Forse Castle (10)
The most noteworthy event in which the Sutherlands of Forse were involved, took place in court.  On the death of William Gordon, 18th Earl of Sutherland, in 1766, George Sutherland 14th of Forse claimed the earldom.  The case became one of the most famous peerage law cases of all time, generating enormous public interest, but in 1771 the House of Lords decided in favour of the 18th Earl's daughter Elizabeth.  It is believed that the enormous expense of the prolonged lawsuit cost the Forse family a fortune and was the first step towards their ultimate ruin.  While George Sutherland lost the case, it did at least establish that the Sutherlands of Forse were the heirs-male of the Sutherland line and as the Earls of Sutherland had used the surname and arms of Gordon since 1514, were the Chiefs of the name of Sutherland.

George Sutherland 14th of Forse, was presumably too busy fighting for the Sutherland earldom in court to get married, with the result that when he died in 1773, he was succeeded as 15th laird by his brother, John Campbell Sutherland.  JC's housekeeper was a local woman named Margaret Munro, the daughter of a crofter at the neighbouring hamlet of Benchielt.  It became apparent that Margaret was doing more for JC than simply keeping his house, and rumour in the neighbourhood was confirmed when she became pregnant!  The old laird, wishing to do 'the right thing', and no doubt influenced by the fact that he had no heir, married Margaret Munro and they duly had a son named John Sutherland.

It is clear that two further sons were born in Forse House, George and Francis, but who the fathers were, is less clear!  George's father was said to have been a man named Munro, the gardener at Forse House, who was a cousin on Lady Forse, and the father of the 3rd son, Francis, was said to have been a “medical man”!  Tut tut!
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