Clan Morrison is a
Scottish clan
A Scottish clan (from Goidelic languages, Gaelic , literally 'children', more broadly 'kindred') is a kinship group among the Scottish people. Clans give a sense of shared identity and descent to members, and in modern times have an official ...
. The Highland Clan Morrison is traditionally associated with the
Isle of Lewis and Harris (Leòdhas) around
Ness (Nis), Dun Pabbay, and
Barvas
Barvas (Scottish Gaelic: ''Barabhas'' or ''Barbhas'', ) is a settlement, community and civil parish on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. It developed around a road junction. The A857 and A858 meet at the southern end of Barvas. North is the road ...
(Barabhas), lands in
Sutherland
Sutherland ( gd, Cataibh) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in the Highlands of Scotland. Its county town is Dornoch. Sutherland borders Caithness and Moray Firth to the east, Ross-shire and Cromartyshire (later ...
around
Durness
Durness ( gd, Diùranais) is a village and civil parish in the north-west Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north coast of the country in the traditional county of Sutherland, around north of Inverness. The area is remote, and the parish is ...
, and in
North Uist
North Uist ( gd, Uibhist a Tuath; sco, North Uise) is an island and community in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.
Etymology
In Donald Munro's ''A Description of the Western Isles of Scotland Called Hybrides'' of 1549, North Uist, Benbecula and ...
. There are numerous Scottish clans, both Highland and Lowland, which use the surname ''Morison'' or ''Morrison''. In 1965, the
Lord Lyon King of Arms
The Right Honourable the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new grant ...
decided to recognise one man as
chief
Chief may refer to:
Title or rank
Military and law enforcement
* Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force
* Chief of police, the head of a police department
* Chief of the boa ...
of all Morrisons, whether their clans were related or not.
MacGilleMhoire clan of Lewis
The Morrison clan centred on the Isle of Lewis derived their surname from ''MhicGilleMhoire'', a name said to mean "son of a servant of Mary". ("Mhic" meaning son, "Gille" meaning servant and "Mhoire" meaning Mary).
[ Morrison 1880:pp 26.]
In time this Gaelic surname was
Anglicised
Anglicisation is the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by English culture or British culture, or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-English becomes English. It can also refer to the influen ...
as ''Morrison''. The chiefs of the clan were the Morrisons of
Habost
Habost ( gd, Tàbost) is the name of two crofting townships on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.
One is in the Ness area at the northern tip of the island at and is home to an arts and music centre. It is a traditional area of ...
and
Barvas
Barvas (Scottish Gaelic: ''Barabhas'' or ''Barbhas'', ) is a settlement, community and civil parish on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. It developed around a road junction. The A857 and A858 meet at the southern end of Barvas. North is the road ...
, and held the hereditary office of brieve. On consequence of this position the clan was also known as ''Clann-na Breitheamh''. The Morisons held this office until 1613; and by the 19th century it was considered impossible to trace their descendants.
The original spelling of the name is "Morison" with one "r", but in the early 19th century the spelling "Morrison" became popular.
[ Morrison 1880:pp 2021.] There are also alternative spellings, or septs, such as
Gilmore.
They were a numerous clan in Lewis, the population in 1861 numbered 1402, or one fifteenth of the population. These numbers indicate a domination of the island for many centuries.
Besides areas around the north of the
Isle of Lewis
The Isle of Lewis ( gd, Eilean Leòdhais) or simply Lewis ( gd, Leòdhas, ) is the northern part of Lewis and Harris, the largest island of the Western Isles or Outer Hebrides archipelago in Scotland. The two parts are frequently referred to as ...
, many Morrisons traditionally live in the north-west Highlands, in the county of
Sutherland
Sutherland ( gd, Cataibh) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in the Highlands of Scotland. Its county town is Dornoch. Sutherland borders Caithness and Moray Firth to the east, Ross-shire and Cromartyshire (later ...
around
Durness
Durness ( gd, Diùranais) is a village and civil parish in the north-west Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north coast of the country in the traditional county of Sutherland, around north of Inverness. The area is remote, and the parish is ...
(Scottish Gaelic: Diùranais), together with their traditional allies, the
Clan Mackay
Clan Mackay ( ; gd, Clann Mhic Aoidh ) is an ancient and once-powerful Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan from the far North of the Scottish Highlands, but with roots in the old Mormaer of Moray, Kingdom of Moray. They supported Robert I ...
.
"Many sanguinary battles, still recounted by tradition , were fought between the Mcleods and Macaulays on one side and the Morisons on the other. At last the Morisons were forced to leave Lewis and take refuge with that part of their clan which was settled in Duirness and Edderachyllius, Sutherland, where still, in 1793, the natives were all, except a few,of the three names of Mac Leay, Morison or Mcleod."
[ Morrison 1880:pp 31.]
Ó Muircheasáin clan of Harris
A group of the bardic Ó Muirgheasáin clan settled on the isle of
Harris
Harris may refer to:
Places Canada
* Harris, Ontario
* Northland Pyrite Mine (also known as Harris Mine)
* Harris, Saskatchewan
* Rural Municipality of Harris No. 316, Saskatchewan
Scotland
* Harris, Outer Hebrides (sometimes called the Isle o ...
around 1600 under the service of the MacLeods of Harris and Dunvegan. At around this time, the ''
file
File or filing may refer to:
Mechanical tools and processes
* File (tool), a tool used to ''remove'' fine amounts of material from a workpiece
**Filing (metalworking), a material removal process in manufacturing
** Nail file, a tool used to gent ...
'' Ó Muirgheasáin replaced the ''
bard
In Celtic cultures, a bard is a professional story teller, verse-maker, music composer, oral historian and genealogist, employed by a patron (such as a monarch or chieftain) to commemorate one or more of the patron's ancestors and to praise t ...
'' Mac Gille Riabhaich, to the MacLeods of Harris and Dunvegan.
[ McLeod 2004: p. 73.] The Ó Muirgheasáins ultimately had roots in the north of Ireland, within "O'Neill's country".
The clan is thought to have established itself in the
Inner Hebrides
The Inner Hebrides (; Scottish Gaelic: ''Na h-Eileanan a-staigh'', "the inner isles") is an archipelago off the west coast of mainland Scotland, to the south east of the Outer Hebrides. Together these two island chains form the Hebrides, whic ...
, on the isle of
Mull
Mull may refer to:
Places
*Isle of Mull, a Scottish island in the Inner Hebrides
** Sound of Mull, between the Isle of Mull and the rest of Scotland
* Mount Mull, Antarctica
*Mull Hill, Isle of Man
* Mull, Arkansas, a place along Arkansas Highway ...
, by 1512, likely patronised by the
MacLeans of Duart. Despite their long service to the MacLeans and MacLeods, not one Ó Muirgheasáin poem, written for the MacLeans of Duart, exists to this day, and the earliest piece of poetry written for the MacLeods of Harris and Dunvegan only dates to 1626.
In time the Harris Ó Muirgheasáins
Anglicised
Anglicisation is the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by English culture or British culture, or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-English becomes English. It can also refer to the influen ...
their surname to ''Morrison''.
[ Moncreiffe of that Ilk 1967: pp. 64–65.] The
Irish Gaelic
Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was the ...
''Ó Muirgheasa'' means "descendant of ''Muirgheas''". The personal name ''Muirgheas'' may be derived from the Gaelic elements ''muir'', meaning "sea", and ''geas'', meaning "taboo", "prohibition".
Morrisons of mainland Scotland
![Conzie Castle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Conzie_Castle.jpg)
The
surname
In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community.
Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...
''
Morrison Morrison may refer to:
People
* Morrison (surname), people with the Scottish surname Morrison
* Morrison Heady (1829–1915), American poet
* Morrison Mann MacBride (1877–1938), Canadian merchant
Places in the United States
* Morrison, Colorad ...
'' is derived from the
patronymic
A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor.
Patronymics are still in use, including mandatory use, in many countries worldwide, alt ...
form of the
personal name
A personal name, or full name, in onomastic terminology also known as prosoponym (from Ancient Greek πρόσωπον / ''prósōpon'' - person, and ὄνομα / ''onoma'' - name), is the set of names by which an individual person is known ...
''
Morris
Morris may refer to:
Places
Australia
*St Morris, South Australia, place in South Australia
Canada
* Morris Township, Ontario, now part of the municipality of Morris-Turnberry
* Rural Municipality of Morris, Manitoba
** Morris, Manitob ...
''.
['' Dictionary of American Family Names''] This personal name is a variant of ''Maurice'', and was quite popular in the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
. The mainland Morrisons descend from a
Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
named Maurice.
[Way, George and Squire, Romily. (1994). Pages 280 - 281.] The senior line of the mainland Morrisons were the Morrisons of
Bognie Castle in
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire ( sco, Aiberdeenshire; gd, Siorrachd Obar Dheathain) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland.
It takes its name from the County of Aberdeen which has substantially differe ...
.
Many of the mainland and
lowland
Upland and lowland are conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level. In studies of the ecology of freshwater rivers, habitats are classified as upland or lowland.
Definitions
Upland and lowland are portions of ...
Morrisons derived their name this way.
The Morrisons of
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
and
Lennox derive their surname in this way.
[ Innes of Learney 1971: pp. 252–253.]
Within the north-east of Scotland, the Morisons of Bognie, in
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire ( sco, Aiberdeenshire; gd, Siorrachd Obar Dheathain) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland.
It takes its name from the County of Aberdeen which has substantially differe ...
, are the principal 'Morrison' family.
They are thought to be unrelated to the west coast (and Hebridean) Morrisons.
The first
laird
Laird () is the owner of a large, long-established Scottish estate. In the traditional Scottish order of precedence, a laird ranked below a baron and above a gentleman. This rank was held only by those lairds holding official recognition in ...
of Bognie was Alexander, whose son married Christian Urquhart, Viscountess Frendraught.
The current representative of the family is Alexander Gordon Morison of Bogie, 13th Baron of Bognie.
Until the last century, this family was the principal
armiger
In heraldry, an armiger is a person entitled to use a heraldic achievement (e.g., bear arms, an "armour-bearer") either by hereditary right, grant, matriculation, or assumption of arms. Such a person is said to be armigerous. A family or a cl ...
ous 'Morrison' family. The family first gained the Bognie estate in the first part of the 17th century.
The
coats of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its wh ...
of the Morisons of Dersay (or Darcie), in
Fife
Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...
; and the Morisons of Bognie; and the Morisons of Prestongrange utilise
Moor's heads. This is a pun on the surname; an example of
canting arms
Canting arms are heraldic bearings that represent the bearer's name (or, less often, some attribute or function) in a visual pun or rebus.
French heralds used the term (), as they would sound out the name of the armiger. Many armorial allus ...
. According to the 19th-century historian William C. Mackenzie, it is uncertain whether or not these Morisons have any connection with the Lewis Morisons. Mackenzie noted that in the beginning of the 17th century, a son of the laird of Darcie went to Lewis to negotiate for the release of the
Fife adventurers
The Gentleman Adventurers of Fife or Fife Adventurers were a group of 11 noblemen-colonists, largely from eastern Fife, awarded rights from King James VI to colonise the Isle of Lewis in 1598.
Background
In 1597, the MacLeod clan chiefs were s ...
who had been held hostage.
[ Mackenzie 1903: pp. 61–64.]
Traditional origins
According to the 'Indweller' of Lewis
In the late 17th century, the origin of the clan was documented within an historical account of Lewis written by John Morrison of
Bragar
Bragar ( gd, Bràgar, ) is a village on the west side of the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, from the island's only town, Stornoway. Bragar is within the parish of Barvas, and is situated on the A858 between Carloway and Barv ...
, 'Indweller' of Lewis. The Indweller wrote this account sometime between about 1678 and 1688 and stated that the early inhabitants of Lewis were three men from three separate races.
The 19th-century historian
F. W. L. Thomas noted that the Indweller's traditional account was partly at odds with the traditions current in the 19th century. The 19th century tradition was that the
heiress of the Morrisons would only marry a Morrison, and that Cain, who was a
Macdonald from Ardnamurchan, passed himself off as a Morrison and consequently became her husband and thus brieve.
Thomas noted that it was claimed that Iain Sprangach, founder of the MacDonalds of Ardnamurchan, came to
Uist
"Uist" is a group of six islands and are part of the Outer Hebridean Archipelago, part of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.
North Uist and South Uist ( or ; gd, Uibhist ) are two of the islands and are linked by causeways running via the isles ...
and married a daughter of Macleod of Harris, and had a son named Murdo. Thomas considered that it was from this son that the Indweller's ''Makurich'' was derived. Thomas also noted that it was claimed that
Aonghus Óg of Islay
Aonghus Óg Mac Domhnaill (died 1314 × 1318/ 1330), or Angus Og MacDonald, was a fourteenth-century Scottish magnate and chief of Clann Domhnaill. He was a younger son of Aonghus Mór mac Domhnaill, Lord of Islay. After the latter's apparent ...
married a daughter of Guy O'Kaine. He also showed that this marriage is confirmed by the 17th-century Irish genealogist
Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh
Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh (), also known as Dubhaltach Óg mac Giolla Íosa Mór mac Dubhaltach Mór Mac Fhirbhisigh, Duald Mac Firbis, Dudly Ferbisie, and Dualdus Firbissius ( fl. 1643 – January 1671) was an Irish scribe, translator, histori ...
, who wrote that the mother of John Mac Angus of Islay was Aine, daughter of Cumhaighe O'Cathain. Thomas maintained that it was through this marriage that the name ''Cain'' passed to the Macdonalds, and through them to the Lewis Morrisons, who still used it in the 19th century. Thomas concluded that the Indweller's ''Kenannus whom the Irish historiance call Makurich'' equated to ''Cathan Mac Mhurich''. He considered that this man was the son of the Murdo who was the son, or grandson, of Iain Sprangach, founder of the MacDonalds of Ardnamurchan. It was from Cathan Mac Mhurich, Thomas stated, that the chiefly line of the Lewis Morrisons descended. Thomas also noted that the Harris Morrisons claimed to descend from the original stock of Morrisons.
[ Thomas 1876–78: pp. 508–510.]
According to the ''Bannatyne Manuscript''
The ''Bannatyne Manuscript'' dates from about 1830 and is thought to have probably been written by Dr.
William MacLeod Bannatyne
Sir William Macleod Bannatyne, Lord Bannatyne FRSE (26 January 1743 – 30 November 1833) was a distinguished Scottish advocate, judge, antiquarian and historian.
Life
The son of Mr. Roderick Macleod WS and Isabel Bannantyne, daughter of ...
.
Within the manuscript is an account of the origins of the Lewis Morrisons:
History
![Dùn èistean tower excavation](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/D%C3%B9n_%C3%A8istean_tower_excavation.JPG)
The first Morrison on record is Hutcheon (
Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...
: ''
Ùisdean''), a contemporary of Rory MacLeod, the last chief of
Clan MacLeod of Lewis
Clan MacLeod of The Lewes, commonly known as Clan MacLeod of Lewis ( gd, Clann Mhic Leòid Leòdhais), is a Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan, which at its height held extensive lands in the Western Isles and west coast of Scotland. From ...
. Hutcheon held the hereditary office of brieve, on Lewis.
The Morrisons were also dominant in
Durness
Durness ( gd, Diùranais) is a village and civil parish in the north-west Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north coast of the country in the traditional county of Sutherland, around north of Inverness. The area is remote, and the parish is ...
(within "
Clan Mackay
Clan Mackay ( ; gd, Clann Mhic Aoidh ) is an ancient and once-powerful Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan from the far North of the Scottish Highlands, but with roots in the old Mormaer of Moray, Kingdom of Moray. They supported Robert I ...
Country").
[ Frank 1970: pp. 276–277.] According to tradition, Ay Mac Hormaid (Aodh Mac Thormoid) married a daughter (or sister) of the
Bishop of Caithness
The Bishop of Caithness was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Caithness, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics. The first referenced bishop of Caithness was Aindréas, a Gael who appears in sources between 1146 and 1151 as bishop. Ai ...
, who bestowed on the couple the whole of Durness, with Ashir. Aodh then brought over a colony of about 60 families, mostly of his clan.
In the 16th century, Hutcheon Morrison confessed on his deathbed to being the biological father of Torquil MacLeod who had been assumed to be the son of the MacLeod chief. As a result, Torquil was disinherited and the office of chief of the MacLeods passed to another. Torquil, having been raised a MacLeod his whole life, viewed himself as the legitimate chief and made an alliance with the previously peaceful Morrisons and the more aggressive
Clan Mackenzie
Clan Mackenzie ( gd, Clann Choinnich ) is a Scottish clan, traditionally associated with Kintail and lands in Ross-shire in the Scottish Highlands. Traditional genealogies trace the ancestors of the Mackenzie chiefs to the 12th century. However ...
.
However, after defeating the MacLeods, Torquil declared himself a MacLeod and turned on the Morrisons and Mackenzies, forcing them from their lands and possessions.
The Morrisons later returned to settle in Ness but, remaining enemies of the MacLeods, never achieved any status or power.
The Morrisons tried to live at peace with their more aggressive neighbours.
The
Macaulays of Lewis
The Macaulay family of Uig in Lewis, known in Scottish Gaelic as ''Clann mhic Amhlaigh'', were a small family located around Uig on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. There is no connection between the Macaulays of Lewis and ...
, who were centred in
Uig, killed Donald Ban, the brother of John Morrison the Brehon, at Habost. When the Morrisons retaliated by raiding Uig, the MacAulays appealed to their allies, the
Clan MacLeod of Lewis
Clan MacLeod of The Lewes, commonly known as Clan MacLeod of Lewis ( gd, Clann Mhic Leòid Leòdhais), is a Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan, which at its height held extensive lands in the Western Isles and west coast of Scotland. From ...
.
The Morrisons were soundly defeated at the Caws of Tarbert, whereupon a strong force of MacAulays and MacLeods invaded the Morrison lands.
The chief was captured and imprisoned at Rodil.
He managed to escape, but the MacLeods used their influence with the king to have him declared an outlaw.
As every man's hand was now turned against him, Morrison resorted to desperate measures and kidnapped one of the Macleod heiresses.
He agreed to surrender her in exchange for a royal pardon.
The girl was released, none the worse for her ordeal.
The feud was carried on by the next chief Uisdean, or Hucheon, who invaded north Harris.
Once again, the
Clan MacLeod of Lewis
Clan MacLeod of The Lewes, commonly known as Clan MacLeod of Lewis ( gd, Clann Mhic Leòid Leòdhais), is a Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan, which at its height held extensive lands in the Western Isles and west coast of Scotland. From ...
intervened, and Iain Mor MacLeod engaged the Morrisons at Clachan on Taransay.
It is said that Hucheon was the only Morrison to survive the battle, swimming over two miles to the mainland despite serious wounds.
17th century: last Macaulay-Morrison clan battle
According to local lore, on Lewis, the last great clan battle between the Macaulays and Morrisons took place in 1654.
Local tradition gives several possible locations for the battle: two at Shader, one at Barvas, and one at
Brue
Brue ( gd, Brù) is a village on the Isle of Lewis in the West Side district, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. It is a crofting township and it is composed of two areas: Am Baile Staigh, which is nearer the coast, and Pàirc Bhrù, which runs ...
. One location, said to have been the battle-site is Druim nan Carnan ("the ridge of the cairns"), near
Barvas
Barvas (Scottish Gaelic: ''Barabhas'' or ''Barbhas'', ) is a settlement, community and civil parish on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. It developed around a road junction. The A857 and A858 meet at the southern end of Barvas. North is the road ...
. The conflict is said to have arisen after a group of Uig Macaulays raided cattle from Ness Morrisons. The Macaulays were only able to escape with their plunder as far as Barvas, where the two sides took to battle. It is not known how many died in the conflict, though tradition states that the fallen were buried in the area, and that their graves were marked by cairns which have now since disappeared. In June 2009, it was reported that one of the traditional sites of the battle, and possibly the graves of the fallen, may be damaged by a proposed plan to erect three
wind turbines
A wind turbine is a device that converts the kinetic energy of wind into electrical energy. Hundreds of thousands of large turbines, in installations known as wind farms, now generate over 650 gigawatts of power, with 60 GW added each year. ...
in the area.
According to Moncreiffe of that Ilk, it is unlikely that the brieves had any judicial authority after about 1595. The last Lewis brieve to be mentioned is 'Donald MacIndowie Brieff'; when the Tutor of Kintail issued a '
Letter of Fire and Sword' against him.
Modern Clan Morrison
In 1965, the
Lord Lyon King of Arms
The Right Honourable the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new grant ...
declared that there was then no traceable descendant of the chiefs of the Morrisons of Lewis. Lyon recognised Dr. John Morrison of Ruchdi as the 'principal chief of the whole name and clan of Morrison'. The Lord Lyon acknowledged that Morrison of Ruchdi could neither trace his descent from the Morrison brieves of Lewis, nor the Morrisons of Habost, nor the chiefs of the Morrisons of Lewis. The Lord Lyon acknowledged that Morrison of Ruchdi was chief of the Morrisons of Ruchdi; and that he could trace his lineage back about twelve generations, in a
Gaelic
Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...
pedigree, back to the Morrisons in the Dun of Pabbay on
Tarbert
Tarbert ( gd, An Tairbeart) is a place name in Scotland and Ireland. Places named Tarbert are characterised by a narrow strip of land, or isthmus. This can be where two lochs nearly meet, or a causeway out to an island.
Etymology
All placenames ...
of Harris. Lyon also recognised one 'area chief' or 'regional chief' under Morrison of Ruchdi, elder brother of
William Morrison, 1st Viscount Dunrossil
William Shepherd Morrison, 1st Viscount Dunrossil, (10 August 1893 – 3 February 1961), was a British politician. He was a long-serving cabinet minister before serving as Speaker of the House of Commons from 1951 to 1959. He was then appointe ...
. Morrison was recognised as the chief of the Morrisons of Islay, the Sundrays and South West Scotland (areas also described by Lyon as the "Strathclyde area"). Lyon declared that further area chiefs could be recognized in time. For example, chiefs representing the line of the Morrisons of Habost and the brieves, the Morrisons of Lothian, and of Merse. However, these chiefs would also be under Morrison of Ruchdi. Dr. Ian Martin Morrison of Ruchdi assumed the Chief's mantle from his father on 12 June 1974. Dr. Ian was succeeded at his death by his son Dr. John Ruaraidh (Ru) Morrison on 11 December 2010. The current clan chief, R. Alasdair Morrison assumed the Chief's mantle on November 7, 2020 upon the death of his father
[ ]
The Clan Morrison Society, which was established in 1909, bought
Dùn Èistean
Dùn Èistean is a multi-period archaeological site on an inter-tidal sea stack on the north east coast of the Isle of Lewis, near the village of Knockaird (Cnoc Àrd, Nis) in the area of Nis (Ness) in the Western Isles of Scotland. It is accor ...
and transferred ownership to John Morrison (great-grandfather of the current chief).
Symbols
![Morrison Badge and Hunting Tartan (Modern Colours)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Morrison_Badge_and_Hunting_Tartan_%28Modern_Colours%29.jpg)
The
crest badge
A Scottish crest badge is a heraldic badge worn to show allegiance to an individual or membership in a specific Scottish clan. Crest badges are commonly called "clan crests", but this is a misnomer; there is no such thing as a collective ''clan' ...
worn by members of Clan Morrison consists of the chief's
heraldic crest
A crest is a component of a heraldic display, consisting of the device borne on top of the helm. Originating in the decorative sculptures worn by knights in tournaments and, to a lesser extent, battles, crests became solely pictorial after the ...
and
motto
A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. Mot ...
. By wearing this badge, clan members show their allegiance to their clan chief. The chief's motto is
TEAGHLACH PHABBAY, which translates from
Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...
as "Pabbay family".
[ Way of Plean 2000: p. 246.] This motto refers to the chief's descent from the Morrisons of Ruchdi, who claim to descend from the Morrisons of Dun Pabbay, on Harris. The chief's crest is ''issuant from waves of the sea Azure crested Argent a Mount Vert, thereon an embattled wall Azure, maisoned Argent, and issuing therefrom a cubit arm naked proper, the hand grasping a dagger hilted Or''.
The
plant badge
A clan badge, sometimes called a plant badge, is a badge or emblem, usually a sprig of a specific plant, that is used to identify a member of a particular Scottish clan. They are usually worn affixed to the Blue bonnet (hat), bonnet behind the S ...
of Clan Morrison is driftweed.
There are several tartans attributed to the surname Morrison and Clan Morrison has an official
clan tartan
Tartan ( gd, breacan ) is a patterned cloth consisting of criss-crossed, horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Sc ...
. This tartan was recorded by the
Lord Lyon King of Arms
The Right Honourable the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new grant ...
on 3 January 1968. The tartan is based on a sett which was first found in 1935, when an old Morrison family bible was uncovered in a
blackhouse
A blackhouse ( ga, teach dubh ; gd, t(a)igh-dubh ) is a traditional type of house which used to be common in Ireland, the Hebrides, and the Scottish Highlands.
Origin of the name
The origin of the name blackhouse is of some debate. On the Is ...
which was to be demolished on Lewis. The piece of tartan was wrapped around the bible, and inside a note referencing the sett was dated 1745. The Clan Morrison Society (of Scotland) tartan is a variant of the ''Mackay'' tartan. This Morrison tartan dates from about 1908–1909. The society chose to base their tartan on the Mackay because of a historical link between Morrisons and Mackays. This link stems from the marriage of Ay Mac Hormaid and the daughter of the
Bishop of Caithness
The Bishop of Caithness was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Caithness, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics. The first referenced bishop of Caithness was Aindréas, a Gael who appears in sources between 1146 and 1151 as bishop. Ai ...
. The bride's dowry consisted of the lands of
Durness
Durness ( gd, Diùranais) is a village and civil parish in the north-west Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north coast of the country in the traditional county of Sutherland, around north of Inverness. The area is remote, and the parish is ...
and subsequently sixty Morrison families emigrated there in the 17th century.
Tartans
See also
*
Dùn Èistean
Dùn Èistean is a multi-period archaeological site on an inter-tidal sea stack on the north east coast of the Isle of Lewis, near the village of Knockaird (Cnoc Àrd, Nis) in the area of Nis (Ness) in the Western Isles of Scotland. It is accor ...
, once the stronghold of the Morrisons of Lewis
*
Gilhemoire, progenitor of the Scottish Clan Morrison, and half-brother to Leod
*
Isle of Lewis
The Isle of Lewis ( gd, Eilean Leòdhais) or simply Lewis ( gd, Leòdhas, ) is the northern part of Lewis and Harris, the largest island of the Western Isles or Outer Hebrides archipelago in Scotland. The two parts are frequently referred to as ...
, traditional island homeland of the Clan Morrison
*
Ness, a traditional home of the Clan Morrison.
*
Durness
Durness ( gd, Diùranais) is a village and civil parish in the north-west Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north coast of the country in the traditional county of Sutherland, around north of Inverness. The area is remote, and the parish is ...
, associated Highland home of some of the Clan Morrison
*
Clan Mackay
Clan Mackay ( ; gd, Clann Mhic Aoidh ) is an ancient and once-powerful Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan from the far North of the Scottish Highlands, but with roots in the old Mormaer of Moray, Kingdom of Moray. They supported Robert I ...
, traditional allies of the Clan Morrison
*
Clan Macleod of the Lewes
Clan MacLeod of The Lewes, commonly known as Clan MacLeod of Lewis ( gd, Clann Mhic Leòid Leòdhais), is a Highland Scottish clan, which at its height held extensive lands in the Western Isles and west coast of Scotland. From the 14th century up ...
, the dominant clan on Lewis (pre 17th century)
*
Clan Mackenzie
Clan Mackenzie ( gd, Clann Choinnich ) is a Scottish clan, traditionally associated with Kintail and lands in Ross-shire in the Scottish Highlands. Traditional genealogies trace the ancestors of the Mackenzie chiefs to the 12th century. However ...
, traditional allies of the Clan Morrison
*
MacAulays of Lewis
The Macaulay family of Uig in Lewis, known in Scottish Gaelic as ''Clann mhic Amhlaigh'', were a small family located around Uig on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. There is no connection between the Macaulays of Lewis and ...
, a rival clan on Lewis
*
Pabbay, Harris
Pabbay ( gd, Pabaigh) is an uninhabited island in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland which lies in the Sound of Harris between Harris and North Uist. The name comes from ''Papey'', which is Norse for "Island of the ''papar'' (Culdee)".
The isla ...
, a traditional home of the Clan Morrison
*
Morrison (surname)
The etymology of the surname Morrison is either Anglo-Normans, Anglo-Norman, commonly found throughout England, Scotland and Ireland, or from the Clan Morrison, a Scottish clan originally from Sutherland and the Isle of Lewis (Eilean Leòdhais) in ...
, people with the surname ''Morrison''
*
Dùn Èistean
Dùn Èistean is a multi-period archaeological site on an inter-tidal sea stack on the north east coast of the Isle of Lewis, near the village of Knockaird (Cnoc Àrd, Nis) in the area of Nis (Ness) in the Western Isles of Scotland. It is accor ...
, a traditional stronghold of the Clan Morrison of Ness
Sources
;Footnotes
;References
*
*
*
Originally pub. by: W. & A. K. Johnston Ltd., Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
and London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, 1944
*
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*Way, George and Squire, Romily. (1994) ''Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia''. (Foreword by The Rt Hon. The Earl of Elgin KT, Convenor, The
Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs
The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs (SCSC) is the organisation that represents the Chiefs of many prominent Scottish Clans and Families. It describes itself as "the definitive and authoritative body for information on the Scottish Clan System ...
).
External links
Clan Morrison Society of North AmericaClan Morrison Society of Australia disbanded in 2004.
{{Scottish clans
Aberdeenshire
Harris, Outer Hebrides
Isle of Lewis
Morrison Morrison may refer to:
People
* Morrison (surname), people with the Scottish surname Morrison
* Morrison Heady (1829–1915), American poet
* Morrison Mann MacBride (1877–1938), Canadian merchant
Places in the United States
* Morrison, Colorad ...
Gaelic families of Norse descent