| ![Show Contents]() Turnbow History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of TurnbowWhat does the name Turnbow mean? The ancestors of the bearers of the Turnbow surname lived among the Boernicians, an ancient Scottish tribe. 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. Turnbow 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 Turnbow familyThe surname Turnbow 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 Turnbow familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Turnbow 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 Turnbow History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Turnbow Spelling VariationsBefore the first dictionaries and printing presses went into use in the last few hundred years, spelling, particularly of names, was a largely intuitive matter. Consequently, many spelling variations occur in even the simplest names from the Middle Ages. Turnbow has been spelled Turnbull, Turnball, Trimble, Trimbell, Trumbell, Trumbill, Turnbul and many more. Early Notables of the Turnbow familyWilliam Turnbull (d. 1454), Bishop of Glasgow, who procured from the pope a charter to establish a university in the city in 1450.
Later, George Turnbull (1562?-1633), was a Scottish Jesuit, was born about...
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Turnbow Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Turnbow Rankingthe United States, the name Turnbow is the 6,998th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 4 Migration of the Turnbow family to IrelandSome of the Turnbow 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.
| Turnbow migration to the United States | + |
The east coasts of the United States and Canada are still populated by many of the descendents of the Boernician-Scottish families who made that great crossing. They distributed themselves evenly when they first arrived, but at the time of the War of Independence those who remained loyal to England went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. This century, many of their ancestors have recovered their past heritage through highland games and other Scottish functions in North America. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Investigation of the origins of family names on the North American continent has revealed that many immigrants bearing the name Turnbow or a variant listed above:
Turnbow Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- W.F. Turnbow, who arrived in New York in 1905 aboard the ship "Saint Paul" from Southampton, England 5
| Contemporary Notables of the name Turnbow (post 1700) | + |
- Hartman Turnbow (1905-1988), American farmer and activist during the Civil Rights Movement, the first African American to register to vote in the state of Mississippi in the 1960s
- Guy Nicholson Turnbow (1908-1975), American football tackle who played for the Philadelphia Eagles (1933–1934)
- Donna Jean Turnbow (b. 1961), American gymnast, US all-around national champion in 1977
- Holice Edward Turnbow (b. 1930), American quilter, artist, and textile judge
- Thomas Derrick Turnbow (b. 1978), American former right-handed Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Anaheim Angels and Milwaukee Brewers
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)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
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