Magdalene Marchbanks

## Magdalene Whitlock (née Marchbanks)

**Magdalene Whitlock** (née **Marchbanks**) (2 February, 1895 - 27 April, 1972) was an English pure-blood witch who attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from 1 September, 1906 to June 1913. She was born in Witheridge, Devon, England, and was the daughter of Aberforth Marchbanks and Gwendoline Marchbanks (née Gamp). She was older sister of Jemima and Hugh Marchbanks, and the paternal aunt of Fred Marchbanks and Darcy Cattermole (née Marchbanks).

She married Malcolm Whitlock Sr. in 1929, and they had four children together. They were Malcolm Whitlock Jr., Marybeth Whitlock, Fiona Brown (née Whitlock), and Angus Whitlock. She was the grandmother of Nigel and Arthur Brown as well as Nancy Whitlock, two of which were murdered late into the First Wizarding War. She was the posthumous great-grandmother of Lavender and Ophelia Brown.

Magdalene Whitlock passed away on 27 April, 1972, at her home in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, England.

## Biography

### Early life

Magdalene Marchbanks was born on 2 February, 1895, the firstborn child of Aberforth Marchbanks and his wife, Gwendoline Marchbanks (née Gamp). She was born in Witheridge, Devon, England.

Magdalene's mother, Gwendoline, was a member of the Most Ancient House of Gamp, and the seventh of eleven children (of eight sisters and three brothers). Magdalene had a number of first cousins which whom she was friends with, including Moira MacDougal and Clara Moore. However, it also meant that she had a number of first cousins that she was *not* friends with. She was a first cousin of Arcturus Black III, son of Sirius Black II and her Aunt Hesper, who her family did not consort with. Her mother also fell out of favour with the Gamps for marrying her father. The Gamps disapproved of the Marchbanks’ traditionally light magical practices.

She had a little sister, Jemima, and a little brother, Hugh, who Magdalene affectionately called "Hughie". Her father farmed holly trees for a living. Holly trees were very important because they were used in wand-making. Magdalene and her siblings all grew up riding horses on the family farm.

#### Hogwarts years

Magdalene Marchbanks received her Hogwarts letter in the summer of 1906. That same summer, she visited Diagon Alley, located in London, and purchased a wand made of alder and unicorn hair from Ollivander's Wand Shop. On 1 September, 1906, she boarded the train for Hogwarts and was sorted into Gryffindor House that same night.

### Later life

In 1929, she married Malcolm Whitlock Sr., a muggle-born wizard, and a breeder of Abraxan Horses. Together they purchased a home in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, together, not far from the farm in which he and his business partner, Alban Tuft, were raising horses.

Their first two children, twins, Malcolm and Marybeth, were born on 5 April, 1930, in Horncastle. Four years later, they had another daughter, Fiona. Then, in 1939, they had one final child together, Angus.

She was the grandmother of Nigel and Arthur Brown as well as Nancy Whitlock, two of which were murdered late into the First Wizarding War. She was the posthumous great-grandmother of Lavender and Ophelia Brown.

#### Death

Magdalene Whitlock passed away on 27 April, 1972, at her home in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, England.

## Etymology

From a title meaning "of Magdala". Mary of Magdalene, a character in the New Testament, was named thus because she was from Magdala- a village on the Sea of Galilee whose name meant "tower" in Hebrew.

The story often told of the origins of the surname Marjoribanks, and even supported by respectable authorities, is that Marjorie, daughter of King Robert the Bruce, brought into her marriage with Walter Stewart in 1315 lands in Dumfriesshire which became known as "Marjorie's Banks"; unfortunately no such lands formed part of Marjorie's dowry. An alternative explanation is that lands in the area of Ratho (which undoubtedly were Marjorie's) were granted to an early Marjoribanks in the 16th century; this is true enough, but the surname had already been current for at least 50 years.

The name is usually pronounced ‘Marchbanks’, and Alexander Nisbet asserts that the family who acquired the lands of the princess and took her name were originally kin to the Johnston Lords of Annandale. He finds evidence for this in the family's coat of arms, which incorporates a gold cushion and a star. The Clan Johnstone's coat of arms bears three gold cushions, and in heraldry a star often alludes to a spur-rowel, which is part of Lord of Annandale's crest (heraldry).