The Minor Family of Somerset

I. GEORGE FORSEY.
Born in England, maybe in Netherbury, Dorset where a child of th
at name was baptized April 17 1748, as a son of SAMUEL FORSEY an
d MARYFARTHING (married March 31 1746).
He left England for Newfoundland around 1770and probably came t
o Grand Bank via Harbour Breton and Little Bay. He was aplante
r and also a dealer for Robert Newman, a merchant in St. Lawrenc
e andLittle Bay. According to the legend he sailed along the co
ast with his shipand delivered the mail and merchandise to th
e different settlements.
It is not known where and when he died. The legend says that on
e Day his Headless body was found on the shore. He married a wid
ow from the North side of the Fortune Bay, ESTHER MATCHAM (or ME
NCHEN) whose maidenname was PETITE.
The F O RS E Y family in Fortune, Newfoundland.
The Forseys in Fortune decend from George Forsey the first, wh
o came to Newfoundland around 1770. The decendants from his so
n George (the second) formed the Grand Bank branch, while his so
nSamuel settled in Fortune.
Where George Forsey was born in England is not known. Mr. Georg
e Handcock from Mount Pearl in Newfoundland wrote me on this sub
ject the following:
"The source which Dr. Mattheus of our History Dept. used to lin
k the Forseys with Wareham in Dorset, was a bill of Exchange dra
wnbij Geo. Forsey on John Domper, a dealer of Wareham in 1791
. This bill is recorded in Robert Newman's Ledger Books. R. N. b
eing merchants in St. Lawrenceand Little Bay in Fortune Bay dur
ing this period. Numerous other entries in these ledgers indicat
e, that George Forsey Sr. and George Forsey Jr. were dealers o
f Newmans.
The first entries in Newman's ledgers 1790, 1791 indicate the Fo
rseys were living in Little Bay and that they moved to Grand Ban
k circa 1816.
What is perhaps more significant than a bill of exchange drawn o
n John Domper of Wareham (the only one drawn) is a large numbe
r of bills drawn by both Geo Sr. and Jr. on Joseph Bird and Thom
as Colbourne. Both these gentlemen came from Starminster Newto
n in Dorset and were very active in staking Newfoundland planter
s from their locality - in fact most of the settlers in Grand Ba
nk and Fortune area come from Starminster Newton and vincinity
. I havevery full records of Starminster Newton, but no Forsey
s however. I would suggest that the Blockmore area of North Dors
et, perhaps even South Somerset represent a good possibility fo
r origins, since distances are very insignificantthere.
Another indication for George's origin was provided by Mrs. Myrt
leConnelly of Ottawa. One of her ancestors is a Forsey living i
n Netherbury inDorset. I contacted Netherbury and found that ma
ny Forseys lived in that areasince 1600. I found also, that i
n 1748 a George Forsey was baptized there asa son from Samuel F
orsey and Mary Farthing. Some other children from this couple we
re Elizabeth, Sarah and Mary. Daughters from George in Nfl. hav
e also these names.
It is very well possible, that this the George is who went toNe
wfoundland. Further research in England might provide more posit
ive data.

When exactly George Forsey Sr. settled in Grand Bank, is not kno
wn. In G. Handcock's letter he mentioned 1816. In a serie of art
icles written in 1941 in "the Observer's Weekly", published in S
t. John's, Nfd., by A.F. Buffett, underthe title "Grand Bank, t
he Place and its People", the author states:
"I donot know the birthDay or the date of his arrival at Gran
d Bank of George Forsey, the first of that name. But since his o
ldest son was born here in 1776,it is evident that his birth di
d not vary greatly from that of Jonathan Hickman." (The last on
e was born in 1747.)
I have not been able to find on whichdocument Buffett based hi
s opinion, that George Jr. was born in Grand Bank.Also is it de
batable wether he or his brother S