Clan Muir 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 ...

that is

armigerous 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 ...

. Historically, holders of 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 ...

Muir (also spelt Moor, Moore, More, and Mure) can be considered

septs A sept is a division of a family, especially of a Scottish clan, Scottish or List of Irish clans, Irish family. The term is used in both Scotland and Ireland, where it may be translated as ''sliocht'', meaning "progeny" or "seed", which may ind ...

Clan Campbell Clan Campbell ( gd, Na Caimbeulaich ) is a Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan, historically one of the largest and most powerful of the Highland clans. The Clan Campbell lands are in Argyll and within their lands lies Ben Cruachan. The ...

and septs of

Clan Gordon Clan Gordon is a Highland Scottish clan, historically one of the most powerful Scottish clans. The Gordon lands once spanned a large territory across the Highlands. Presently, Gordon is seated at Aboyne Castle, Aberdeenshire. The Chief of the ...

in the

highlands Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau. Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to: Places Albania * Dukagjin Highlands Armenia * Armenian Highlands Australia *Sou ...

. The spelling variation More/Moore is a sept of

Clan Leslie Clan Leslie is a Lowland Scottish clan. The progenitor of the Clan, Bartolf'','' was a nobleman from Hungary, who came to Scotland in 1067. He built a castle at Lesselyn, from which the clan name derives. Clan Chief, the Earl of Rothes From 1 ...

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 ...

. Some members of Clan Muir who trace their ancestry to

Ayrshire Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Àir, ) is a historic county and registration county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine and it borders the counties of Re ...

are septs of

Clan Boyd Clan Boyd is a Scottish clan of the Scottish Lowlands and is recognized as such by the Lord Lyon King of Arms. History Origins of the clan The name Boyd is said to be descriptive, being derived from the Scottish Gaelic ''buidh'' which means ...

. A single family, the Mores/Moores of Drumcork, are septs of

Clan Grant Clan Grant is a Highland Scottish clan. History Origins One theory is that the ancestors of the chiefs of Clan Grant came to Scotland with the Normans to England where the name is found soon after the conquest of that country, although some h ...

Origins and history

The

Scottish surname Scottish surnames are surnames currently found in Scotland, or surnames that have a historical connection with the country. History The earliest surnames found in Scotland occur during the reign of David I, King of Scots (1124–53). These were ...

''Muir'' supposedly originated as a surname denoting someone who lived beside a moor. The name is derived from the Scots form of the

Middle English Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English p ...

''more'', meaning "moor" or "

fen A fen is a type of peat-accumulating wetland fed by mineral-rich Groundwater, ground or surface water. It is one of the main types of wetlands along with marshes, swamps, and bogs. Bogs and fens, both peat-forming ecosystems, are also known as ...

". The name may alternately derive from the Scottish Gaelic word ''muir,'' meaning ''sea,'' or ''mòr'' meaning ''of great size, tall and important,'' as in ''duine mòr,'' a great man or considerable personage. That being said, the Mure/Muir/Moore line of Southwest Scotland has been proven not to be Gael, but rather, genetically of Pretani/Britonic origin (likely even identifiable to the Iron Age

Damnonii The Damnonii (also referred to as Damnii) were a Brittonic people of the late 2nd century who lived in what became the Kingdom of Strathclyde by the Early Middle Ages, and is now southern Scotland. They are mentioned briefly in Ptolemy's ''Geo ...

tribe in the area), known to be typical of the area before Scots dominated control in the 11th century.

Mures of Rowallan

While it has been suggested that the family was from Ireland, Y DNA results clearly suggest they are from Southwest Scotland. Polkelly seems to have been the most ancient property held in Scotland by the Mures. There have been further more investigations to the links/connections with the House of Windsor/Windsor Family back in 1932 with Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge. The Mures were prominent figures throughout the history of Scotland, from Sir Gilchrist Mure, who married the daughter and sole heir of Sir Walter Comyn with the blessing of King Alexander III, for his part in the

Battle of Largs The Battle of Largs (2 October 1263) was a battle between the kingdoms of Norway and Scotland, on the Firth of Clyde near Largs, Scotland. Through it, Scotland achieved the end of 500 years of Norse Viking depredations and invasions despite bei ...

, 1263.Miller, A. H. (1885). ''The Castles and Mansions of Ayrshire''. Reprinted by The Grimsay Press, 2004. p. 128. This secured the family seat at

Rowallan Castle Rowallan Castle (Scottish Gaelic: ''Caisteal an Rubha Àlainn'') is an ancient castle located in Scotland. The castle stands on the banks of the Carmel Water, which may at one time have run much closer to the low eminence upon which the original c ...

. Another version states that Gilchrist Mure was dispossessed of the house and living at Rowallan by the strong hand of Sir Walter Cuming, and was compelled to keep close in his castle of Polkelly until Alexander III raised sufficient forces to subdue Cuming and his adherents. The family had held Rowallan, in this version, ''from unknown antiquity.''Adamson, Archibald R. (1875), ''Rambles Round Kilmarnock''. Pub. T. Stevenson, Kilmarnock. pp. 144–145. Rowallan castle ayrshire

The conjoined arms of the first Muir of Rowallan were visible on the oldest part of the castle up until the 18th century.

Elizabeth Mure Elizabeth Mure (est. born 2 March 1320 - died before May 1355), a member of Clan Muir, was the first wife of Robert, High Steward of Scotland, and Guardian of Scotland (1338–1341 and from October 1346), who later became King Robert II of Scotl ...

,A painting of Elizabeth Mure
/ref> daughter of Sir Adam Mure of Rowallan and Janet Mure, married Robert Stewart, later King Robert II of Scotland, and bore him nine children before November 22, 1347, when their marriage was legitimized by papal dispensation. Elizabeth died sometime before 1355. Sir Gilchrist Muir built two chapels, one at the Well named for

Saint Laurence Saint Lawrence or Laurence ( la, Laurentius, lit. " laurelled"; 31 December AD 225 – 10 August 258) was one of the seven deacons of the city of Rome under Pope Sixtus II who were martyred in the persecution of the Christians that the Roman ...

and the other at Banked named for

Saint Michael Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...

. The vestiges of these were still visible in 1876. He also built the chapel of

Kilmarnock Kilmarnock (, sco, Kilmaurnock; gd, Cill Mheàrnaig (IPA: ʰʲɪʎˈveaːɾnəkʲ, "Marnock's church") is a large town and former burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland and is the administrative centre of East Ayrshire, East Ayrshire Council. ...

, commonly called Mures Isle (or aisle). One of the Sir Robert Mure was slain at the Battle of Sark. His namesake was called the ''Rud of Rowallane,'' being large in stature, very strong and prone to pugilism; these characteristics neatly define the meaning of this archaic Scots word. He wasted his inheritance and during his lifetime a protracted feud took place with the house of Ardoch (Craufurdland) which resulted in much bloodshed. The 'Rud' resigned his lands in favour of his grandson John, who married Margaret Boyd a mistress of

James IV James IV (17 March 1473 – 9 September 1513) was King of Scotland from 11 June 1488 until his death at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. He inherited the throne at the age of fifteen on the death of his father, James III, at the Battle of Sauch ...

.Adamson, Archibald R. (1875), ''Rambles Round Kilmarnock''. Pub. T. Stevenson, Kilmarnock. p. 146. Muir or More tartan

Campbells, later Lairds of Rowallan

Sir William Mure was the sixteenth and last Mure of Rowallan. He served in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

under

Gustavus Adolphus Gustavus Adolphus (9 December Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">N.S_19_December.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Old Style and New Style dates">N.S 19 December">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/now ...

. One of his grand-daughters married Sir James Campbell of Lawers, third son of the

Earl of Loudoun Earl of Loudoun (pronounced "loud-on" ), named after Loudoun in Ayrshire, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1633 for John Campbell, 2nd Lord Campbell of Loudoun, along with the subsidiary title Lord Tarrinzean and Mauchli ...

, who thus became Laird of Rowallan. His son, Major-General James Mure Campbell of Rowallan (1726–86), became the fifth Earl of Loudoun in 1782. His only daughter's great-grandson,

Charles Rawdon-Hastings, 11th Earl of Loudoun Charles Edward Rawdon-Hastings, 11th Earl of Loudoun (5 January 1855 – 17 May 1920) was a Scottish peer. Early life At his birth on 5 January 1855, he was given the name Charles Edward Abney-Hastings. He was the eldest son of Charles Abney- ...

succeeded in 1874 and held the lands of Rowallan as

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 ...

Cadet branches

Sir Adam Mure's three younger brothers gave rise to numerous branches of the Mure family who settled in Caldwell, Aucheneil, Thornton, Glanderstoun, Treescraig, Auchendrane, Cloncaird, Craighead Park, Middleston, Spittleside and Brownhill.

Clan motto

*Motto - Durum Patientia Frango (''By patience I break what is hard'').Dobie, James. (1876) ''Cuninghame Topographized by Timothy Pont.'' Pub. John Tweed, Glasgow. Facing p. 402.

Associated names

Clan Muir does not have any

, though common variations of the name ''Muir'' or ''Moore'' are associated with the clan. Muir/More/Moore/Mure are most prevalent in

and areas in the Southwest

lowlands 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 p ...

, though branches had spread to Eastern Scotland as early as the 15th century.

Clan affiliation by spelling variation

*Muir/Mure/Moore - more common in

*Moir/Moire - more common in

*Moore - more common in

*Moore/More - more common in

*Windsor/House of Windsor - more common in

House of Windsor The House of Windsor is the reigning royal house of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms. In 1901, a line of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (itself a cadet branch of the House of Wettin) succeeded the House of Hanover to th ...

Clan membership

Clan membership is determined by surname. According to Sir Crispin Agnew of Lochnaw, if a person has a particular sept name which can be attributed to a number of clans, either they should determine from which part of Scotland their family originally came from and owe allegiance to the clan of that area or, alternatively, if they do not know where they came from, they should owe allegiance to the clan to which their family had traditionally owed allegiance. Alternatively, they may offer allegiance to any of the particular named clans in the hope that the Chief will accept them as a member of his clan. Thus if a person offers his allegiance to a particular Chief by joining his clan society or by wearing his tartan, he can be deemed to have elected to join that particular clan and should be viewed as a member of that clan. Members of Clan Muir who do not give their allegiance to any of the clans that list their surname as a sept or who do not have a family history of belonging to any of the aforementioned clans wear the Muir tartan.

References

External links

Clan Muir SocietyClan Muir of Australia
{{Scottish clans

Muir "Muir" is the Scots word for "moorland", and Scots Gaelic for "sea", and is the etymological origin of the surname and Clan Muir/Mure/Moore in Scotland and other parts of the world. Places United States * Muir, Willits, California, a former unin ...