Moubray Clan History

Moubray, also seen as Mowbray and Mobray, is a name of Norman origin, coming from the ancient barony of Mombray in Calvados, on the northern coast of France.

The first to be recorded in Scotland with this surname is Robert de Moubray, who was witness to the gift of Staplegortoun to Kelso Abbey, probably at some point during the reign of Malcolm IV. It is believed that Philip de Moubray, who, in 1208, sat in curia regis, was probably the son of Robert.

At some point before the beginning of the thirteenth century, Philip de Mubraj (j = i) appeared as a witness to a charter of the church of Boeltun, and around the same time he witnessed charters by William the Lion. Between 1204 and 1214, Philip de Mubraj was also witness to two charters by Roger de St. Michaele and Umfridus de Berkelay which were in favour of the Abbey of Arbroath, and a charter by William the Lion to Galfrid, the steward of Kingorn.

Along with his wife Galiena, Philip gifted to the monks of Dunfermline the church of Muirkethin, sometime between 1202 and 1214. He also attested, circa 1211, King William’s grant of right of a fair and his “firm peace” to the bishop of Glasgow, and Philip was witness to the grant of Lympetlaw to the Hospital of Soltre at some time between 1221 and 1231.

Around the year 1225, Roger de Mubray was sheriff of Edinburgh, Linlithgow, and Haddington, and he also sat in council.

Andrew and William Mobrey were merchants in Edinburgh in 1490.

Through his marriage to the daughter and heiress of John Mowbray in 1528, Robert Bertoun of Overbertoun was permitted by the Estates of Parliament to “be callit moubray and haue and bier that surñem”.