Is your surname Murray? Born a Murray? Married to a Murray? Is there a Murray in your family tree? All those people bearing the name Murray, or one of the surnames (septs) associated with the Murray Clan, are invited to join the Murray Clan Society in Scotland and the UK.
The Murray Clan septs include Balneaves, Dinsmore, Dunbar, Dunsmore, Fleming, Moray, Murrie, Neaves, Piper, Pyper, Smail, Smale, Small, Smeal, and Spalding, and variations of these surnames.
One of the great families of Scotland
The Murrays are one of the great families of Scotland. As soldiers and statesmen, ambassadors and lawmakers, they have been close to the heart of Scottish affairs for centuries. The progenitor (ancestor) of the Murrays, Freskin de Moravia, or Freskyn, was a 12th century Flemish nobleman who was granted land in the area east of what is now Inverness. This region came to be known as Moray (Murray). The Dukes of Atholl at Blair Castle in Perthshire and the Earls of Mansfield at Scone Palace in Perth are both descended from Freskin. The Murray Clan has the exceptional honour of counting among its number a real live saint. Saint Gilbert de Moravia, Bishop of Caithness from 1223 to 1245 and the founder of Dornoch Cathedral, came from the Freskyn family.
St. Gilbert of Dornoch was recognised as ‘one of the noblest and wisest ecclesiastics the medieval church produced’ and the last Scotsman canonised by the Roman Catholic Church. Gilbert died in his palace at Scrabster on 1st April 1245, his feast day. “Clan Societies have existed since the seventeenth century. They provide invaluable machinery for a clan-fund, repository for records and treasures, and virtually form the Civil Service of the clan” – Agnes Mure Mackenzie – 1949.
The Murray Clan Society was instituted by the 13th Lord Elibank, Alastair Erskine-Murray, at the inaugural meeting which took place on the night of Wednesday 17th January 1962 at the Royal Overseas League, 100 Princes Street in Edinburgh, to promote social links among people bearing the name Murray and to stimulate interest in the history, culture, and traditions of the Murray Clan and in the work of those who have borne the name Murray. The Murray Clan Society has now been revived as a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) by Keith Murray-Hetherington FSA Scot, in whose own veins runs the blood of the Murrays.
The Head Trustee (Chairman) belongs to a family that has intermarried with the Murrays for many years, and he is a Murray through his mother, who first sparked his deep interest in the Murray Clan and his long-standing connection with the Murray Clan Society. In October 1981, he became a life member of the Murray Clan Society during the International Gathering of the Clans in Edinburgh at the young age of 17 years and served as Convenor between 1987-1990. He designed and matriculated the Society’s Coat of Arms with Lord Lyon King of Arms.
Forward With Fortune
Two of the main charitable objects of the rejuvenated Murray Clan Society are (1) to further the education of members of the clan and septs who show promise, and (2) to provide financial assistance to those of the clan and the septs recognised by the Society who are in need. Students who are Murrays (or with mothers who were Murrays), who are pursuing particular interests or studies in Scotland and the UK, may be able to take advantage of the Society’s scholarship which will each year award a bursary (educational grant).
Keith told the Scottish Banner: “I decided to revive the Murray Clan Society, after it lay dormant for so long during many years of inactivity, for future generations to enjoy and learn about the Murray Clan’s rich history. My vision is to attract family groups – young and old – to join a modernised, dynamic society, and to provide a focal point for all members of the Clan from all walks of life – wherever they may be and whatever their background. I simply want to ensure the survival of the Society by attracting younger Murrays to carry forward to a new era the legacy of the most excellent men and women who laid the foundation, thus fulfilling the official motto which adorns the Murray Clan Society’s coat of arms: “Forward With Fortune”.
Associate Membership and Life Membership of the Murray Clan Society is available for anyone with an interest in the history, culture, and traditions of the Murray Clan or who simply wants to stay in touch helping them feel closer to their ancestors. Student Membership is available for those studying and registered on an academic course; and Family Membership for a family including spouse and children under 18 years. The modernised Murray Clan Society has already recruited Murrays from Scotland, England, Wales, and South Africa. Keith explained: “Thriving transatlantic clan societies have set a wonderful example to their overseas cousins and they are understandably disappointed that for some years they have had no counterpart or point of reference in their spiritual homeland. They see the Murray Clan Society in Scotland as the trunk of the tree from which the branches spring. Members in other parts of the world look to the “Home Society” as the centre of our worldwide clan. We also maintain a very cordial relationship with our sister society Murray Clan Societies in North America; New Zealand; and Australia”.
The people serving on the board – the charity trustees – bring a wide range of skills and experience and there is a good balance of ages. The 15th Lord Elibank, Robert Francis Alan Erskine-Murray, is patron of the Murray Clan Society, thus continuing his family’s long-established association with the Society since his ancestor, the 13th Lord Elibank, founded the Society.
For more information, contact themurrayclansociety@hotmail.com or go to the Society’s website www.clanmurray.spanglefish.org which has a great deal of information about the history of the Murrays and other items linked to Murray families.
Main photo: Blair Castle.