 In 1231 Maurice Macgeil witnessed a charter of Maldouen, Earl of Lennox to the church of St Thomas the Martyr of Arbroath.During the reign of James V of Scotland, James Makgill, a descendant of the Galloway family was a prominent Edinburgh merchant and later became Provost of Edinburgh.He supported the reformed religion and the eldest of his two sons, Sir James Makgill, purchased the estate of Nether Rankeillour in Fife.