Turnbull clan
Encyclopedia
Turnbull is an English surname.
, in his History of Scotland. Boece tells the legend that during the Wars of Scottish Independence
William of Rule saved King Robert Bruce
by wrestling to the ground a bull that had charged at the King. For this feat, the King rewarded William with the lands of Philiphaugh
, now part of Selkirk, and dubbed Rule "Turnebull" (the "e" was later dropped from the name). Ewen is critical of this tale noting: "like many other similar tales, the story is made to fit the name rather than the reverse. If the surname was acquired through any achievement, it is much more probable to have resulted from a daring act in the brutal sport of bull-running, which was popular from time immemorial up to the last century."
It seems more probable, however, that Turnbull was derived from the Old English
"Trumbald" or French "Tumbald" (meaning "strong and bold"), or that Robertus de Turnbulyes, who swore fealty to King Edward I
of England in 1296, could be the family father.
Despite the dispute over the origin of the Turnbull name, historians agree that:
The lands that the Turnbulls came from were settled by Vikings in the 10th and 11th centuries, giving the Turnbulls a very Norse look and being reported to be with great size, with many having blonde and red hair and striking blue eyes. Because of their open defiance to the English Crown, many a Turnbulls became a Trumbull, Tremble, Trimble and Trembley (many went to France to continue fighting the English). Others went to Northern Ireland, America, Canada and Australia.
The Turnbulls were to become one of the most turbulent of the Borders
families. A Scottish nobleman, sent to see if the Turnbulls would back their claim to the throne, reported back that they had no care at all for politicians but always yearned for a fight.
Before the Battle of Halidon Hill
in 1333, a champion on the Scottish side, a huge man named Turnbull, accompanied by a huge black mastiff, approached the English host and challenged anyone to single combat. Sir Robert Benhale, a Norfolk knight, answered the challenge and killed both Turnbull and his dog. Benhale returned to the English host with the trophy of Turbulls head.
Major Gordon Turnbull led the vicious counterattack on the French Cavalry by the 2nd Scots Greys
at Waterloo
. Though outnumbered some 2-1, the Scots broke Napoleon's famed cavalry, and the Greys destroyed most of Napoleon's legendary Nogue's brigade, resulting in the capture of the eagle of the 45th Ligne. According to Wellington
, they "had little tactical ability or nous"[common sense], "but fought like raging bulls". This was taken as a compliment by their Turnbull leader, whose son, brother and three cousins rode into battle: five were wounded and one died. James Hamilton, overall commander of the Greys and the other Scottish cavalry regiment (who were supposed to form a reserve), ordered a continuation of the charge to the French Grande Batterie. Though the Greys had neither the time nor means to disable the cannon or carry them off, they put many out of action as the gun crews fled the battlefield. Some historians note that this action had a very direct outcome on the battle itself.
Two Turnbulls were Scottish recipients of the Victoria Cross
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. The most famous being James Youll Turnbull
, who single-handedly held a position for 24 hours, against almost a full regiment of Germans, with a machine gun in World War I. Each time the British tried to send reinforcements, they were wiped out due to the open ground exposing them to deadly crossfire. The ground was held by Turnbull singlehandedly, and this story became renowned for the British people in the dark days of the war. He died the next day while leading a Brigade of Highlanders on a grenade attack, which eventually turned the tide of the deadly stalemate where some 50,000 soldiers on both sides became casualties.
Winston Churchill himself wrote on this defense in his book stating: On 1 July 1916 at Leipzig Salient
, Authuille
, France, Sergeant Turnbull's party captured a post of apparent importance to the enemy who immediately began heavy counter-attacks, which were continued throughout the day. Although his party was wiped out and replaced several times, Sergeant Turnbull never wavered in his determination to hold the post, the loss of which would have been very serious. Almost single-handed he maintained his position, displaying the highest degree of valour and skill in the performance of his duty. Later in the day he was killed while engaged in a bombing counter-attack. The Germans were said, after seeing the body of Turnbull in his uniform kilt, to call him and all Scots "The Devils in Dress" and "Ladies from Hell!"
The Turnbulls held land throughout the Borders. They were the only clan to have a bounty placed on them by the King. William Turnbull received a charter from Robert the Bruce in 1315 to land near Philiphaugh, and John Turnbull received the lands of Hundleshope from King David II of Scotland
.
at the beginning of the sixteenth century. William Turnbull, Bishop of Glasgow, procured from the Pope a charter to establish a university in Glasgow in 1450. The Bishop's vision was realised when the University of Glasgow
was founded in 1451.
Many Turnbull families moved into the Cheviot Hills and into the northern lands of Northumberland depending on the politics of the day and the King of the day. Those who became "English" also changed from their Presbyterian roots to being Church of England. For example, John Turnbull was born at Roddam in 1789 in the Anglican Parish of Ilderton, but was baptised in the nearby Presbyterian Church at Branton. There were many small Presbyterian Churches dotted around Northumberland as several Scottish families crossed the border to live. He, along with others, eventually attended Anglican churches. John Turnbull's latter children were baptised in Anglican churches. This John Turnbull went onto being the Land Agent for the Earl of Liverpool in the little Shropshire settlement of Pitchford from the 1820s to the 1850s.
's mother was a Turnbull. He commanded a brigade in A.P. Hill's famous "Light Division" and was wounded several times. Ezra Warner's book, Generals in Gray claims that "McGowan's career and reputation were not excelled by any other brigade commander in the Army of Northern Virginia." His first cousin was Major Thomas Turnbull who was in charge of the battery that held its ground in the legendary Pickett's Charge
. Thomas stayed loyal to the Union and was forever outcast from the rest of the family as 17 Turnbulls served for the Confederacy. Thomas survived the war and later was discharged from the army for being too favorable to the Southern whites during
Reconstruction by the Radical Republicans under his chief and mentor Hancock who also was dismissed as the head of Reconstruction in Texas
. He reportedly killed one cousin during Pickett's charge. Making the Turnbull family the only one to have kin on both sides during the crucial battle, and actually faced off with one's regiment killing the other.
John B. Gordon's maternal grandmother was a Turnbull according to his book Reminiscences of the Civil War. He was first cousin to another General Sam McGowen In it he tells how his ancient Scottish warrior traits and instincts helped him become the leader of Robert E. Lee
's Army of Northern Virginia
. Though he had no formal military education, he was to become the South's most daring of Generals rising from a Private to Lt.General. He has the remarkable achievement of never losing a battle or an attack that he led himself. He later became the Hero of Georgia and the most beloved man in the South after the Civil War. Robert E. Lee stated to many that General Gordon's courage was of the highest order and that with his quick, keen, shrewd intelligence made him the most brilliant and successful soldier in 1865. His first cousins the Turnbull family were the last of the "First Family" during the Siege of Petersburg, and was the residence of Robert E. Lee for the last 13 weeks of the war. For their loyalty during the tough times Lee's family bible was given to Mrs. Turnbull who had three sons, one killed and two wounded in Lee's army of Northern Virginia. 17 Turnbulls fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War with 5 dying in combat (two of which in Picket's charge where family lore claims it was a Turnbull who jumped over the wall first, Jacob Turnbull 1st Sergeant for the 2nd Va was reported to be the highest ranking NCO to lead Regiment over the wall after all officers were either killed or wounded), 7 dying of disease and 5 others being wounded in combat. Lee's Family bible was returned by Scott V. Turnbull to R.E. Lee's son at Lee's funeral in 1870 per the Richmond Papers.
William Turnbull
, a noted nineteenth-century American ornithologist, was born in Midlothian in 1820. Herbert Turnbull, who died in 1961, was a distinguished mathematician responsible for major contributions to the study of algebra.
Stephen Turnbull is an author who writes about medieval Japan and its people. He has had great success from his books selling over 6 million.
, born near Perth in Scotland, was dubbed "The first railway engineer of India", having been the Chief Engineer building some 500 miles of the first railway in the 1850s from Calcutta towards Delhi
.
Russell Crowe's paternal great grandmother was a Turnbull according to him during an interview with Inside the Actors studio in 2001.
Jonathan Trumbull
Governor of Connecticut and his sons Joseph Trumbull; Jonathan Trumbull, Jr.
;John Trumbull
the painter and related relative John Trumbull
Famed SAS Robert Blair Mayne
11 January 1915(1915-01-11) – 14 December 1955(1955-12-14) (aged 40)
Nickname Paddy Fathers-mother was Maj. Gordon Turnbull's Great-Great-great Granddaughter
Origins of the name
The origin of the Turnbull name was told by Hector BoeceHector Boece
Hector Boece , known in Latin as Hector Boecius or Boethius, was a Scottish philosopher and first Principal of King's College in Aberdeen, a predecessor of the University of Aberdeen.-Biography:He was born in Dundee where he attended school...
, in his History of Scotland. Boece tells the legend that during the Wars of Scottish Independence
Wars of Scottish Independence
The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the independent Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries....
William of Rule saved King Robert Bruce
Robert I of Scotland
Robert I , popularly known as Robert the Bruce , was King of Scots from March 25, 1306, until his death in 1329.His paternal ancestors were of Scoto-Norman heritage , and...
by wrestling to the ground a bull that had charged at the King. For this feat, the King rewarded William with the lands of Philiphaugh
Philiphaugh
Philiphaugh is a village by the Yarrow Water, on the outskirts of Selkirk, in the Scottish Borders.Places nearby include Bowhill, Broadmeadows, the Ettrick Water, Ettrickbridge, Lindean, Salenside, Yarrowford and the Yair Forest....
, now part of Selkirk, and dubbed Rule "Turnebull" (the "e" was later dropped from the name). Ewen is critical of this tale noting: "like many other similar tales, the story is made to fit the name rather than the reverse. If the surname was acquired through any achievement, it is much more probable to have resulted from a daring act in the brutal sport of bull-running, which was popular from time immemorial up to the last century."
It seems more probable, however, that Turnbull was derived from the Old English
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
"Trumbald" or French "Tumbald" (meaning "strong and bold"), or that Robertus de Turnbulyes, who swore fealty to King Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
of England in 1296, could be the family father.
Despite the dispute over the origin of the Turnbull name, historians agree that:
- Robert the Bruce awarded lands in Philiphaugh to William Turnebull.
- William Turnebull assumed a bull's head as his heraldic symbol with the motto, "I Saved The King" — both of which have been incorporated into the Turnbull clan crest.
- The name Turnebull was not recorded before 1315, when William was awarded the lands in Philiphaugh — and following this time, use of the Rule surname dwindled while use of the Turnebull surname increased.
The lands that the Turnbulls came from were settled by Vikings in the 10th and 11th centuries, giving the Turnbulls a very Norse look and being reported to be with great size, with many having blonde and red hair and striking blue eyes. Because of their open defiance to the English Crown, many a Turnbulls became a Trumbull, Tremble, Trimble and Trembley (many went to France to continue fighting the English). Others went to Northern Ireland, America, Canada and Australia.
The Turnbulls were to become one of the most turbulent of the Borders
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
families. A Scottish nobleman, sent to see if the Turnbulls would back their claim to the throne, reported back that they had no care at all for politicians but always yearned for a fight.
Before the Battle of Halidon Hill
Battle of Halidon Hill
The Battle of Halidon Hill was fought during the Second War of Scottish Independence. Scottish forces under Sir Archibald Douglas were heavily defeated on unfavourable terrain while trying to relieve Berwick-upon-Tweed.-The Disinherited:...
in 1333, a champion on the Scottish side, a huge man named Turnbull, accompanied by a huge black mastiff, approached the English host and challenged anyone to single combat. Sir Robert Benhale, a Norfolk knight, answered the challenge and killed both Turnbull and his dog. Benhale returned to the English host with the trophy of Turbulls head.
Major Gordon Turnbull led the vicious counterattack on the French Cavalry by the 2nd Scots Greys
Scots Greys
The Royal Scots Greys was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1707 until 1971, when they amalgamated with the 3rd Carabiniers to form The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards ....
at Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
. Though outnumbered some 2-1, the Scots broke Napoleon's famed cavalry, and the Greys destroyed most of Napoleon's legendary Nogue's brigade, resulting in the capture of the eagle of the 45th Ligne. According to Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
, they "had little tactical ability or nous"[common sense], "but fought like raging bulls". This was taken as a compliment by their Turnbull leader, whose son, brother and three cousins rode into battle: five were wounded and one died. James Hamilton, overall commander of the Greys and the other Scottish cavalry regiment (who were supposed to form a reserve), ordered a continuation of the charge to the French Grande Batterie. Though the Greys had neither the time nor means to disable the cannon or carry them off, they put many out of action as the gun crews fled the battlefield. Some historians note that this action had a very direct outcome on the battle itself.
Two Turnbulls were Scottish recipients of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. The most famous being James Youll Turnbull
James Youll Turnbull
James Youll Turnbull VC was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
, who single-handedly held a position for 24 hours, against almost a full regiment of Germans, with a machine gun in World War I. Each time the British tried to send reinforcements, they were wiped out due to the open ground exposing them to deadly crossfire. The ground was held by Turnbull singlehandedly, and this story became renowned for the British people in the dark days of the war. He died the next day while leading a Brigade of Highlanders on a grenade attack, which eventually turned the tide of the deadly stalemate where some 50,000 soldiers on both sides became casualties.
Winston Churchill himself wrote on this defense in his book stating: On 1 July 1916 at Leipzig Salient
Leipzig salient
The Leipzig Salient lies South-West of the Thiepval Memorial. A grass path leads across the fields with trenches. A clumb of trees and bushes marks the location of center of the Leipzig-Redoubt, a strong point with a lot of magine guns....
, Authuille
Authuille
Authuille is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France....
, France, Sergeant Turnbull's party captured a post of apparent importance to the enemy who immediately began heavy counter-attacks, which were continued throughout the day. Although his party was wiped out and replaced several times, Sergeant Turnbull never wavered in his determination to hold the post, the loss of which would have been very serious. Almost single-handed he maintained his position, displaying the highest degree of valour and skill in the performance of his duty. Later in the day he was killed while engaged in a bombing counter-attack. The Germans were said, after seeing the body of Turnbull in his uniform kilt, to call him and all Scots "The Devils in Dress" and "Ladies from Hell!"
The Turnbulls held land throughout the Borders. They were the only clan to have a bounty placed on them by the King. William Turnbull received a charter from Robert the Bruce in 1315 to land near Philiphaugh, and John Turnbull received the lands of Hundleshope from King David II of Scotland
David II of Scotland
David II was King of Scots from 7 June 1329 until his death.-Early life:...
.
15th to 18th centuries
John Turnbull, nicknamed "Outwith sword", for his fierce temper, is listed as a Scots prisoner of war in England around 1400. William Turnbull held a papal appointment in 1433 and this same name appears as one of the canons of Glasgow Cathedral in 1452. Stephen Tournebulle represented Scottish interests at the University of OrleansUniversity of Orléans
-History:In 1230, when for a time the doctors of the University of Paris were scattered, a number of the teachers and disciples took refuge in Orléans; when pope Boniface VIII, in 1298, promulgated the sixth book of the Decretals, he appointed the doctors of Bologna and the doctors of Orléans to...
at the beginning of the sixteenth century. William Turnbull, Bishop of Glasgow, procured from the Pope a charter to establish a university in Glasgow in 1450. The Bishop's vision was realised when the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
was founded in 1451.
Many Turnbull families moved into the Cheviot Hills and into the northern lands of Northumberland depending on the politics of the day and the King of the day. Those who became "English" also changed from their Presbyterian roots to being Church of England. For example, John Turnbull was born at Roddam in 1789 in the Anglican Parish of Ilderton, but was baptised in the nearby Presbyterian Church at Branton. There were many small Presbyterian Churches dotted around Northumberland as several Scottish families crossed the border to live. He, along with others, eventually attended Anglican churches. John Turnbull's latter children were baptised in Anglican churches. This John Turnbull went onto being the Land Agent for the Earl of Liverpool in the little Shropshire settlement of Pitchford from the 1820s to the 1850s.
Turnbulls in the New World
Famed Confederate General Samuel McGowanSamuel McGowan
Samuel McGowan was an admiral of the United States Navy.-Early life:McGowan, born at Laurens, South Carolina, on 1 September 1870, he attended Wofford College, Class of 1889, where he was a member of the Chi Phi Fraternity...
's mother was a Turnbull. He commanded a brigade in A.P. Hill's famous "Light Division" and was wounded several times. Ezra Warner's book, Generals in Gray claims that "McGowan's career and reputation were not excelled by any other brigade commander in the Army of Northern Virginia." His first cousin was Major Thomas Turnbull who was in charge of the battery that held its ground in the legendary Pickett's Charge
Pickett's Charge
Pickett's Charge was an infantry assault ordered by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee against Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's Union positions on Cemetery Ridge on July 3, 1863, the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. Its futility was predicted by the charge's commander,...
. Thomas stayed loyal to the Union and was forever outcast from the rest of the family as 17 Turnbulls served for the Confederacy. Thomas survived the war and later was discharged from the army for being too favorable to the Southern whites during
Reconstruction by the Radical Republicans under his chief and mentor Hancock who also was dismissed as the head of Reconstruction in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. He reportedly killed one cousin during Pickett's charge. Making the Turnbull family the only one to have kin on both sides during the crucial battle, and actually faced off with one's regiment killing the other.
John B. Gordon's maternal grandmother was a Turnbull according to his book Reminiscences of the Civil War. He was first cousin to another General Sam McGowen In it he tells how his ancient Scottish warrior traits and instincts helped him become the leader of Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
's Army of Northern Virginia
Army of Northern Virginia
The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War, as well as the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most often arrayed against the Union Army of the Potomac...
. Though he had no formal military education, he was to become the South's most daring of Generals rising from a Private to Lt.General. He has the remarkable achievement of never losing a battle or an attack that he led himself. He later became the Hero of Georgia and the most beloved man in the South after the Civil War. Robert E. Lee stated to many that General Gordon's courage was of the highest order and that with his quick, keen, shrewd intelligence made him the most brilliant and successful soldier in 1865. His first cousins the Turnbull family were the last of the "First Family" during the Siege of Petersburg, and was the residence of Robert E. Lee for the last 13 weeks of the war. For their loyalty during the tough times Lee's family bible was given to Mrs. Turnbull who had three sons, one killed and two wounded in Lee's army of Northern Virginia. 17 Turnbulls fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War with 5 dying in combat (two of which in Picket's charge where family lore claims it was a Turnbull who jumped over the wall first, Jacob Turnbull 1st Sergeant for the 2nd Va was reported to be the highest ranking NCO to lead Regiment over the wall after all officers were either killed or wounded), 7 dying of disease and 5 others being wounded in combat. Lee's Family bible was returned by Scott V. Turnbull to R.E. Lee's son at Lee's funeral in 1870 per the Richmond Papers.
William Turnbull
William Turnbull
William Turnbull was the Bishop of Glasgow, in Scotland, from 1448 to 1454 and the first chancellor of Glasgow University.-Biography:...
, a noted nineteenth-century American ornithologist, was born in Midlothian in 1820. Herbert Turnbull, who died in 1961, was a distinguished mathematician responsible for major contributions to the study of algebra.
Stephen Turnbull is an author who writes about medieval Japan and its people. He has had great success from his books selling over 6 million.
Other prominent Turnbulls
George TurnbullGeorge Turnbull (civil engineer)
George Turnbull was the Chief Engineer responsible for construction from 1851 to 1863 of the first railway line from Calcutta : the 541-mile line to Benares en route to Delhi...
, born near Perth in Scotland, was dubbed "The first railway engineer of India", having been the Chief Engineer building some 500 miles of the first railway in the 1850s from Calcutta towards Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
.
Russell Crowe's paternal great grandmother was a Turnbull according to him during an interview with Inside the Actors studio in 2001.
Jonathan Trumbull
Jonathan Trumbull
Jonathan Trumbull, Sr. was one of the few Americans who served as governor in both a pre-Revolutionary colony and a post-Revolutionary state...
Governor of Connecticut and his sons Joseph Trumbull; Jonathan Trumbull, Jr.
Jonathan Trumbull, Jr.
Jonathan Trumbull, Jr. was an American politician who served as the second Speaker of the United States House of Representatives....
;John Trumbull
John Trumbull
John Trumbull was an American artist during the period of the American Revolutionary War and was notable for his historical paintings...
the painter and related relative John Trumbull
John Trumbull (poet)
John Trumbull was an American poet.-Biography:Trumbull was born in what is now Watertown, Connecticut, where his father was a Congregational preacher. At the age of seven he passed his entrance examinations at Yale, but did not enter until 1763; he graduated in 1767, studied law there, and in...
Famed SAS Robert Blair Mayne
11 January 1915(1915-01-11) – 14 December 1955(1955-12-14) (aged 40)
Nickname Paddy Fathers-mother was Maj. Gordon Turnbull's Great-Great-great Granddaughter
Castle
- Fatlips CastleFatlips CastleFatlips Castle is a pele tower in Roxburghshire, in the Scottish Borders. Situated at the top of Minto Crags, above the River Teviot, it was built in the 16th century by the Turnbulls of Barnhills, notorious Border reivers, and owners of nearby Barnhills Tower and farm...
- Barnhills Tower
- Bedrule Castle
- Barnshills Castle
- Fulton Tower