Clan Marjoribanks is a

Scottish clan A Scottish clan (from Scottish Gaelic , literally 'children', more broadly 'kindred') is a kinship group among the Scottish people. Clans give a sense of shared heritage and descent to members, and in modern times have an official structure r ...

of the

Scottish Lowlands The Lowlands ( or , ; , ) is a cultural and historical region of Scotland. The region is characterised by its relatively flat or gently rolling terrain as opposed to the mountainous landscapes of the Scottish Highlands. This area includes ci ...

History

Origins

The story often told of the origins of the surname Marjoribanks, and even supported by respectable authorities, is that

Marjorie Marjorie is a female given name derived from Margaret (name), Margaret, which means pearl. It can also be spelled as Margery (name), Margery, Marjory or Margaery. Marjorie is a medieval variant of Margery, influenced by the name of the herb marjor ...

, daughter of King

Robert the Bruce Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (), was King of Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329. Robert led Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland during the First War of Scottish Independence against Kingdom of Eng ...

, brought into her marriage with Walter Stewart in 1315 lands in

Dumfriesshire Dumfriesshire or the County of Dumfries or Shire of Dumfries () is a Counties of Scotland, historic county and registration county in southern Scotland. The Dumfries lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area covers a similar area to the hi ...

which became known as "Marjorie's Banks"; unfortunately no such lands formed part of Marjorie's dowry. An alternative explanation is that lands in the area of

Ratho Ratho () is a village in the rural west part of the City of Edinburgh council area, Scotland. Its population at the 2011 census was 1,634 based on the 2010 definition of the locality. It was formerly in the old county of Midlothian (historic), ...

(which undoubtedly were Marjorie's) were granted to an early Marjoribanks in the 16th century; this is true enough, but the surname had already been current for at least 50 years. This attractive myth was almost certainly invented by a junior branch of the Marjoribankses (represented now by Marjoribanks of Lees) in the 17th century to bolster their claim to gentility. The reality is perhaps more mysterious. The first known Marjoribanks, Philip "de Merioribankis de eodem", i.e. "Marjoribanks

of that Ilk "Of that Ilk", otherwise known as "Chief of that Bluid", is a term used in the Scottish nobility to denote a clan chieftain in some Scottish clans. The term '' of that ilk'' means "of the same ame, and is used to avoid repetition in a person's ti ...

", appears in 1485 as the holder of the "five merklands of Merioribankis of ancient extent." He was probably a Johnstone who distinguished himself from the many other Johnstones of the area by adopting this patronymic. There have been many explanations of the origin of this place name (it is now Marchbank Farm in the parish of

Kirkpatrick-Juxta Kirkpatrick-Juxta is a parish in Dumfries and Galloway on the A701, between Biggar, Moffat and Lockerbie. The parish straddles the main road A74 (M). It is primarily a rural parish. One source describes its name as meaning "the lands next to the ...

near

Moffat Moffat is a burgh and parish in Dumfriesshire. Part of the Dumfries and Galloway local authority area in Scotland, it lies on the River Annan, with a population of around 2,500. It was a centre of the wool trade and a spa town. Moffat is arou ...

); it may even have been adopted as a token of respect to Marjorie, since the Bruces at one time owned land in the area. But this is a problem which may never be convincingly solved. The name is usually pronounced 'Marchbanks', and

Alexander Nisbet Alexander Nisbet (bapt. 23 March 1657; died 7 Dec. 1725) was a Scottish lawyer and antiquarian. He is remembered for his works on heraldry, which are considered to be some of the most complete and authoritative produced in the UK. Life Nisb ...

Nisbet, Alexander (reprinted 1984), "A System of heraldry, Speculative and Practical: with the True Art of Blazon, According to the Most Approved Heralds in Europe; New Edition", T&A Constable, Edinburgh asserts that the family who acquired the lands of the princess and took her name were originally kin to the Johnston Lords of Annandale. He finds evidence for this in the family's

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

, which incorporates a gold cushion and a star. The

Clan Johnstone Clan Johnstone is a Border Reivers, Border Reiver Scottish clan.Way, George and Squire, Romily. ''Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia''. (Foreword by The Rt Hon. The Earl of Elgin KT, Convenor, The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs). P ...

's coat of arms bears three gold cushions, and in heraldry a star often alludes to a

spur A spur is a metal tool designed to be worn in pairs on the heels of riding boots for the purpose of directing a horse or other animal to move forward or laterally while riding. It is usually used to refine the riding aids (commands) and to ba ...

-rowel, which is part of

Lord of Annandale The Lordship of Annandale was a sub-comital lordship in southern Scotland (Annandale, Dumfries and Galloway, Annandale) established by David I of Scotland by 1124 for his follower Robert de Brus. The following were holders of the office: *Robert ...

crest (heraldry) A crest is a component of a heraldic display, consisting of the device borne on top of the helm. Originating in the decorative sculptures worn by knights in tournaments and, to a lesser extent, battles, crests became solely pictorial after ...

16th century

The Marjoribanks came to prominence in the early sixteenth century, when the

Court of Session The Court of Session is the highest national court of Scotland in relation to Civil law (common law), civil cases. The court was established in 1532 to take on the judicial functions of the royal council. Its jurisdiction overlapped with othe ...

, the civil section of the

Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

of Scotland, was reinstituted in its modern form by King

James V of Scotland James V (10 April 1512 – 14 December 1542) was List of Scottish monarchs, King of Scotland from 9 September 1513 until his death in 1542. He was crowned on 21 September 1513 at the age of seventeen months. James was the son of King James IV a ...

in 1532. Thomas Marjoribanks of that Ilk,Marjoribanks, Roger. "The Family in Sixteenth-Century Edinburgh"
The Marjoribanks Journal Number 1
Page 9, June 1992. Accessed on 30 April 2010 son of Philip Marjoribanks, was one of ten advocates appointed as procurators, or pleaders, before the Lords of the Court of Session. Four centuries before the introduction of legal aid the Scottish Courts recognised the need for the poor to be represented by able lawyers, and in March 1535, Thomas was appointed

advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. List of country legal systems, Different countries and legal systems use the term with somewhat differing meanings. The broad equivalent in many English law–based jurisdictions could be a ba ...

'for the puir' with a salary of £10 Scots per annum. He willingly accepted the post, but waived his right to the salary. His public-spirited nature was rewarded when he became

Lord Provost A lord provost () is the convenor of the local authority, the civic head and the lord-lieutenant of one of the principal cities of Scotland. The office is similar to that of a lord mayor. Only the cities of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Stirlin ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

in 1540, representing the city in the

Parliament of Scotland In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

of that year, and again in 1546. He had acquired land at

Extracts containing Marjoribanks from the Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland Volume 4 1549–1556 in "Ratho Local History"
. Accessed on 2 June 2009 near

by a charter of 1539 which enabled him, ten years later, to assume the title, 'Lord Ratho', on his appointment as a judge. He became the

Lord Clerk Register The office of Lord Clerk Register (Scottish Gaelic: ''Clàr Morair Clèireach'') is the oldest remaining Great Officer of State in Scotland, with origins in the 13th century. It historically had important functions in relation to the maintenanc ...

and acquired more land at Spotts and in

Annandale, Dumfries and Galloway Annandale is a district of Dumfriesshire, Scotland, centred on the dale or valley of the River Annan. It runs north–south through the Southern Uplands from Annanhead (north of Moffat) to Annan, Dumfries and Galloway, Annan on the Solway Firth ...

17th to 18th century

After Lord Ratho died, the chiefship devolved on his grandson, Thomas, who sold Ratho in 1614 to James Duncan. The family acquired lands at Balbardie around 1624.Marjoribanks, Roger. "Marjoribanks of that Ilk: The Senior Line"
The Marjoribanks Journal Number 2
Page 1, January 1994. Accessed on 30 April 2010 Christian Marjoribanks, Ratho's great-grandniece, married

George Heriot George Heriot (15 June 1563 – 12 February 1624) was a Scottish goldsmith and philanthropist. He is chiefly remembered today as the founder of George Heriot's School, a large independent school in Edinburgh; his name has also been given to H ...

,Steven, Alasdair "What's Your Name" ''

The Scots Magazine ''The Scots Magazine'' is a magazine containing articles on subjects of Scottish interest. It claims to be the oldest magazine in the world still in publication, although there have been several gaps in its publication history. It has reported on ...

'' Page 180, February 1997,Lochart, Brian R.W. "Jinglin' Geordie's Legacy: A History of George Heriot's School", Tuckwell Press, Edinburgh, 2004, goldsmith and financier to King

James VI of Scotland James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...

, founder of the famous Edinburgh school

George Heriot's School George Heriot's School is a private primary and secondary day school on Lauriston Place in the Lauriston area of Edinburgh, Scotland. In the early 21st century, it has more than 1600 pupils, 155 teaching staff, and 80 non-teaching staff. It was ...

which still bears his name. Heriot was so wealthy that he reputedly kept his purse filled with gold, and to the citizens of Edinburgh he was known as 'Jinglin' Geordie'. Andrew Marjoribanks of Balbardie and of that Ilk was another distinguished lawyer who was appointed Writer to the King in 1716. He acted as agent for

James Sandilands, 7th Lord Torphichen James Sandilands, 7th Lord Torphichen (died 1753) was a Scottish nobleman and army officer, a loyalist of the 1715 Jacobite Rebellion. Life He was the eldest surviving son of Walter Sandilands, 6th Lord Torphichen (died 1698), by his second wi ...

and was

commissary A commissary is a government official charged with oversight or an ecclesiastical official who exercises in special circumstances the jurisdiction of a bishop. In many countries, the term is used as an administrative or police title. It often c ...

, an important post in the administration of estates of the deceased.

19th to 21st century

Andrew Marjoribanks grandson, Alexander, brought the family full circle when he acquired the

Barony Barony may refer to: * Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron * Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron * Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...

Bathgate Bathgate ( or , ) is a town in West Lothian, Scotland, west of Livingston, Scotland, Livingston and adjacent to the M8 motorway (Scotland), M8 motorway. Nearby towns are Linlithgow, Livingston, and West Calder. A number of villages fall under ...

, which had also formed part of Princess Marjorie's dowry. He was convenor of Linlithgowshire (now called

West Lothian West Lothian (; ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, bordering (in a clockwise direction) the City of Edinburgh council area, Scottish Borders, South Lanarkshire, North Lanarkshire and Falkirk (council area), Falkirk. The modern counci ...

) for over thirty years, and in 1824 voluntarily surrendered his baronial rights to allow Bathgate to become a

burgh A burgh ( ) is an Autonomy, autonomous municipal corporation in Scotland, usually a city, town, or toun in Scots language, Scots. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when David I of Scotland, King David I created ...

, with Alexander as its first

Provost Provost may refer to: Officials Ecclesiastic * Provost (religion), a high-ranking church official * Prince-provost, a high-ranking church official Government * Provost (civil), an officer of local government, including the equivalent ...

.Anderson, William
“The Scottish nation; or, The surnames, families, literature, honours, and biographical history of the people of Scotland, Vol. 3 MAC – ZET”
A. Fullarton & Co., Edinburgh & London, P. 114, 1878, Accessed on 21 May 2009 Alexander was ultimately succeeded by his seventh son, the Reverend Thomas Marjoribanks, Minister of

Lochmaben Lochmaben () is a small town and civil parish in Scotland, and site of a castle. It lies west of Lockerbie, in Dumfries and Galloway. By the 12th century the Bruce family had become the local landowners and, in the 14th century, Edward I of Engl ...

and later of

Stenton Stenton () is a parish and village in East Lothian, Scotland. It is bounded on the north by parts of the parishes of Prestonkirk and Dunbar, on the east by Spott and on the west by Whittingehame. The name is said to be of Saxon derivation. T ...

East Lothian East Lothian (; ; ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, as well as a Counties of Scotland, historic county, registration county and Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area. The county was called Haddingtonshire until 1921. In ...

. In 1861 he sold the estates of Balbardie (including Balbardie House) and Bathgate to the trustees of Stewart's Hospital (now part of

Stewart's Melville College Stewart's Melville College (SMC) is all-boys' Private schools in the United Kingdom, private day school in Edinburgh, Scotland. Classes are all boys in the 1st to 5th years and co-educational in Sixth (final) year. It has a roll of about 750 p ...

). His eldest son, Alexander, succeeded in 1869, but although he married twice, he died childless and was succeeded by his brother, the Reverend George Marjoribanks minister of

. George's son the Reverend Thomas Marjoribanks, minister of

Colinton Colinton is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland situated southwest of the city centre. Up until the late 18th century it appears on maps as Collington. It is bordered by Dreghorn to the south and Craiglockhart to the north-east. To the north-w ...

was the next chief and his son, another Reverend George Marjoribanks succeeded him in 1947. This George Marjoribanks devoted most of his life to the

Moral Re-Armament Moral Re-Armament (MRA) was an international moral and spiritual movement that, in 1938, developed from American minister Frank Buchman's Oxford Group. Buchman headed MRA for 23 years until his death in 1961. In 2001, the movement was renamed I ...

spiritual movement, died in 1955 without issue in

Warm Springs, Georgia Warm Springs is a city in Meriwether County, Georgia, United States. The population was 465 at the 2020 census. History Warm Springs, originally named "Bullochville" (after the Bulloch family, which began after Stephen Bullock moved to Meriw ...

and was buried in New York. The next chief, brother of George and father of the present chief, Clan Chief of the Marjoribanks Clan
The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs, Retrieved 17 February 2014 was William Marjoribanks of that Ilk"Extract of Matriculation of the Arms of Marjoribanks of that Ilk" Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland, Volume 47, Page 34 on 16 February 1965. This document also describes the genealogy of the Marjoribanks family chiefs since Thomas Marjoribanks registered as chief and his coat of arms with the Lord Lyon King of Arms in Volume 1, Folio 302 on 30 July 1673 who was an ecologist and worked on major conservation projects for the government of

Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...

Khartoum Khartoum or Khartum is the capital city of Sudan as well as Khartoum State. With an estimated population of 7.1 million people, Greater Khartoum is the largest urban area in Sudan. Khartoum is located at the confluence of the White Nile – flo ...

. William's brother was the diplomat Sir

James Marjoribanks Sir James Alexander Milne Marjoribanks (29 May 1911 – 29 January 2002) was a Scottish career diplomat in the British Foreign Service and became British ambassador to the European Economic Community. He presented Britain's application to join ...

who was the

Ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...

to the

European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organisation created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957,Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the ''Treaty on the functioning of the European Union'', as renamed by the Lisbo ...

at the time of Britain's negotiations to enter the EEC.

Other branches of the Marjoribanks family

A George Marjoribanks (hypothesised to have been the son of George Marjoribanks, a junior member of the family of Marjoribanks of Balbardie and of that IlkMarjoribanks, Roger. "The American Dimension"
The Marjoribanks Journal Number 2
Page 27, January 1994. Accessed on 30 April 2010Marjoribanks, Roger. "George Marjoribanks (Marchbanks) Another Look at His Life"

Page 19, December 1998. Accessed on 30 April 2010) took part in the

Jacobite rising of 1715 The Jacobite rising of 1715 ( ; or 'the Fifteen') was the attempt by James Francis Edward Stuart, James Edward Stuart (the Old Pretender) to regain the thrones of Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland and Kingdom of Scotland ...

and fought with the Jacobite army against the British at the

Battle of Preston (1715) The Battle of Preston (9–14 November 1715) was the final action of the Jacobite rising of 1715, an attempt to put James Francis Edward Stuart on the British throne in place of George I. After two days of street-fighting, the Jacobite comma ...

. He was captured and transported to

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

in 1716.George Marjoribanks website
Accessed on 29 May 2009 Many of his descendants now live in the US, in particular, North and

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

, where there are regular meetings of the Marjoribanks family.Past Marjoribanks gatherings
Accessed on 29 May 2009 Marjoribanks tartan

A junior line of the Marjoribanks family called Marjoribanks of LeesMarjoribanks, Roger (October 2012
Marjoribanks of the Lees
The Coldstream and District Local History Society, Retrieved 9 April 2013 is descended from James Marjoribanks, a younger son of Thomas Marjoribanks of RathoMarjoribanks, Roger

The Scottish Genealogist, December 2010, Accessed 29 December 2010 and Joseph Marjoribanks, a wine and fish merchant in Edinburgh who died in 1635.Marjoribanks, Roger

page 14, June 1995. Accessed on 30 April 2010 Joseph's son John Marjoribanks matriculated the arms of Marjoribanks of Leuchie in 1673.Marjoribanks, John . "Heraldry and the Marjoribanks Family"

Page 1, June 1995. Accessed on 30 April 2010 A century later the arms were re-matriculated as Marjoribanks of Lees by Edward Marjoribanks of Lees, a wine merchant. His son, Sir John Marjoribanks,Marjoribanks, Roger (2014) "Edinburgh Portrait, Sir John Marjoribanks, Bart, MP (1763–1833)" The Book of the Edinburgh Club, Volume 10, Pp 151-156, was

Lord Provost of Edinburgh The Right Honourable Lord Provost of Edinburgh is elected by and is the convener of the City of Edinburgh Council and serves not only as the chair of that body, but as a figurehead for the entire city, ex officio the Lord-Lieutenant of ...

Marjoribanks, Roger. "Sir John Marjoribanks"
The Marjoribanks Journal Number 4
August 1996. Accessed on 22 May 2010 and became a baronet, Accessed on 2 June 2009 his grandson David, Baron Marjoribanks was elevated to the peerage as was another grandson Dudley Coutts Marjoribanks, 1st Baron Tweedmouth. These titles have since become extinct but there are several descendants of the Marjoribanks of Lees line living in England and the Channel Islands today. Robert Marjoribanks, an engineer employed by the railways and from

, Dumfriesshire, Scotland married Jessie Walker and died before 1895. His two sons Robert Alexander, and John Walker Marjoribanks emigrated before the First World War to

Newcastle, New South Wales Newcastle, also commonly referred to as Greater Newcastle ( ; ), is a large Metropolitan area, metropolitan area and the second-most-populous such area of New South Wales, Australia. It includes the cities of City of Newcastle, Newcastle and Ci ...

, Australia where there are numerous Marjoribanks descendants – including Robert Marjoribanks or "

Bob Banks Robert Marjoribanks (15 June 1930 – 10 July 2024), known professionally as Bob Banks, was an Australian rugby league footballer, a Queensland state and national representative five-eighth, who made fourteen Test and nineteen other tour matc ...

" an Australian international rugby league player.

Tartan

There is an official tartan for the Marjoribanks family. Marjoribanks Merchandise
Includes pictures of kilts made from the Marjoribanks tartan. Accessed on 3 June 2009

Notes and references

External links

Official Marjoribanks website“Marjoribanks” by ScotwebMarjoribanks of Lees on Rootsweb“Surname: Marjoribanks” on the Internet Surname DatabaseMarjoribanks, Marchbanks, Marshbanks and Banks DNA project
{{Scottish clans Marjoribanks Scottish Lowlands