The Murrays trace their heritage back to the Twelfth Century and take their name from the great province of Moray, once a local kingdom. (The name Murray is believed to derive from Pictish Moritreb, meaning 'seaward settlement', referring to the ancient province, the Mormaer of Moray much larger than the present county of Moray, running along the coast of the Moray Firth, north of the Grampians.) It was during this time that the Flemish lords crossed the North Sea and established themselves in the Scottish realm. Among them was Freskin, son of Ollec. Either Freskin or his son William intermarried with the ancient royal house of Moray. The senior line of the Murrays took the surname of Sutherland and became Earls of Sutherland in 1235. Thereafter the chiefs of the Murrays were the Lords of Petty in Moray, who also became Lords of Bothwell in Clydesdale before 1253. The Clan's original lands in West Lothian and Moray were greatly added to by the successes of the Murrays over the years, and grew to include Lanark, Tullibardine and Atholl. The strength and prosperity of Clan Murray is shown by numerous honours bestowed upon them by the Crown of Scotland. Among other titles, the Chiefs of the Clan have achieved the distinction of becoming the Dukes of Atholl, Marquesses of Tullibardine, and at earlier times, Lords of Bothwell and Lords of Man. Other members of the Clan established their own dynasties for the honour of the Murrays, acquiring the Earldom of Dunmore, the Earldom of Dysart, the Earldom of Mansfield, the Earldom of Annandale, and the Baronetcy of Ochtertyre. The present Duke of Atholl holds numerous subsidiary titles. These include: Marquess of Atholl (created 1676), Marquess of Tullibardine (1703), Earl of Atholl (1629), Earl of Tullibardine (1629 and 1676), Earl of Strathtay and Strathardle (1703), Viscount of Balquhidder (1676), Lord Murray of Tullibardine (1604), and Lord Murray, Balvenie and Gask (1676). All of the titles belong in the peerage of Scotland. The Duke's eldest son and heir has the courtesy title of Marquess of Tullibardine.
Clan Murray played a key role in the Scottish Wars of Independence against the English conquerors. An heir of the original Murray line, Sir Andrew Murray was the brilliant young general who, along with William Wallace, led the Scots in 1297 in their first uprising against King Edward I. Mortally wounded while winning the famous victory at Stirling Bridge, he had joint command with William Wallace; Wallace and Murray had combined their two armies for the battle. History and legend gave Wallace primary credit for the victory, although Andrew Murray was the strategist and true hero of Stirling Bridge. His son, Sir Andrew Murray, Fourth Lord of Bothwell, Third Regent of Scotland, married Christian Bruce, a sister of King Robert the Bruce. He was captured at Roxburgh early in 1333 and imprisoned in England at the time of the battle of Halidon Hill. He obtained his freedom in time to march to the relief of his wife, who was bravely defending Kildrummy Castle. Sir Andrew commenced with unabated spirit to struggle in the cause of independence and died in 1338. The last Murray Lord of Bothwell died in 1360 of the plague. The chiefship of the Murrays fell into doubt amongst the various scattered branches of the name -- from Sutherland and Murray itself -- through Perthshire and Stirlingshire to Annandale and the Borders.
By the sixteenth century, the Murrays of Tullibardine in Strathearn had assumed leadership of the clan. Bands of Association formally confirmed this in 1586 and 1589. Lairds from all over Scotland recognized the supremacy of the line of Sir John Murray. Sir John became the First Earl of Tullibardine in 1606. Thus, the Tullibardine hegemony was firmly established between the Murrays. In the sixteenth century the eldest of Murray of Tullibardine's seventeen sons, Sir William Murray of Tullibardine, had, with other issue, William, his successor, and Sir Andrew Murray, ancestor of the Viscounts Stormont. His great-grandson, Sir William Murray of Tullibardine, was a zealous promoter of the Reformation in Scotland. George Halley says that "Sir William Murray of Tullibardine having broke Argyll's face with the hilt of his sword, in King James the Sixth's presence, was obliged to leave the kingdom. Afterwards, the king's mails and slaughter cows were not paid, neither could any subject to the realm be able to compel those who were bound to pay them; upon which the king cried out - 'O, If I had Will Murray again, he would soon get my mails and slaughter cows'; to which one standing by replied - 'That if his Majesty would not take Sir William Murray's life, he might return shortly'. The king answered, 'He would be loath to take his life, for he had not another subject like him!'. Upon which promise Sir William Murray returned and got a commission for the king to go to the north, and lift up the mails and the cows, which he speedily did, to the great satisfaction of the king, so that immediately after he was made lord comptroller". This office he obtained in 1565.
To the Murrays' medieval peacock’s head crest (motto: Praite -- ready), was added the mermaid (motto: Tout Prest -- quite ready), as Lords of Balquidder; and in the Seventeenth Century they took the demi-savage holding a sword and a key commemorating the capture of the last Lord of the Isles by the firstt Stewart Earl of Atholl in 1475; hence, the motto: Furth, Fortune, and Fill the Fetters -- go forth against your enemies, have good fortune, and return with hostages and booty. For a time in the Eighteenth Century the Murray Dukes of Atholl were also Sovereign Lords of the Isle of Man, with their own coinage and parliament: The House of Keys.
The Murray Clan plant badges are the juniper (aitionn), for Atholl and the butcher's broom (gaigbhealaidh), for Murray. The crest badges are the Peacock, Mermaid, and Demi-Savage. Pipe music of the Murray Clan is the "Atholl Highlander." There are a number of Murray tartans, but only four are generally available today: Murray of Atholl (ancient) Murray of Atholl (modern), Murray of Elibank, and Murray of Tullibardine.
Clan Murray fought for the British at the Battle of Malplaquet in 1709 against the French in France. The Battle of Malplaquet was one of the main battles of the War of the Spanish Succession. It was fought on 11 September 1709 between France and a British-Dutch-Austrian alliance (known as the Allies). Later in 1745 Lord John Murray's Highlanders fought for the British at the Battle of Fontenoy against the French.
In the Jacobite rising of 1715 to 1719, men from the Clan Murray fought at the Battle of Glen Shiel 1719 under William Murray, against the British government and in support of the Scottish Jacobite rebels. Their commander William Murray was wounded but escaped to France only to return with Prince Charles Edward Stuart for the Jacobite rebellion in 1745.
During the Jacobite Uprisings of 1745 to 1746 many Murrays fought on both sides. The Chief of Clan Murray who was the Duke of Atholl supported the British Government; three of his sons betrayed him and supported the Jacobites. This resulted in the forces of the chief and his sons fighting against each other in battle. John Murray of Broughton served as secretary to Prince Charles Edward Stuart. At the Battle of Prestonpans in 1745 two Murray regiments, called 'Murrays 46th Regiment' and 'Murray's 42nd Regiment,' fought for the British government. However at the same battle there was another Murray regiment on the Jacobites' side led by Lord George Murray, son of John Murray, 1st Duke of Atholl, who was the chief of Clan Murray.
In December of 1745 Lord George Murray was one of the main Jacobite commanders involved in the Siege of Carlisle which was taken on 13th-15th December. He also fought at the Clifton Moor Skirmish on the 19th December 1745. Although three of his sons had joined the Jacobite rebels, John Murray, first Duke of Atholl and chief of Clan Murray himself actually remained loyal to the British government and helped apprehend the Jacobite rebel Robert Roy MacGregor.
The Duke of Atholl's son Lord George Murray was the Jacobite general responsible for the Jacobites' initial successes during the early part of the 1745-1746 rebellion. Another Jacobite commander, William Murray, landed with Prince Charles Edward Stuart in 1745 at Borodale 25th July; he was the main Jacobite commander at the Battle of Prestonpans, Battle of Falkirk (1746) and the Battle of Culloden.
After the Battle of Culloden in 1746 William Murray tried to escape. Suffering from bad health and fatigue, he surrendered on the 27th April 1746 to Mr Buchannan of Drummakill. He was taken to the Tower of London where he died on July 9th 1746. Lord George Murray escaped to the continent in December 1746, and was well received in Rome by the prince's father, James Stuart, who granted him a pension. Despite the father's hospitality, when Murray journeyed to Paris the following year, the prince refused to meet with him. Murray lived in numerous places on the continent over the next few years, and eventually died in Medemblik, Holland on the 11th October, 1760 at the age of 66. Meanwhile, the prince's erstwhile secretary John Murray of Broughton earned the enmity of the Jacobites by turning king's evidence.
Blair Castle near the village of Blair Atholl in Perthshire in Scotland is the spiritual home of Clan Murray and seat of its Clan Chief, the Duke of Atholl. The present (eleventh) Duke of Atholl, His Grace John Murray, lives in South Africa and visits the Castle on ceremonial occasions as commander of the Atholl Highlanders. The Duke of Atholl is the only British subject still privileged to maintain a private army, a proud relic of the days of Clan Murray's military eminence. The Atholl Highlanders are a purely ceremonial regiment of about one hundred, including pipes and drums. The regiment wears the tartan of the Clan Murray of Atholl and has as its cap badge the clan arms approved by the Duke, which it wears along with a sprig of juniper, the clan's plant, presented by the Duke on his annual inspection. The regiment is responsible for the defence of Blair Castle, the surrounding estate and its inhabitants, but in practice usually only parades twice a year at the regiment's annual inspection when the present Duke comes from his home in South Africa to inspect his men, and the Atholl Gathering Highland Games, which is hosted by the Duke, on the last weekend in May. However, there are certain other occasions when the Duke permits the regiment to parade, such as royal visits to Blair Castle (when the regiment would serve as the guard), or on tours overseas.
The Murray Clan holds a strong historical tradition. So does the Chinook breed. Murray clansmen and women are an independent, energetic, impetuous breed. So are Chinooks. Clan Murray is headed by an aristocratic line whose followers are fiercely loyal. Thus it is with Chinook breeders and owners, who share similar feelings for Arthur Walden, the breed founder, and his original 'Old Chinook.'
I married a Murray clanswoman, and consider myself a member of Clan Murray both by marriage and by free choice, offering my allegiance to the Duke of Atholl. (According to the Lord Lyon, sole King of Arms in Scotland and chief authority on Scottish heraldic tradition, allegiance to the Clan Chief is the single most important determinant of clan membership.) So for me the name "ATHOLL CHINOOKS" is significant, traditional, and says a great deal about my wife, myself, and our Chinook Sled Dogs.