# Forbes Macbean > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Forbes_Macbean > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Forbes_Macbean.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbes_Macbean > Source revision: 1353401657 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) For the general born in 1857, see [Forbes MacBean (British Army officer, born 1857)](/source/Forbes_MacBean_(British_Army_officer,_born_1857)). Lieutenant-General **Forbes Macbean** (1725 – 11 November 1800) was a [British Army](/source/British_Army) officer of the [Royal Artillery](/source/Royal_Artillery). ## Biography Macbean was born 28 June 1725,[1] the son of the Reverend Alexander MacBean of Inverness and his wife Marjory, daughter of John MacBean, the son of William MacBean of Inverness; although some have cited him as the son of John MacBean Sheriff Clerk of Inverness who was a brother to William MacBean of Faillie in Strathnairn;[2] this is not correct as that man's daughter 'Margaret' was born three years after Rev. Alexander married his wife Marjory.[3][4] He entered the [Royal Military Academy, Woolwich](/source/Royal_Military_Academy,_Woolwich), as a cadet-matross on 16 July 1743, and passed out as a [lieutenant-fireworker](/source/Lieutenant-fireworker) on 25 March 1745. Three weeks after his appointment in 1745 Macbean marched with the artillery from [Ghent](/source/Ghent), and had command of two guns at the [battle of Fontenoy](/source/Battle_of_Fontenoy) on 30 April 1745. On the news of the [Jacobite rising in Scotland](/source/Jacobite_rising_of_1745), the four companies of artillery of the [Duke of Cumberland](/source/Prince_William,_Duke_of_Cumberland)'s army were sent home. Macbean joined Cumberland's army at [Lichfield](/source/Lichfield), and served at the [siege of Carlisle](/source/Siege_of_Carlisle_(December_1745)) in December 1745. In the following summer he went back to the Low Countries, and made the campaigns of 1746–48, commanding the battalion of the [19th Regiment of Foot](/source/19th_Regiment_of_Foot) at the [battle of Roucoux](/source/Battle_of_Roucoux), and a detachment of two guns at the [battle of Val](/source/Battle_of_Lauffeld).[5] In 1755, Macbean was selected to command an artillery detachment in Ireland, but with the adjutancy at [Woolwich](/source/Royal_Arsenal) falling vacant at the same time, he purchased its commission (and the attendant rank of [first lieutenant](/source/First_lieutenant)) under [the system then in force](/source/Purchase_of_commissions_in_the_British_army). While in this office he was promoted to [captain-lieutenant](/source/Captain-lieutenant) on 1 April 1756, and he held it until promoted to [captain](/source/Captain_(British_Army_and_Royal_Marines)) and the command of a company on 1 January 1759.[5] In April 1759, he proceeded with his company to Germany, and commanded the heavy brigade of British artillery in the campaigns of 1759–60. At the [battle of Minden](/source/Battle_of_Minden) in August 1759, where his brigade consisted of ten medium 12-pounders manned by two companies, he rendered conspicuous services, for which he received an autograph letter of thanks from Field Marshal [Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick](/source/Duke_Ferdinand_of_Brunswick-Wolfenb%C3%BCttel) and a gratuity of 500 crowns. He was again distinguished at the [battle of Warburg](/source/Battle_of_Warburg) on 30 July 1760, and at [Fritzlar](/source/Fritzlar) on 12 February 1761, where he commanded a brigade of eight heavy 12-pounders. On his return home on sick leave soon after, he was recommended to the king by Prince Ferdinand for some special mark of royal favour, which he never received. In 1762 he embarked with his company for service in the [Portuguese Campaign](/source/Fantastic_War) under the [Count of Lippe](/source/William,_Count_of_Schaumburg-Lippe), of which he left a manuscript account placed in the Royal Artillery Institution, Woolwich. Macbean was one of the British officers allowed to return to Portugal, on the prospect of a renewed conflict with Spain the year after. He was appointed a [colonel](/source/Colonel) of the [Portuguese Army](/source/Portuguese_Army)'s artillery, and in 1765 Inspector-General of Portuguese artillery, a post he held for four years, receiving a very handsome testimonial from [Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, Conde d'Oeiras](/source/Sebasti%C3%A3o_Jos%C3%A9_de_Carvalho_e_Melo,_1st_Marquis_of_Pombal), the [Portuguese secretary of state](/source/Prime_Minister_of_Portugal), on his departure.[6] Macbean commanded a company of artillery in [Canada](/source/British_North_America) in 1769–73, and at home in 1773–77. In March 1778, he was appointed to command the Royal Artillery in Canada, in succession to Major-General Thomas Phillips, and in 1780, on the prospect of an American invasion, was appointed to the left brigade, consisting of the 31st, 44th, and 84th regiments, covering Sorel, on which, as on various other occasions, his services received the approbation of General [Frederick Haldimand](/source/Frederick_Haldimand). Macbean was made a [Fellow of the Royal Society](/source/Fellow_of_the_Royal_Society) in 1786, being the second artillery officer to receive that distinction (the first was [Thomas Desaguliers](/source/Thomas_Desaguliers)). The artillery service was greatly indebted to him for his private notes and memoranda, without which much valuable information relating to the earlier history of the corps would have been lost.[7] Macbean, a lieutenant-general and colonel-commandant, Royal Invalid Artillery, died at his residence by [Woolwich Common](/source/Woolwich_Common) on 11 November 1800. His widow died at [Greenwich](/source/Greenwich) in 1818, aged 88.[7] A street in central Woolwich is named after him. ## Notes 1. Old Parish Registers of Inverness 1. 'Minor Septs of Clan Chattan'. Author: Charles Fraser-Mackintosh of Drummond, LLD, FSA, Scot. (John Mackay, 1898, Glasgow) 1. Old Parish Registers of Inverness - marriage of Rev Alexander in 1712; birth of his wife in 1679; birth of Margaret daughter of John McBean writer -later Sheriff Clerk, in 1719) 1. Chapel Yard Cemetery in Inverness - Marjory Macbean spouse to Rev Mr Alexander Macbean died 1766 aged 86 1. Chichester 1893, p. 422. 1. Chichester 1893, pp. 422–423. 1. Chichester 1893, p. 423. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Forbes Macbean](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbes_Macbean) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbes_Macbean?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.