Forefather? No trace, unfortunately, around the south (8)
I believe the answer is:
ancestor
'forefather?' is the definition.
(forefather is a kind of ancestor)
'no trace unfortunately around the south' is the wordplay.
'unfortunately' is an anagram indicator.
'around' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'the south' becomes 's' ('S' can be a synonym of 'south').
'no'+'trace'='notrace'
'notrace' anagrammed gives 'ancetor'.
'ancetor' enclosing 's' is 'ANCESTOR'.
(Other definitions for ancestor that I've seen before include "Enactors (anag)" , "not being of the modern generation" , "one is up a tree" , "An escort (anag.)" , "One of one's forebears" .)