General Notes

Philip was born about the year 1101, at Pembroke, and appears to havebeen named after his uncle, who died in the Holy Land during the firstcrusade. When his father was banished the kingdom, he was but an infant.The next we hear of him is his arrival in Scotland; which was at an earlyage, as he came over with the Earl of Huntingdon, afterwards David I ofScotland, on his return from his visit to the monastery of Tiron. One ofthe first acts of David, as Prince of Cumbria, "was taking a colony ofBenedictine monks from the newly-founded monastery of Tiron, and to plantthem beside his forest castle of Selkirk. This was in 1113; and even thusearly he had gathered round him, as his charters show, many Anglo-Normanknights, through whose help he was to effect such a momentous change inScotland." During this visit David must have made the acquaintance of thehouse of Perche and that of Montgomerie their relatives. Rotrou II.,Count of Perche, had founded, in 1109, the abbey to which David was nowon a visit, and this will account for the introduction of Philip deMontgomerie to the Scottish prince, and his accompanying him, with otherNormans, on his return to Scotland. This arrangement could not but besatisfactory to Arnulph, his father, not only from the enmity his housebore to the English king, but also from the fact that the boy's futurelife, if spent in Normandy, would be devoid of material prospects. Thefather never had a share in his paternal estates, and from thevicissitudes of his family, had not been able to retain those he hadacquired. Philip's chances for advancement in Normandy were doubtful,compared to the promises held out if he should cross the sea intoScotland.
On settling in Scotland, he appears to have been called the Welshman, orCymbricus, an evidence of his birthplace having been in Wales. "Heobtained a fair inheritance in Renfrewshire," and married Lady MargaretDunbar, daughter of Cospatric, second Earl of Dunbar and March. Computingfrom the age of his grandchildren, this marriage could not have takenplace later than the year 1120. As the manor and castle of Thorntoun cameinto the possession of the family at this period, it came, in allprobability, as Lady Margaret's dower. It is situated about three and ahalf miles from Dunbar, and immediately opposite Innerwick Castle,divided from it only by a ravine, through which a stream flows, where theMontgomeries had early possessions, the latter holding of the Stewarts,who obtained the greater part of Renfrewshire.
Source:   "Genealogical History and Pedigree of the family of Montgomery"Thomas Harrison Montgomery  Call Number: R929.2 M788