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Clan Murray

Clan Murray
MacMhuirich
Murray Clan Badge.png
Crest: On a Wreath Or and Sable a demi-savage Proper wreathed about the temples and waist with laurel, his arms extended and holding in the right hand a dagger, in the left a key all Proper.
Motto Furth fortune and fill the fetters
Profile
Region Highland
Plant badge Butcher's Broom, or Juniper
Pipe music The Atholl Highlanders
Chief
Duke of Atholl arms.svg
Bruce Murray
12th Duke of Atholl
Seat Blair Castle
Historic seat Bothwell Castle

Clan Murray (About this sound listen ) (Clann Mhuirich [ˈkʰl̪ˠãũn̪ˠ ˈvũɾʲəx] in Scottish Gaelic) is a Highland Scottish clan.

The progenitor of the Clan Murray was Freskin who lived during the twelfth century. It has been claimed that he was Pictish but it is much more likely that he was a Flemish knight, one of a ruthless group of warlords who were employed by the Norman kings to pacify their new realm after the Norman conquest of England.David I of Scotland who was brought up in the English court, employed such men to keep hold of the wilder parts of his kingdom and granted to Freskin lands in West Lothian. The ancient Pictish kingdom of Moray (Moireabh in Scottish Gaelic) was also given to Freskin and this put an end to the remnants of that old royal house. In a series of astute political moves Freskin and his sons intermarried with the old house of Moray to consolidate their power. Freskin's descendants were designated by the surname de Moravia ("of Moray" in the Norman language) and this became 'Murray' in the Lowland Scottish language. The original Earls of Sutherland (chiefs of Clan Sutherland) descend from Freskin's eldest grandson, Hugh de Moravia, whereas the chiefs of Clan Murray descend from Freskin's younger grandson, William de Moravia.


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Wikipedia

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