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![Show Contents]() Muiray History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The first people to use the name Muiray were a family of Strathclyde-Britons who lived in the Scottish/English Borderlands. The name comes from when someone lived near a moor, or heath. 1 In Gaelic, Mor means great or big; therefore, a scribe may have mistaken the adjective Mor as a surname More or Muir. This may explain the occurrence of the surname Muir, or a variant in Northern Scotland. The name Muir would seem out of place in that region because it holds a meaning of "living by a moor or heath," not the typical landscape of the highlands. Judging by its meaning, Muir is a local name of the south that described the area, in which the original bearer lived or held land. 2 Early Origins of the Muiray familyThe surname Muiray was first found in Ayrshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Àir), formerly a county in the southwestern Strathclyde region of Scotland. Thomas de la More was the executor of the will of Devorguilla de Balliol in 1291. While the first spelling of the name was More, it gradually evolved to Muir which became more popular, and by 1300 the name Muir had become the preferred spelling. Donald, Adam, Renaud, Gilchrist and Simon Muir, all rendered homage on behalf of their Clan to King Edward I of England on his brief conquest of Scotland in 1296. "Adam de la More and William de la More were jurors on the lands of Lady Elena la Zuche in Conyngham, 1296. Ade More who held lands of Reltone in Rerwickshire, in 1315-1321 may be Adam More or Moire, knight, who witnessed charters by Bruce in 1328-1329. Elizabeth Mere, daughter of Sir Adam Mure of Rowallan, became queen of King Robert 11, 1347. Adam of Mwre was juror on inquest in Kirkwall, 1369. John Mvr of Enerothyll was witness, 1460, and John Mur or Muyr was vicar general of the Predicant Order in Scotland, 1469-1470 ." 2 Early History of the Muiray familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Muiray research. Another 178 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1458, 1526, 1541, 1559, 1594, 1657, 1700, 1740, 1753, 1760, 1765, 1771, 1787, 1793, 1798, 1800, 1810, 1812, 1822, 1829, 1869, 1887, 1890 and 1959 are included under the topic Early Muiray History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Muiray Spelling VariationsSurnames that evolved in Scotland in the Middle Ages often appear under many spelling variations. These are due to the practice of spelling according to sound in the era before dictionaries had standardized the English language. Muiray has appeared as Muir, Mure, Moor, Moore, Mure, More, Moorman and many more. Early Notables of the Muiray familyNotable amongst the family at this time was Sir William Mure (1594-1657), Scottish writer and politician; John Muir, a Sanskrit scholar, and his brother Sir William Muir, who was an Arabic scholar and biographer of Mohammed; and Edwin Muir (1887-1959), a noted poet and critic.
Thomas Muir (1765-1798), parliamentary reformer, was born at Glasgow on 24 Aug. 1765, being the only son of Thomas Muir, a flourishing tradesman, who in 1753 published a pamphlet on England's foreign trade. He was educated at Glasgow grammar school and at the university, intending at first to enter the church, but ultimately deciding on the bar...
Another 156 words (11 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Muiray Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Muiray family to Ireland
Some of the Muiray family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 84 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Muiray familyThe North American colonies beckoned, with their ample land and opportunity as their freedom from the persecution suffered by so many Clan families back home. Many Scots even fought against England in the American War of Independence to gain this freedom. Recently, clan societies have allowed the ancestors of these brave Scottish settlers to rediscover their familial roots. Among them: George Muir (Moore) who was banished to New Jersey from Scotland in 1685; James Muir and his wife and children, who settled in Georgia in 1732; Colin Moore, listed as a Scot banished to the American colonies in 1747.
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Duris non frangor
Motto Translation: I am not disheartened by difficulties.
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
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Scotland
Ireland
England
