A System of Heraldry - Clan Strachan Society

243
OF CELESTIAL FIGURES, We.
The ancient and numerous, surname of MURRAY carry for their armorial figuivs
stars. Whether they be originally Scots, or from a colony, of Germans which is
said to have come to Scotland in. the reign of Corbredus II. or that of Fergus II.
I shall not offer to determine, but leave it to- our historians and antiquaries. It is
evident their name is from the country of Murray in the north, the ancient place
of their residence, and who owned a dependence upon, their descent of their kindred
from one common stock and head of the family, as their neighbours round
them did, to whom they were very troublesome, being powerful and numerous,
given to rebellion, against whom King Alexander I. marched and quelled in the
year 1108, as did his brother and successor David I. in- the year 1130, when Anegus
Earl of Murray was killed with the most of his people (see Cbronicon de Melross),
and those that were left were dispersed through the kingdom, but still kept their
name, as appears from Prynne's History, where they are to be found residenters in
many shires of the kingdom. Their descents I leave to our genealogists, and
shall mention them here only as to their armorial bearings and antiquity of their
families, according to the documents and vouchers I have met with.
In the ieign of King William the Lion, William de Moravia, filius Friskini, is
a witness in that King's charter to the Earl of Strathern, (Mackenzie's Manuscript
of the
Nobility) ; and his son Willielmus de Moravia is witness in another charter of
that King's to the abbacy of Holyroodhouse, Dalrymple's Collections. He was
father of Walter de Moravia, father of another William de Moravia, designed Pane-
tarius Scoti-
signed Milites, others Chevaliers ; so that the most eminent families then-, of the
name, seems to be Dominus Willielmus de Moravia, de Bothwell, miles, and Willielmus
de Moravia de Tullibardin, de Conte de Perth. This William Moravia de
Bothwdl had, by his wife, a daughter of Sir John Cummin of Badenoch,
Sir An-
drew his successor, and John of Drumshargard.
MURRAY of Bothwell carried azure, three stars argent, as by his seals ; which
arms, as I am informed, are yet to be seen upon the church and castle of Bothwell.
Sir Andrew Murray Lord of Bothwell, by some designed Lord of Clydesdale,
joined in arms with William Wallace, and was killed in the battle of Stirling, 1297;
His eldest son was Sir Andrew Murray of Bothwell, who married Christian Bruce,
mister to King Robert I. and widow of Sir Christopher Seaton of that Ilk, as by
a charter granted by that King to Sir Andrew and his lady, of the lands of Carrie;
which is to be seen in the Earl of Haddington's Collections. He died anno 1338*
By his lady, Christian Bruce, he had John de Moravia, Panetarius Scotia, his son
and heir, vho died without issue, and was succeeded by his brother Thomas, who<
dying without male issue, left a daughter Jean, his sole heir, married to Sir Ar-
'hibald Douglas, Lord of Galloway, thereafter Earl of Douglas. By her he brought
:.he
lordship of Bothwell to his family, for which- the Douglasses have been in use
to marshal the arms of Murray of Bothwell, being azure, three stars argent, with
heir own.
The MURRAYS of Tullibardin,. (in Sir James Balfours Blazons)' azure, acheveron
between three stars argent. The same, Sir George Mackenzie asserts inhisManuicript,
to have seen on the seal of William de Moravia of Tullibardin, 1292, among
these of the barons who were called to Berwick by Edward I. of England,
for hearing the claims between the Bruce and the Baliol. The family of Tulli-
bardin has been in use, for many years bygone, to carry for their paternal arms,
azure, three stars argent, within a double tressure, flowered and counter-flowered or.
This family "was dignified with the title of Lord and Earl of Tullibardin, in the
person of Sir John Murray of Tullibardin, by King James VI. 1606. His son
William, second Earl of Tullibardin, married Dorothea Stewart, eldest daughter
to John Earl of Athol, by whose right the fortune and dignity came to the fami-
ly of Tullibardin, of whom, the Earls, Marquisses, and present Duke of Athol,
\vho were in use to quarter the arras of Stewart of Athol with their own, thus,