Out of Print Rulewater and Its People  Now Available

TCA is pleased to announce that the out of print book, Rulewater and Its People, by George Tancred of Weens, is now available to TCA members at www.turnbullclan.com. The copyright of the book, originally published in Edinburgh at The University Press by T. and A. Constable, Printers to His Majesty in 1907, has expired.  Previously, only excerpts could be found.  A copy of the book was obtained by TCA and is now available to our members.  Following is an excerpt from chapter nine about the Turnbulls of Rulewater

 “…The name of Turnbull, spelt in various ways, first became known in the fourteenth century.  In the following century they increased in numbers, and in the sixteenth century they became so numerous and powerful, especially in the Rulewater district, that the Wardens of the Marches and other border barons were only too glad to obtain their military services by giving them every encouragement as vassals and ‘kyndlie’ tenants.  It is a pity that so little is recorded of their good service, and so much mentioned in Pitcairn’s Criminal Trials of their misdeeds…

From the source of the Rule to its confluence with the Teviot, almost the whole lands were occupied by the Turnbulls… With all their faults, they were deadly enemies to the English, and wherever a raid took place on the middle marches, the Turnbulls were always to be found.”

Much more can be found about the early Turnbulls and other border families.  The book can be found at; 

http://www.turnbullclan.com/publications/rulewater_and_its_people_index.htm

It was a bright sunny day in June 1995.  My eldest daughter went to the library and came home with a brochure about the Highland Games to be held in July.  Since we’d always been interested in Celtic music and our family heritage we decided to go.  Who knew such things are addictive.  For many hours after we had left the games the bagpipes rang in our ears. It was wonderful.  Evangelynn and I had such a marvelous time that we told the rest of the family about it.

The next year my wife Sue and younger daughter Amy came with us.  After that, my parents and brothers and sister came, my aunts and uncles and cousins.  Then the friends of the family began to come.  Eventually it got kind of confusing keeping track of everyone.  I recalled that as children we always attended the Western Washington State fair.  My grandfather was instrumental in setting up the first aid station there and we would use that as a kind of family headquarters.  That way each of us could take off and have fun always knowing where to find a family member.  This was when it was still relatively safe for kids to be unsupervised at all times.  You know those horrible fifties.

The first tent we hosted was kind of primitive with mostly homemade items.

This seemed like a good plan so I suggested to my daughter that we sponsor a clan tent so we would have a gathering place.  Our first year was rather primitive; we had a makeshift tent and few things to display.  But it was fun.  After that it just grew, we officially joined Turnbull Clan Association, started to get better things for our tent and learned how to host the tent.  We also started to attend other games around the state. (continued on page 5)