The Murray crest shows a demi-savage, a wild man wreathed at head and waist, holding a dagger and a key, with the motto Furth Fortune and Fill the Fetters. The crest came to the Murrays from the Stewart Earls of Atholl, granted in 1475.
History
The Murray plate from R.R. McIan’s The Clans of the Scottish Highlands, 1845.
The Murrays take their name from the ancient province of Moray, and their bloodline from Flanders. Freskin, a Flemish knight in the service of King David I, was granted lands in West Lothian and then in Moray around 1130, where his descendants styled themselves de Moravia, of Moray. The same stock produced the Earls of Sutherland, which is why Murray and Sutherland share the Freskin connection. By the fifteenth century the senior line held Tullibardine in Strathearn, Perthshire, and the family rose steadily as soldiers, statesmen and courtiers.
The great leap came through marriage. The 2nd Earl of Tullibardine married Dorothea Stewart, heiress of the Stewart Earls of Atholl, and in 1629 the earldom of Atholl passed to their son. The Murrays were created Marquesses of Atholl in 1676 and Dukes of Atholl in 1703, with Blair Castle in Highland Perthshire as their seat. Through inheritance the 2nd Duke also became Lord of Man in 1736, and the family’s sovereign rights over the Isle of Man were later sold to the Crown in 1765.
The Jacobite risings split the house down the middle. The 1st Duke’s sons fought on both sides: James, the 2nd Duke, for the government, while his brothers William, Marquess of Tullibardine, and Lord George Murray came out for the Stuarts. Lord George served as the Jacobite lieutenant general of the 1745 rising and is widely rated the finest commander of the campaign, fighting against his own brother’s side.
Queen Victoria’s visit in 1844 led to the Atholl Highlanders, the Duke’s personal regiment, receiving colours. It remains Europe’s only legal private army and still parades at Blair Castle each May. Murray is today one of Scotland’s most numerous clan names, found worldwide.
Clan Chief
The current chief is Bruce Murray, 12th Duke of Atholl, chief since 2012 and Colonel of the Atholl Highlanders. The Duke lives in South Africa, and Blair Castle and the estate are cared for by Atholl Estates.
Clan Tartan
The Murray of Atholl tartan in ancient colours. Sett recorded by Wilsons of Bannockburn in 1819.
Septs and Family Names
Many family names are counted among the septs of Clan Murray. If your surname appears here, your family history leads back to this clan: Balneaves, Dinsmore, Dunsmore, Fleming, Moray, Murray, Murrie, Murry, Neaves, Piper, Pyper, Smail, Smale, Small, Smeal, Spalding.
The nickel plated steel example pictured at the top of this page was made from this same file using an online 3D printing bureau service, Shapeways. Print the file at home, or upload it to a bureau and choose your material and finish.
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The Murray crest shows a demi-savage, a wild man wreathed at head and waist, holding a dagger and a key, with the motto Furth Fortune and Fill the Fetters. The crest came to the Murrays from the Stewart Earls of Atholl, granted in 1475.
