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![Show Contents]() Turnbo History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of TurnboWhat does the name Turnbo mean? The descendants of a Boernician family in ancient Scotland were the first to use the name Turnbo. It is a name for a man named Rule (sometimes Ruel) who saved King Robert the Bruce at Stirling Park from a charging bull by turning the bull's head. According to tradition, the King rewarded Rule with lands in Bedrule, and instructed him to change his name to Turnbull. This same man, Rule, is said to have served at the Battle of Halidon Hill in 1333, against the English. Rule preceded the Scottish Army into battle with a huge black dog, and challenged any Englishman to fight him. Sir Robert Venal of Norfolk accepted his challenge and killed both Rule and his dog. 1 While the account of the fight is most certainly true and well documented, the legend behind the name Turnbull is questionable. Turnbo Coat of Arms CreationThis is a Border clan name, and the progenitor is said to be a man of the name of Rule, who is reported to have twisted the head of a wild bull that attacked King Robert Bruce while hunting in Stirling Park, for which deed the King gave him the lands of Bedrule in Roxburghshire and the name Turnbull. He was a man of remarkable strength, and before the battle of Halidon Hill an old historian says :-" A certain stout champion of great stature, who for a fact by him done was called Turnbull, advanced before the Scots army; and a great mastiff dog with him; and challenged any of the English army to fight with him in combat; one Sir Robert Venal, a Norfolk man, by the King of England's leave, took him up, fought and killed him, and his dog too." This Norfolk knight evidently had more fighting skill than Turnbull.... He first slew the dog, and then managing to dodge Turnbull's thrust, he cut off his left arm and then his head. The crest of the Turribulls is a bull's head, and the motto, " Audaci favet Fortuna" (Fortune favours the brave). Another branch of the Turnbulls has the motto " Courage." 2 Early Origins of the Turnbo familyThe surname Turnbo was first found in Roxburghshire. Referring to the aforementioned Rule reference, there was a noble family of Rule, which derived its name from the Water of Rule, an affluent of the Teviot. This family dates back to 1214 when King William the Lion of Scotland granted lands to Alan de Rule. If the bull episode is true, then the bearer was either Adam de Rule or Thomas de Rule, the two Rule chieftains who appeared on the Ragman Rolls in 1296, just after the Stirling Park affair. Later, King Robert the Bruce did in fact grant lands in the west of Fulhophalche to William Turnbull in 1315. King David II also granted the lands of Humdallwalschop (now Hundleshop) to John Turnbull. 1 The source "The History of Liddesdale and the Debatable Land" includes the following entries for the family: David Trumbull or Turnbull, 1494; George Trumbull or Turnbull, 1404-5; Jock Trumble, 1544; and Wat Trombull, 1562. 3 Early History of the Turnbo familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Turnbo research. Another 389 words (28 lines of text) covering the years 1214, 1296, 1315, 1329, 1333, 1400, 1447, 1450, 1454, 1545, 1562, 1591, 1633 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Turnbo History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Turnbo Spelling VariationsBefore the printing press and the first dictionaries appeared, names and other words were often spelled differently every time they were written. Turnbo has appeared under the variations Turnbull, Turnball, Trimble, Trimbell, Trumbell, Trumbill, Turnbul and many more. Early Notables of the Turnbo familyNotable amongst bearers of this family name during their early history was William Turnbull (d. 1454), Bishop of Glasgow, who procured from the pope a charter to establish a university in the city...
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Turnbo Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Turnbo family to IrelandSome of the Turnbo family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Turnbo familyThe Scots who crossed the Atlantic were often on the run from poverty as well as persecution. They brought little with them, and often had nothing of their home country to hand down to their children. In the 20th century, Clan societies and other patriotic Scottish organizations have helped the ancestors of Boernician Scots to recover their lost national legacy. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Turnbo were among those contributors: Alexander Turnbull, who settled in East New Jersey in 1684; Thomas Turnbul, a Scottish prisoner sent to New Jersey in America in 1685; James Turnbull, who arrived in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1734.
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: I saved the King
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- Polson, Alexander, The Romance of Scottish Crests and Mottoes. Inverness: Walter Alexander, Inglis Street 1929. Print
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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