Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: Genealogy Report: Descendants of George Thorburn

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Descendants of George Thorburn

Generation No. 1

1. George¹ Thorburn was born Abt. 1759. He married Ann Grant.

Notes for George Thorburn:
-GENFORUM POSTING-
Re: Origin of the Name Thorburn
Posted by: Cathy Hoare Date: September 20, 2000 at 10:15:06
In Reply to: Re: Origin of the Name Thorburn

Following is taken from research done by an elderly relative who has since passed on (20+ years ago).

It included the info in your posting from the Guide to the Origin of British Surnames, as well as the following:

This name is of Scandinavian origin. It was derived from the Old Norse THORBIORN (the second O has two dots above it) which = THOR + BJORN (Bjorn meaning "a bear"). This name was later Anglicized as THURBE(O)RN. Be(o)rn in Anglo-Saxon means "warrior".

In the Domesday forms (records begun in the year 1080 by William the Conqueror) the name is found as: TURBERN and TORBERN.

In the Hundred Rolls (1274) the name is recorded as: THURBERN, THORBARN, and THOREBERN.

References:
The Thurburns by Lt. Col. F. A. V. Thurburn London 1864
Visitation of England and Wales by Howard Volume 114

THURBURN ARMS:
Argent on a fess between a crescent in chief gules and a unicorns head erased in base sable three mullets or.
CREST: A dexter arm in armour embowed, the hand throwing a dart proper.
( I have a painting of this, but no scanner!!!)

Family mottoes:
Certo dirigu ictu.
Thor me mittit amico.

The above is the oldest authoritative Scotch Thurburn (Thorburn) arms on record. This is registered in Burke's General Armory, a work which was personally reviewed by Lyon King of Arms (Burnett).

The three arms carrying the "dove and olive branch" crest are of relatively recent origin; and are not recorded in the last (1884) General Armory. (Two of these were registered only forty (?) years ago). ( It is also noted that at the turn of the century, 1900, many established American families were contributing Ł80 to the College of Arms and requesting the modern grants.)

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Some information I have on the name Thorburn comes from "A Guide to the Origin of British Surnames" by C.L. Ewen, p47,
under the topic Names of the Norseman.

"After a lengthy period of warfare culminating in their defeat at the Battle of Largs, 1266, the Norseman ceded the Western Isles and Man to the Scotish crown. The Orkney and Shetland Islands remained under alien rule until about two hundred years later, and it is believed that the Norse language was spoken there down to the last century. It follows that numbers of the names of Scotland are of Scandinavian origin, such as Thorburn (Thorbjorn)."
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If you go back many years you will find the name "Thorburn" to be of Danish origin. It was originally spelled Thurbaine or Thurbrand. The former meaning "Son or child of Thor". In the latter brand meaning sword. Thor being the "God of Thunder" in Scandinavian mythology.
Over a thousand years ago the "Vikings", whose ancestors still believed in the Red Norse God sailed across the North Sea and landed in the British Isles. We do not know the exact date that our ancestor(s) arrived, but we do know that it was during the the invasion by the Danish King Canute, who ruled England in 1016 A.D.. After Canutes conquest of England he granted the family a large Barony in Northumbria in the north of England, and were granted the title of "Baron of Thurbaine". During the Norman Conquest in 1066, William the Conqueror seized the lands of the Barony and gave them to his nobles. Our ancestors then fled north into the lowlands of Scotland.
In 1100 A.D. King Edgar of Scotland granted them a large tract of land in Edenham, and in 1120 they built the castle or fortress known as Smailholm Tower, near Kelso on the River Tweed. Being near the border they were involved in all the border wars and were subject to the many raids by the Highlanders who came down to steal sheep.
Smailholm Towers, now in ruins, was mentioned by Sir Walter Scott in his poem "The Ballad of the Eve of St. John". Scott spent part of his life living in a small cottage at Smailholm. It was here that he wrote his works about the Borderland Wars.
On September 5th 1650 the fortress was besieged by Oliver Cromwell. This was during the war between the Cavaliers and the Roundheads. It would appear from this that they were supporters of Charles 1st. This was the end of the Thorburns at Smailholm. Cromwell cut off their food supply and burnt their chapel bringing on their surrender. They then scattered throughout the lowlands of Scotland.
After having been scattered they intermarried with the Scots. It was at this point that they felt they were true Scots, they had been in the country several hundred years, and they changed their name to the present THORBURN. Many of them settled south of Edinburgh in the district known as Pebbles. There are still several prominent families by the name Thorburn living in the area, owning woolen and linen mills as well as other businesses. The Thorburns were not numerous enough to have a clan, and the border families did not have tartans - these were found mainly in the Highlands. There was a crest, or coat of arms, a fairly recent one, not necessarily the ancient arms of the family (see cover). Although they have considered themselves Scottish for over three hundred and fifty years, some of the Scandinavian traits have come down through the centuries and some of the present day Thorburns have a distinctly Danish cast of features and a Scandinavian love of the sea. At the time of writing there is little known of our branch of the family from Cromwell's Siege on Smailholm Tower for the next one hundred years.

Robert Thorburn's grandfather George was born on, or around 1759 (record not confirmed). Not much is known about George except that he was probably in the military and served at Fort George, near Inverness around the year 1809. We know that his son Joesph was born that year at the Fort. George was married to Ann Grant. It has been noted that the Grant clan has it's roots in Inverness county. We also know that George had a brother living in Edinburgh who died in Wishaw in 1837. Not too much is known about George and Ann's family. No daughters are mentioned, only three sons. Joseph, mentioned in the preceding paragraph, Robert's father (whose name was thought to have been John), and another brother who went to Australia(possibly James). Robert's father John, was killed in an accident (possibly a mine accident) when Robert was very young.

Children of George Thorburn and Ann Grant are:

+	2	i.		John² Thorburn, born Abt. 1795.
	3	ii.		James Thorburn, born Abt. 1797.

More About James Thorburn:
Christening: April 30, 1797, Inverness, Ardersier

iii.

George Thorburn, born Abt. 1802 in Inverness, Ardersier.

More About George Thorburn:
Christening: January 29, 1802

iv.

Joseph Thorburn, born Abt. 1803 in Inverness, Ardersier; died in Wishaw.

More About Joseph Thorburn:
Christening: January 29, 1803, Inverness, Ardersier.

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