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The Chlann
Mhic-Ghille-Mhuire, meaning "Devotee of St. Mary" or Morrison clan is said to be
Scandinavian in origin, supposedly descending from the natural son of the King of Norway
who was shipwrecked of the shores of Lewis. This is the Morrison clan whereas the
Morrisons of the Central Highlands, "sons of Maurice", and the Morrisons who
descend from the O'Muirgheasain bards from Ireland who settled in Harris have no
connection with the Hebridean clan of Lewis. The Morrison chiefs once held the hereditary
office of Brilheanh, brieve or judgement, under the Macleods from whom they held Habost in
north Lewis. The first recorded Morrison is Uisdean of Hugh who lived in the 16th century,
a contempory of the last Macleod of Lewis, Roderick, who was chief till about 1595. He is
said to have incurred their wrath when he betrayed Torquil Dubh Macleod, who was beheaded
by the Mackenzies in 1597. The Morrisons consequently had to seek refuge on the mainland
and about sixty families of Morrisons are said to have settled in the vicinity of Durness
in the Mackay country, accounting for the similarity of the Morrison and Mackay tartans.
They lost the hereditary brieveship of Lewis in 1613 when they resisted the takeover by
the Mackenzies, and by the 19th century it became impossible to even trace the line. A
branch of the clan, the Morrisons in Pabbay of Harris were the hereditary smiths and
armourers to the Macleods of Harris. John Morrison of this family was a celebrated poet of
the 19th century. The Morrisons of Ruchdi in North Uist are descendants of the Morrisons
of Pabbay and on petition of the Lyon Court were reinvested in arms as the chiefs of Clan
Morrison.
The
commonly used phrase “Clan Morrison” refers to the assimilation of
numerous Morrison families across Scotland who have no common origin or
shared history. The Morrisons were never a clan in the same way many of
the famous highland families became known. Historically the name
Morrison was first recorded in recognisable form in the fifteenth
century and and can be found in many early Scottish records such as the
Aberdeen and Edinburgh Burgh Records [1].
Origin of the name
The list of spellings
of the name Morrison in the historical documents of Scotland have been
transcribed into the modern spelling of Morrison from such variations as
Morison, Morisson, Morcion, Morisone, Morsion, Moriston, Moryson,
Morrieson, Morriceson, Morishon, Merson, Mollisone, Morason, Morzon,
Moorison, Morisoun, Moresoun, Marrson, Murrion, Murison, Muirison,
Murieson, Murrison, Muresoun, Muirsoun, Murson, Murescun, Muryson,
Mwryson and no doubt many other phonetic synonyms or Anglicised
adaptations.
The name is most
probably of Anglo-Norman origin. The generally accepted theory suggests
it is a patronymic form of either Morris to become son of Morris or
Morrison, or similarly More or Muir (from the European origin Maure or
Saracen) to become son of More or Moreson or son of Muir or Muirson.
According to Mitchell-Gill “Of the five entries in the Lyon Register,
to families of the name of Moir or More in Scotland, all are connected
with Aberdeenshire, and bear the three Moors’ or Saracens heads. The
name of Morison in Scotland bears azure three Sarcens’ heads, conjoined
in one neck proper, the faces looking to the chief, dexter and sinister
sides of the shield” [2].
The earliest
historical reference to the spelling comes from Yorkshire in England as
“Ricardus Morisson” in 1379 [3]. The earliest Scottish recording is 1429
for “Arthuro Morison domino de Darleith” [4]. Aberdeen Burgh records of
1440 cite “Morison, Angus, of Kynkardyn” [5], and in 1443 the name
“Gothra Morison” is cited in the Rental Books of the Cistercian Monks of
Coupar-Angus [6].
The Clan Buchanan has
a fascinating unsubstantiated historical connection to the origin of the
name Morrison in the Strathern district where a “Morrison” family is
said to originate from an illegitimate son of the Maurice, the 10th
Laird of the Buchanans, named Arthur MacMaurice in the late 1300s [7].
By 1854 the
standardisation of vital records in Scotland saw the many variations of
the spelling become “Morrison” although there were some families who
preferred to use a single “r” spelling. The difference in spelling bears
no special significance, just as in the spelling of Ker or Kerr, it
simply became a matter of family preference. The name Murison is a
surname in its own right, however there is a strong connection between
this family and the Morrisons through the family crest and instances
where the name became an alternative spelling or was changed to Morrison
in family and official records.
The Fictional Origin
There is a popularly
held myth that the origin of the name Morrison in Scotland comes from
the Isles of Lewis and Harris. However, the reality is the name Morrison
only came to these Isles about 1640 when a family associated with the
Lewis Brieves known as “McBreif” or “Clan na
Breitheamh” adopted the name
“Morrison” when one of this family, the Rev Donald Morrison, was
appointed minister of Barvas [8]. The early history surrounding this
family suggests they were involved in treachery and great bloodshed
between the waring factions of MacLeods and MacKenzies to the point they
were hated by all men [9].
The practice of
adopting a new surname was relatively common in the 1600s and 1700s,
particularly amongst Scots who migrated from the Isles and Highlands to
the Lowlands, either searching for work or escaping oppression [10]. For
many Lewis and Harris families, adopting a new surname was a way of
disassociating themselves from their dishonourable behaviour during the
clannish feuds that had dogged the Isles for most of the the sixteenth
and early seventeenth centuries. A classic example of “rebranding” a
surname in this period involved Rob Roy MacGregor who changed to his
mother’s name Campbell when he was being pursued by the Duke of
Montrose. Many other MacGregors were also forced to change their name
when the clan was “proscribed” in 1603 [10].
The name Morrison is
often associated with the Viking occupation of Scotland, particularly
with one named “Olaf the Black” (1177-1237) [12]. This fabled Viking has
no connection to the name Morrison. The names “Gillemorrie” and
“MacGilleMhuire” are falsely claimed to be early Gaelic forms of
Morrison descending from a Norseman named Leod. Morrison is not a
translation of “MacGilleMhuire”. The McBreifs, MacGillieMhuires and a
family of Irish descent named O’Mhuirgheasain are unrelated families who
Anglicised their names to Morrison at some time in the seventeenth
century [13].
Another prominent
fiction claims there was a migration from Lewis of some sixty “Morrison”
families to the mainland region near Durness at an unspecified time who
supposedly followed a Lewisman named Ay Mac Hormaid [14]. He is
described as being a Morrison. As the myth is told, “a handsome
good-looking fellow” [15] named Ay Mac Hormaid was reputed to have
married the Bishop of Caithness’ illegitimate daughter or sister and
been given lands around Durness. This myth bears a striking resemblance
to MacKay history where according to the Blackcastle
MS [16], Iye Mackay's son
Iye Mor Mackay, 2nd chief of Clan Mackay married a daughter of Walter de
Baltrodin, the Bishop of Caithness, in 1263, and was given 12 davochs of
land at Durness [17].
Whatever it was that
that brought about the choice of the name Morrison for the Lewis and
Harris families will probably never be known. It is a tantalising enigma
that will no doubt vex the many adherents who have been led to believe
the Morrisons originated in Lewis and Harris. The consequential effect
of the name change meant that these families were now able to trace
their family trees back retrospectively, that is, they also changed the
names of their forebears to Morrison as well. Thus, according to Thomas
(1876-78, p 508), “Cain Macvurich (Cathan Mac Mhurich), was the first
Morrison in Lewis”. Had
the families rebranded themselves Murich instead of Morrison then this
same person would have been claimed to be the first Murich. This 17th
century rebranding has created an historical distortion of extraordinary
dimensions.
Early Morrison
Family Dynasties
The earliest
family in historical Scottish records are styled “Morrison of
Prestongrange and Dairsie" first identified in 1537 in Edinburgh
when John Morrison and his wife Beatrix Hill began a dynasty that
lasted until 1788 when the last male member of the family, George
Morrison, died. The Prestongrange Morrisons purchased part of the
Barony of Prestongrange in Haddingtonshire from the the Ker’s in
1609, then the full title in 1622 and held it until it was sold in
1746 following the financial ruin of Sir William Morrison. A cousin
of the Prestongrange Morrisons, Sir George Morrison, bought the
Dairsie estate in Fife from Sir John Spottiswood in 1646 and held it
until 1692.
The oldest
continuing Morrison family in Scotland are the “Morrisons of Bognie".
This family was established by Alexander Morrison and his wife
Elizabeth Garden in 1635 when they acquired the lands of Bognie from
Sir James Crichton in Aberdeenshire. This family has held continuous
title to Bognie ever since with the current and 13th Baron being
Alexander Morrison who succeeded his father Alexander Gordon
Morrison in 2013. Another prominent Aberdeenshire Morrison family
were known as the “Morrisons of Pitfour".
Tartans and Crests
The Morrisons have two
tartans, one red and one green. Both tartans were reported by Charles
Fergurson in 1879 as being “a beautiful red clan tartan, and a green
hunting tartan” [17]. The green is more correctly known as the “Society
Morrison” tartan and is based on the MacKay sett with the red stipe
replacing the green through the blue centres. There are contradictory
and differing accounts about the tartan origins but none have any
factual evidence to support them. Both tartans were officially
recognised by the Lord Lyon in 1968 [19].
The crest of the Clan
Morrison Society of Scotland registered in 1919 features “Argent
three Saracens’ heads couped conjoined in one neck one affrontée the
others looking to the dexter and sinister proper between three foils
slipped
Vert two in chief and one in base” [20], similar
in design to that of the Morrisons of Prestongrange, Dairsie and Bognie.
The motto attached to this crest is Pretio
Prudentia Praestat (In
Price Prudence Predominates).
The Plant Emblem is Driftwood.
Many Scottish descendants in overseas countries have
expressed an interest in clan associations. In 1965 an application was
made to the Lord Lyon to recognise a Morrison “Chief”. The person
selected by the Lord Lyon was John Morrison from Ruchdi whose family
traces back to the GilleMhoires of Lingay. The Morrison Chief’s motto is Teaghlach
Phabbay.
Download a pdf of this
history including references
By Alexander W Morrison, 2017
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