Think Twice Before You Call a “Barbour”

Dear Reader:

My StoryWorth question this week was to share some family genealogy. I chose my father’s Scottish side since I had more information on it.

The surname Barbour originated with the ancient Strathclyde-Britons. Barbour came from a term depicting a medieval barber who not only cut hair and gave shaves but practiced surgery ( especially amputations) and pulled teeth. A Jack of all trades!

Tidbit: This is why barbershops have the pole with red, white, and blue stripes- the look of the barber pole is linked to bloodletting with red representing blood, the pole symbolic of the stick that a patient used to squeeze to make the blue veins pop and white representing the bandages used to stem the bleeding.

The Barbours comprised the border clans between Scotland and northern England near the river Clyde. They held an ancient family seat in Northumberland and Cumberland lands. (Ironic that daddy ended up in Fayetteville North Carolina in Cumberland county. )

One ancient famous Barbour was John Barbour who wrote The Bruce-the story of the history of Robert the Bruce-Warrior King of Scotland. I gave Ben a rare copy for his birthday years back.

The other present famous family of Barbours are the manufacturers of the Barbour classic wax jackets- still manufactured by hand in South Shields today.

Barbour shirts have received three royal warrants ( endorsements) including warrant from Duke of Edinburg, her Majesty, the Queen, and the last warrant from the Prince of Wales.

Ben has been entertained by our ancestry as I have researched…he has some Barbour apparel. He loves history too!

So until tomorrow… I am concluding with the Barbour motto that is one of faith: Nothing but the Cross

” Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh

About Becky Dingle

I was born a Tarheel but ended up a Sandlapper. My grandparents were cotton farmers in Laurens, South Carolina and it was in my grandmother’s house that my love of storytelling began beside an old Franklin stove. When I graduated from Laurens High School, I attended Erskine College (Due West of what?) and would later get my Masters Degree in Education/Social Studies from Charleston Southern. I am presently an adjunct professor/clinical supervisor at CSU and have also taught at the College of Charleston. For 28 years I taught Social Studies through storytelling. My philosophy matched Rudyard Kipling’s quote: “If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” Today I still spread this message through workshops and presentations throughout the state. The secret of success in teaching social studies is always in the story. I want to keep learning and being surprised by life…it is the greatest teacher. Like Kermit said, “When you’re green you grow, when you’re ripe you rot.”

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1 Response to Think Twice Before You Call a “Barbour”

Brian Barbour says:

March 17, 2024 at 10:52 pm

The NC Barbours come from the Benson NC area. From what I have found the first guy came over in VA. Was there for a minute and his son moved to Benson near McGee’s crossroads. There’s an old cemetery there near I-40 that has tombstones of people born in the 1700’s. Enjoyed your research.

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