I‘ve posted before about Coats of Arms and do we believe them….. or deserve them….today?  Here’s a story that I just HAD to share:

“At the town of Stirling began the great wood of Caledon where roamed a number of white bulls, with crisp and curly manes, like fierce lions….and more wild than any other beasts. As soon as any man appeared before them, the bulls would rush forward without fear of hounds, sharp lances or other weapons.

“It is said that King Robert Bruce went hunting in this wood and, having only a small party with him, narrowly escaped with his life. One of the bulls, after being sorely wounded by the hunters, rushed fiercely on the King who had then no weapon in his hand to defend himself from the impact. 

“Then a man of great spirit, who was nearby, leapt before the King and, grappling with the bull, cast it to the earth with great force and held it there while the remaining hunters slew it with their weapons. The man who rescued the King was called thereafter TURN-E-BULL and awarded with rich lands by the King.”

This story is retold in a 20-page booklet titled, I Save the King: The Story of the Turnbulls, by R.E. Scott, 1977. Author Scott cites The History of Scotland, published in Latin in Paris about 1626.

Working on a history of Cyrus Turnbull, for whom Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge (south of Cheney near Spokane) was named (although he never owned land there and only “squatted” for six years), I found a reference to this story. Tracking it down, I found that a copy was held by a library in Michigan. Inquiring of them, a most kind librarian found a copy online for me!

Note the lesson there, dear readers. About helpful librarians, I mean. But back to the question: Do you “believe” in a family today having/boasting of a coat of arms from yore???