In 1639, he participated in the Royalist uprising known as the Trot of Turriff; he was knighted by Charles I at Whitehall for his support.

[1] Urquhart's father died in 1642, leaving behind a large estate encumbered by larger debts.

He left for the Continent in order to economize, but returned in 1645 and published Trissotetras, a mathematical treatise.

Soon after he published Logopandecteision, his plan for a universal language, and his most celebrated work, his translation of Rabelais.

There is a legend that Urquhart died in a fit of laughter on receiving news of the Restoration of Charles II.

[7] Urquhart appears as a major character in the novel A Hand-book of Volapük by Andrew Drummond.