Gemmell History                   

 Gules a Bend Engrailed Argent, in Chief a Thistle Leafed Or

Gemmill Scotland

he Society merely displays the heraldic arms depicted above  in recognition of the heraldic achievement of the gentlemen concerned.

"Crux Hereditas Mea"

Gemmell or Gemmill

      The name derives its origin from several language sources including Latin as spoken by the Ancient Romans

Old Welsh 2500 BC-550 AD (Brythonic),  Old Norse (Icelandic/Danish/Norwegian) 100-850 AD, Middle English 450AD

Gemellus (Latin for twin) , Gemil (twin)

Gamall/Gamel  "The Old One or Old" is a reference to the name Gammell  

 The name may have been brought to Galloway and to Ayrshire in the West Coast of Scotland by the Barons of Gemilston in the wake of the Norman invasion of England in 1066 or by an early Christian family Gemellus from Rome 8th or 9th centuries (this is most likely to be the more probable originator of the Gemil,  Gemmill or Gemmell name in the West of Scotland)  The name Gammell has never been prolific in the west of Scotland and recordings of the name made in the 12th and future centuries may have been descendants of Norwegian Viking Settlers .  

Sgt Charles Nelson Gemmell (MM)

Military Medal, 39-45 Star , Africa Star with 1st Army Clasp, Italy Star, 39-45 War Medal, Territorial Efficiency Medal 

1919-1987

5th Battalion Kings Own Scottish Borderers

Highland Light Infantry

8th Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders

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Lt Col Arthur A Gemmell (MC)

Commanding Officer:  The Kings Liverpool Scottish

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The Baron Knights Gemil of Gemilston may undoubtedly be the progenitor of the Gemmill/Gemmell name in Scotland

Johannes de Gemilston is entered in the Ragman's Roll as having swore fealty to Edward 1st in Berwick 1296

Sir William Gemmill of Templelands Dunlop in Ayrshire who was related by the marriage of his daughter Euphemia Gemmill  b. abt 1635, Templelands, Ayrshire, Scotland to the distinguished line of (Sir Thomas WALLACE 2nd Bt of Craigie, 22nd of Riccarton, 17th of Craigie [21]  b. abt 1631, Craigie, Ayrshire, Scotland occ. Lord Justice Clerk of Scotland who's line dates back to the Scottish patriot Sir William Wallace d. 26 Mar 1680, Newton Castle, Newton-On-Ayr, Ayrshire 

William de "Gemilston" was cleric of the church of St Nicholas de Worgis (Borgue) in Galloway c. 1150. (Dryburgh, p, 50) John de Gemilstoun son and heir of John de Gemilstoun granted the "Ecclesia Sancti Michaeli de Gemilstoun" to the Prior and Canons of Whithorn Priory, which grant was confirmed to them by Robert The Bruce (King of Scots) in May 1325. (RMS, I, App. I, 20) and also by James IV of Scotland in 1451.    See GEMILSTON, Magister Gamellinus (a diminutive) was cleric of Alexander III, 1254 (RD., p. 49)  Gemilston (Gemils farm / village or Place) was in later centuries renamed and is now known as the village of Kirkmichael of Gemilston which lies in Southern Ayrshire then a part of Galloway.

Gamel or Gamellus hostiarius witnessed charters by Richard, Bishop of St Andrews, in 1173 (RPSA, p. 134-139; Scon, p. 27, etc.) and c. 1189-1198 he witnessed a charter by Roger Bishop elect of St Andrews relating to the church of Haddington (RPSA, p. 153).  Gamellus, clericus witnessed Lady Eschina de Lundon' s gift of Molle to Kelso c. 1190 (Kelso, 147), and a Toft and Croft formerly held by Gamellus was granted to the hospital of Soltre between 1201-33 (Soltre, p. 14).  Warin and Gamel, 'norensi servientibus nostris, ' were witnesses to a charter by Brice Bishop of Moray of the church of Deveth (Daviot) to spynv, c. 1202-22 (REM., p. 53) Walter son of Gamell was one of an assize of marches in Fife in 1230 (RD., 196) William son of Gamell de Tuinham, gifted the church of Tuenham to the monks of Holyrood about the same time (LSC, 72), and about 1250 there is a mention of a croft in Maxtun which belonged to Gamel son of Walleve (Melrose, 302-306).  Hugh Gamyl held lands near Langneuton in Roxburghshire, c. 1377 (RHM, ii, 5) William Gemmill was retoured heir of John Gemmill, his brother, in Carrick in 1599 (retours Ayr 24) John Gembell in Aberdeen, 1779.  James Gemmel & Edward Gemmel ( Argyllshire Highlanders )1794.  Sir Sydney James Gammell, Knight Batchelor, John Edward Gemmell, Armister, 1919. Charles Nelson Gemmell, MM 1919-1987.

 You may like to follow further information on the origin of the Gammell name by clicking on the link below

Origins the Gammell Name

The above 15th or 16th Century floor tile was found at the 12th Century  Glenluce Abbey in Wigtownshire Galloway, 2m NW of Glenluce village off the A75 (NX 185 586) and is displayed within a glass case hence the poor quality of the photo.  Clearly there were Gemmell's still living and working within Galloway in the 1400's and 1500's perhaps the tiler was a monk at the abbey making tiles for a new floor or replacing a worn out floor but whoever made the tile left his mark for posterity from his asture life style in the 1400/1500s.

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