The Skaggs-Files

Thomas de Morham

Thomas de Morham was the progenator of the direct Morham line. A Malherbe, he was the first to locate at Morham and adopted the place name of "de Morham" to define his identity. He married Ele St. Martin the daughter of Alexander de St. Martin circa 1180. Thomas de Morham is found in six of the Neubotle Abbey documents which will be discussed in chronological order.

Thomas de Morham is found as a witness in a Neubotle charter of Olyveri de Kylward concerning land near Bereford. A co-witness to the charter is Ernaldo, abbot of Melrose. His tenure as abbot was from 1179-1189, which fixes the date of this charter to the 1180's period. Thomas de Morham also witnesses a charter (#7) of Peter de Graham who was granting Balnebutch in Dalkeith to the Abbey. This charter can also be dated to the 1180's time period. The only Neubotle charter created by Thomas de Morham himself is #87, in which he grants the water rights of the Mill of Bereford in Morham to the Abbey. Alexander de St. Martin, the father-in-law of Thomas de Morham, was one of the witnesses to the charter. After his death, this charter was confirmed by his son John Malherbe, Lord of Morham. Thomas de Morham's original charter (#87) concerning the Mill of Bereford is listed in the Papal Bull of Pope Innocent III (1198-1216). Of particular interest is the fact that he is named as Thomas Malherbe in Pope Innocent III's document. This is the only time that Thomas de Morham is discovered to have been addressed by his true surname of Malherbe.

The remaining two times that Thomas de Morham is mentioned in the Neubotle charters occur after his death. Ele de St. Martin, in a charter confirming an earlier charter of her father Alexander, asks for prayers for the soul of her husband Thomas de Morham. This charter of Ele de St. Martin was likely done circa 1210. The last mention is found when Sir Thomas de Morham, the great-grandson of Thomas de Morham, lists the Mill of Bereford charter #87 as that of his earliest Morham ancestor. (Sir Thomas Morham's reference to his ancestor, the early Thomas de Morham, is found in Neubotle #100).

The earlier ancestry of Thomas (Malherbe) de Morham remains unproven. Anglo-Norman Malherbes had arrived in Scotland at least one generation before that of Thomas. These would include William Malherbe of Kinnell in Angus; Hugh Malherbe in Craig, Angus; and Maud (Matilda) Malherbe who was the wife of Geoffrey de Melville of the Lothians. The above mentioned William Malherbe of Kinnell made a rare death bed grant to Arbroath Abbey circa 1190.
This Arbroath charter of William Malherbe was not long after confirmed by his son Thomas Malherb. Considering the relative date period of these documents, it is possible that this Thomas Malherbe and Thomas de Morham could be one and the same individual. A John de Morham, cleric to Robert de London the illegitimate son of King William I, was witness to an Arbroath charter circa 1200. This John de Morham was very likely a younger brother of Thomas de Morham. In addition, both of Thomas de Morham's grand-sons, John and Adam de Morham, made unexplained grants to Arbroath Abbey in Angus. It remains a real possibility that Thomas (Malherbe) de Morham was the son of William Malherbe in Angus, but no definitive evidence or proof has been found.
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Bruce & Barbara Morrison

Lexington, Kentucky

Contact: NUbrubun55 (at) webtv.net

© August, 2004

Primary Sources:

Registrum S. Marie Cambuskenneth; Declaration of Arbroath; Ragman Rolls, 1296; Liber S. Marie de Neubotle; Calendar of writs preserved at Yester House 1166-1503; Liber S. Thome de Arberbrothoc; Calendar of Documents relating to Scotland; Regesta Regum Scottorum, Vols. I, II, V, & VI; Calendar of the Laing Charters 854-1837; Liber S. Marie de Dryburgh; Liber S. Marie de Melros; Acts of the Parliaments of Scotland; Hand Acts of Alexander II; Hand Acts of Alexander III, the Guardians & John; Deeds relating to East Lothian, Wallace-James; Anglo-Norman Families, Loyd; The Surnames of Scotland, George F. Black.