Murrarey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

An ancient Pictish-Scottish family was the first to use the name Murrarey. It is a name for someone who lived in the county of Moray in the northeast of Scotland, but some historians describe the Clan's forbears as originally Flemish, some as Lowland Scots. More enlightened research places them as descendents of MacAngus de Moravia, who was descended from King Duncan of Scotland and who was the first Earl of Murray.

Early Origins of the Murrarey family

The surname Murrarey was first found in Moray, where the Clan founder, Freskin, received a grant of the lands of Strathbrock in 1100 AD. He was descended from the first Earl, and his grandson, William, married the heiress of the Bothwell Clan in Lanarkshire. His sons founded many other houses, including the Murrays of Tullibardine, who later became the Dukes of Atholl, and Chiefs of the Clan.

At the same time, an early branch in the north had given origin to the Earls of Sutherland. Andrew Moray (died 1297) also known as Andrew de Moray, Andrew of Moray, or Andrew Murray, was prominent in the Scottish Wars of Independence.

He led the rising in north Scotland in the summer of 1297 against the occupation by King Edward I of England. He was mortally wounded in the fighting at the Battle of Stirling Bridge.

Early History of the Murrarey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Murrarey research. Another 596 words (43 lines of text) covering the years 1100, 1170, 1203, 1255, 1297, 1320, 1333, 1360, 1446, 1586, 1598, 1600, 1608, 1629, 1631, 1640, 1650, 1655, 1660, 1663, 1673, 1691, 1701, 1703, 1710, 1715, 1716, 1719, 1724, 1734, 1745, 1765 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Murrarey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Murrarey Spelling Variations

During the Middle Ages, there was no basic set of rules and scribes wrote according to sound. The correct spelling of Scottish names were further compromised after many haphazard translations from Gaelic to English and back. Spelling variations of the name Murrarey include Murray, Murrey, Moray, Morey, Morrey, Morry, Murry, MacMhuirich (Gaelic) and many more.

Early Notables of the Murrarey family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was Sir Robert Moray (Murrey, Murray) (1608-1673), a Scottish soldier, statesman, diplomat, judge, spy, freemason and natural philosopher; John Murray, 1st Duke of Atholl, KT, PC (1660-1724) was a Scottish nobleman, Knight of the Thistle, politician, and soldier; William Murray, 1st Earl of Dysart (c. 1600-1655), the childhood whipping boy of Charles I of England and later an...
Another 65 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Murrarey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Murrarey family to Ireland

Some of the Murrarey family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 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 Murrarey family

Scots left their country by the thousands to travel to Australia and North America. Desperate for freedom and an opportunity to fend for themselves, many paid huge fees and suffered under terrible conditions on long voyages. Still, for those who made the trip, freedom and opportunity awaited. In North America, many fought their old English oppressors in the American War of Independence. In recent years, Scottish heritage has been an increasingly important topic, as Clan societies and other organizations have renewed people's interest in their history. An examination of passenger and immigration lists shows many early settlers bearing the name of Murrarey: Andrew, Anne, Archibald, Bernard, Catherine, Charles, Daniel, Denis, Edward, George, Henry, Hugh, James, John, Martin, Michael, Patrick, Peter, Robert, Thomas and William Murray who all arrived in Philadelphia between 1800 and 1870. In Newfoundland, James Murray was in possession of property and was a fisherman of St. John's in 1784.

The Murrarey Motto +

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: Tout Prêt
Motto Translation: Quite ready.