People from Los Gatos, California 821:. The Macmillan Company. p.  723:. A.L. Bancroft and Co. pp.  815:Chapman, Charles Edward (1921). 547:. Kessinger Books. p. 140. 530:. Zoeth S. Skinner. p. 523. 524:Eldredge, Zoeth Skinner (1912). 791:Rives, George Lockhart (1913). 648:A History of the New California 418:Aldrich, Bob (March 27, 1996). 767:"Brief History of Forbes Mill" 1: 866:British expatriates in Mexico 286:Rancho Rinconada de Los Gatos 195:, a 1,939-acre (7.8 km) 193:Rancho Potrero de Santa Clara 618:Gates, Paul Wallace (1991). 500:Historic Spots in California 676:Marszalek, John F. (2004). 265:United States Supreme Court 249:Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo 237:José de los Reyes Berreyesa 191:The Forbes family lived on 171:Mission Santa Clara de Asís 32:Alexander Forbes (explorer) 882: 366:. Los Gatos Public Library 270:Quicksilver Mining Company 29: 384:Glienke, Barnard (2014). 576:University of California 321:Forbes died in 1881, in 245:Rancho Los Capitancillos 30:Not to be confused with 717:Hall, Frederic (1871). 450:San Francisco Chronicle 263:eventually reached the 203:received from Governor 651:. Lewis Publishing Co. 541:Dana, Julian (2005) . 214:Santa Clara University 89:James Alexander Forbes 41:James Alexander Forbes 861:People from Inverness 590:"Forbes and Stockton" 420:"The Old Mill Stream" 544:Sutter of California 472:Cohen, Alan (2007). 290:José María Hernandez 178:Hudson's Bay Company 108:San Jose, California 742:"Our Rich Heritage" 364:Hooked on Los Gatos 205:Manuel Micheltorena 80:Alameda, California 729:forbes castillero. 254:The New York Times 241:Rancho San Vicente 209:Robert F. Stockton 197:Mexican land grant 100:Mexican California 86: 85: 16:(Redirected from 873: 830: 829: 812: 806: 805: 788: 782: 781: 779: 778: 763: 757: 756: 754: 753: 738: 732: 731: 714: 708: 700: 694: 693: 673: 667: 666: 660: 652: 642: 636: 635: 615: 609: 608: 606: 605: 586: 580: 579: 565: 559: 558: 538: 532: 531: 521: 515: 514: 494: 488: 487: 485: 484: 469: 460: 459: 457: 456: 441: 435: 434: 432: 431: 415: 400: 399: 381: 375: 374: 372: 371: 356: 336: 233:Alexander Forbes 186:Thomas O. Larkin 159:Rancho San Pablo 75: 56: 54: 37: 27:British diplomat 21: 881: 880: 876: 875: 874: 872: 871: 870: 836: 835: 834: 833: 814: 813: 809: 790: 789: 785: 776: 774: 765: 764: 760: 751: 749: 740: 739: 735: 716: 715: 711: 701: 697: 690: 675: 674: 670: 653: 644: 643: 639: 632: 617: 616: 612: 603: 601: 588: 587: 583: 567: 566: 562: 555: 540: 539: 535: 523: 522: 518: 511: 496: 495: 491: 482: 480: 471: 470: 463: 454: 452: 443: 442: 438: 429: 427: 417: 416: 403: 396: 388:. Independent. 383: 382: 378: 369: 367: 358: 357: 353: 348: 342: 333: 331: 306: 294:Los Gatos Creek 278: 222: 124: 82: 77: 73: 64: 58: 57:January 6, 1804 52: 50: 42: 35: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 879: 877: 869: 868: 863: 858: 853: 848: 838: 837: 832: 831: 807: 783: 758: 733: 709: 695: 688: 668: 637: 630: 610: 581: 578:. p. 254. 560: 553: 533: 516: 509: 489: 461: 436: 401: 394: 376: 350: 349: 347: 344: 330: 327: 305: 302: 277: 274: 221: 218: 176:He worked for 144:Cisplatine War 123: 120: 110:(now known as 84: 83: 78: 76:(aged 77) 70: 66: 65: 59: 48: 44: 43: 40: 26: 24: 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 878: 867: 864: 862: 859: 857: 854: 852: 849: 847: 844: 843: 841: 828: 824: 820: 819: 811: 808: 804: 800: 796: 795: 787: 784: 773:on 2008-05-09 772: 768: 762: 759: 748:on 2008-02-07 747: 743: 737: 734: 730: 726: 722: 721: 713: 710: 707: 705: 699: 696: 691: 689:0-674-01493-6 685: 681: 680: 672: 669: 664: 658: 650: 649: 641: 638: 633: 631:1-55753-273-7 627: 623: 622: 614: 611: 600:on 2008-10-07 599: 595: 591: 585: 582: 577: 573: 572: 564: 561: 556: 554:1-4191-1499-9 550: 546: 545: 537: 534: 529: 528: 520: 517: 512: 510:0-8047-4483-1 506: 502: 501: 493: 490: 479: 475: 468: 466: 462: 451: 447: 440: 437: 426:on 2007-03-01 425: 421: 414: 412: 410: 408: 406: 402: 397: 395:9798690409364 391: 387: 380: 377: 365: 361: 360:"Forbes mill" 355: 352: 345: 343: 340: 339:relationship: 335: 328: 326: 324: 319: 316: 312: 303: 301: 299: 295: 291: 287: 283: 275: 273: 271: 266: 262: 261: 256: 255: 251:described by 250: 246: 242: 238: 234: 230: 227: 219: 217: 215: 210: 206: 202: 198: 194: 189: 187: 181: 179: 174: 172: 168: 164: 160: 157: 153: 149: 145: 141: 137: 133: 129: 121: 119: 117: 113: 109: 105: 101: 97: 94: 90: 81: 71: 67: 62: 49: 45: 38: 33: 19: 846:1800s births 826: 817: 810: 802: 793: 786: 775:. 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Retrieved 363: 354: 338: 334: 332: 320: 307: 279: 258: 252: 223: 190: 182: 175: 125: 88: 87: 74:(1881-05-06) 851:1881 deaths 304:Personality 229:quicksilver 226:New Almaden 220:New Almaden 112:Forbes Mill 106:outside of 96:vice-consul 72:May 6, 1881 840:Categories 777:2008-01-21 752:2008-01-21 604:2008-01-21 483:2008-01-21 455:2008-01-21 430:2008-01-21 370:2008-01-21 346:References 318:servants. 298:bankruptcy 231:mine with 152:accountant 148:man of war 140:Montevideo 122:Early life 104:flour mill 63:, Scotland 53:1804-01-06 657:cite book 276:Los Gatos 167:majordomo 132:Argentina 128:Inverness 116:Los Gatos 61:Inverness 201:San Jose 163:Richmond 126:Born in 323:Alameda 154:on the 136:Jesuits 93:British 686:  628:  551:  507:  392:  337:  156:Castro 801:–50. 727:–13. 329:Notes 288:from 282:Chile 199:near 161:near 684:ISBN 663:link 626:ISBN 549:ISBN 505:ISBN 390:ISBN 315:lien 311:nuns 69:Died 47:Born 823:494 725:412 169:of 138:in 98:to 842:: 825:. 799:48 659:}} 655:{{ 592:. 574:. 476:. 464:^ 448:. 404:^ 362:. 325:. 272:. 173:. 118:. 780:. 755:. 692:. 665:) 634:. 607:. 557:. 513:. 486:. 458:. 433:. 398:. 373:. 55:) 51:( 34:. 20:)

Index

James Alexander Forbes (1805-1881)
Alexander Forbes (explorer)
Inverness
Alameda, California
British
vice-consul
Mexican California
flour mill
San Jose, California
Forbes Mill
Los Gatos
Inverness
Argentina
Jesuits
Montevideo
Cisplatine War
man of war
accountant
Castro
Rancho San Pablo
Richmond
majordomo
Mission Santa Clara de Asís
Hudson's Bay Company
Thomas O. Larkin
Rancho Potrero de Santa Clara
Mexican land grant
San Jose
Manuel Micheltorena
Robert F. Stockton

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