Turnbull Origins

Hector Boece, in his History of Scotland, tells of the legend that William Rule saved King Robert Bruce (Robert the Bruce) by wrestling a charging bull to the ground. As a reward for his feat, William was awarded rich lands and became known thereafter as TURN-E-BULL.

Although there is a counter-claim that Turnbull is a derivation of the Old English "Trumbald", meaning 'Strong and Bold', the name had never been recorded before 1315, when a charter granted William Turnebull estates in Philliphaugh, located on the Scottish/English border. From this time, mention of the Rules diminished and the new name of Turnbull rose.

One of the more infamous of the Turnbull clan was John, Lord of Minto. Nicknamed "out with the sword" because of his fiery temperament, he was taken prisoner in 1399, and imprisoned in the tower of London until 1413. He was later killed supporting the French in 1424 during the battle of Cravat.

William Turnebull, on the other hand, lost his life in 1333 at the battle of Halidon Hill. Historians tell of how he stood before the English army, and with mastiff dog by his side, challenged any of the English to single combat. Sir Robert Benhale, an English Knight accepted, slaying the dog, removing one of William's arms followed by his head.

The Turnbulls became well known for their misdoing that only twice are they mentioned with the administration of the law. A regular name in Pitcairns Criminal Trials, their reputation for unruliness was so great, that in 1510, King James IV had two hundred Clansmen arrested by dead of night and forced them to stand before him wearing linen sheets, with swords in hands and halters around their necks. Some were eventually hanged while others were imprisoned, causing many of the Clan to flee. Many went to Europe and joined mercenary bands, while others went further North.

One Turnbull who was highly regarded was William Turnbull, Bishop of Glasgow. Born around 1400, and descended from the line of Bedrule, he was educated in arts and law. He was so well respected by King and pope that in 1450, he able to insist on and procure a Bull from Pope Nicholas V to establish what is now Glasgow University. His dream realised, William died a few years later in 1454 while on a pilgrimage to Rome.

The Turnbull castles comprised of Barnshill, built in the sixteenth century near the base of Minto Crags and Bedrule, in the Rule Valley which was destroyed by the English in 1545. They also held Fulton Tower, on the right of of the Rule Water and Minto Estates. These lands eventually came in possession of the Elliots.

The Turnbulls owned Philiphaugh estates in the Ettrick Forest for 300 years. The Murrays aquired part of these lands through marriage, followed by the remaining lands in 1572.