Forsyths in Glasgow/Fife

David Forsyth was a Burgess of the city in 1478 and in 1487 Dom Thomas de Forsyth, Prebendary of Glasgow, endowed the chapel of Corpus Christie in the Cathedral. There are continuous records of the family as merchants and Burgesses of the city through the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. It was from Glasgow that members of the family settled in Argyllshire and Dumbartonshire and emigrated to Ulster, the Americas, South Africa and Australia.

Nydie, near St. Andrews, was a Barony under the superiority of the Archbishop of St. Andrews, Henry Wardlaw, when the lands were purchased by William Forsyth in 1435. His son, Henry was beadle of St. Andrews University from 1456 to 1461. In 1484 Alexander, the fourth Laird was appointed Sheriff-Depute of Fife and sold the family lands at Foulford in Edinburgh in 1491. Armorial bearings were granted to him in 1492 by the Lord Lyon, Sir James Balfour. Alexander died at Flodden in 1513. His grandson James married Elizabeth Leslie before 1520. Elizabeth was grand-daughter to George, fourth Earl of Rothes, and great grand-daughter of King James III. 1523 the superiority of Nydie transferred to the Earl and the fortunes of this branch of the family became closely tied to those of the Leslies. Descendants of this branch of the family are believed to have continued living in Fife to the present day and are represented in the Forsyths at Falkland who have a documented history from before 1607. Our present Chief, Alistair of that Ilk, has connections with Falkland where his family was resident as Lairds at the end of the 16th century. There are also records that show a family of Forsyth, believed to be the ancient Chiefly line, had been associated with the Royal House of Stewart and Falkland Palace since the end of the 14th century. From Nydie branches spread to Dundee and up the east coast to Aberdeen. Descendants are living today in North America and New Zealand as well as other parts of the United Kingdom.