Clan Morrison facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Clan Morrison |
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| MacGhille Mhoire | |||
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| Motto | Teaghlach Phabbay (Pabbay family) | ||
| Profile | |||
| Region | Scottish Lowlands and Scottish Highlands | ||
| District | Aberdeenshire (mainland Morrisons) Outer Hebrides (Morrisons of Harris and Lewis) |
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| Plant badge | Driftwood | ||
| Chief | |||
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| Alasdair Morrison of Ruchdi | |||
| Chief of Clan Morrison | |||
| Historic seat | Bognie Castle (mainland Morrisons) Dùn Èistean (Morrisons of Lewis) |
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Clan Morrison is a historic Scottish clan. It's a group of families who share a common ancestor and a strong bond. The Morrison clan is mainly linked to the Isle of Lewis and Harris in Scotland. You can also find Morrisons in Sutherland and North Uist.
Many Scottish families use the name Morison or Morrison. In 1965, a special official called the Lord Lyon King of Arms decided to recognize one person as the main chief for all Morrisons. This was true whether their families were directly related or not.
Contents
Lewis Morrisons: Servants of Mary
The Morrison clan on the Isle of Lewis got their name from MhicGilleMhoire. This Gaelic name means "son of a servant of Mary." The word "Mhic" means son, "Gille" means servant, and "Mhoire" means Mary. Over time, this Gaelic name became the English name Morrison.
The leaders of this clan were the Morrisons of Habost and Barvas. They held an important job called "brieve." A brieve was like a hereditary judge, meaning the job was passed down in the family. Because of this, the clan was also known as Clann-na Breitheamh, which means "Clan of the Judges." The Morrisons were brieves until 1613.
The original way to spell the name was "Morison" with one "r." But in the early 1800s, "Morrison" with two "r"s became more common. Other spellings, like Gilmore, are also part of the clan.
The Morrisons were a large group on Lewis. In 1861, there were 1,402 Morrisons, which was about one-fifteenth of the island's population! This shows they were a very important family there for many centuries.
Besides Lewis, many Morrisons also lived in the north-west Scottish Highlands, near Durness in Sutherland. They were often allies with their neighbours, the Clan Mackay.
The Morrisons had many battles with the MacLeods and Macaulays. Eventually, the Morrisons had to leave Lewis. They found safety with their relatives in Durness, Sutherland. Even in 1793, most people in that area were MacLeays, Morrisons, or MacLeods.
Harris Morrisons: From Ireland to the Sea
Around 1600, a group of poets and storytellers from the Ó Muirgheasáin clan settled on the Isle of Harris. They worked for the MacLeods of Harris and Dunvegan. This clan originally came from the north of Ireland. They are thought to have moved to the Isle of Mull by 1512.
The Harris Ó Muirgheasáins later changed their name to Morrison. The Irish Gaelic name Ó Muirgheasa means "descendant of Muirgheas." The name Muirgheas might come from Gaelic words meaning "sea" and "taboo" or "prohibition."
Mainland Morrisons: From a Norman Knight
The name Morrison also comes from the name Morris. This name is a form of Maurice, which was popular a long time ago. Many mainland Morrisons are descended from a Norman knight named Maurice.
The main family of mainland Morrisons were the Morrisons of Bognie Castle in Aberdeenshire. Many Morrisons in the Scottish Lowlands got their name this way. This includes Morrisons from Perth and Lennox.
The Morisons of Bognie in Aberdeenshire are the main 'Morrison' family in the north-east of Scotland. They are likely not related to the Morrisons from the west coast or the islands. The first owner of Bognie was Alexander. His son married Christian Urquhart. The current head of this family is Alexander Gordon Morison of Bogie. This family has owned the Bognie estate since the early 1600s.
The coats of arms of some Morison families, like those from Dersay (Fife) and Bognie, show "Moor's heads." This is a clever play on words, using a picture that sounds like their name. It's not clear if these Morisons are connected to the Lewis Morrisons.
Old Stories of Lewis Origins
In the late 1600s, a man named John Morrison of Bragar wrote about the history of Lewis. He said that the first people on Lewis were three men from different backgrounds. One of them was Mores, the son of Kenannus. John Morrison believed that all Morrisons in Scotland came from this man.
Another old story, from the Bannatyne Manuscript (around 1830), says that a different tribe lived in Ness on Lewis. They were called the Clan Igaa, or "Descendants of the Armourer." Their chief owned Pabbay Castle. This family's power ended when their last female heir married Gillemhuire. He was a son of Olaf the Black and a half-brother of Leod. From them came the Clan Gillemorrie, or 'Morison', who became powerful as the hereditary judges of Lewis.
Clan History and Battles
The first Morrison mentioned in records is Hutcheon. He lived at the same time as Rory MacLeod, the last chief of Clan MacLeod of Lewis. Hutcheon held the important job of brieve (judge) on Lewis.
The Morrisons were also strong in Durness. A story says that Ay Mac Hormaid married a bishop's daughter. She gave them all of Durness. Ay then brought about 60 families, mostly his own clan, to live there.
In the 1500s, Hutcheon Morrison admitted on his deathbed that he was the real father of Torquil MacLeod. Everyone thought Torquil was the MacLeod chief's son. Because of this, Torquil lost his right to be chief. The MacLeod leadership went to someone else.
Torquil, who had always thought he was a MacLeod, felt he should be chief. He teamed up with the Morrisons and the Clan Mackenzie. After they defeated the MacLeods, Torquil surprisingly turned on the Morrisons and Mackenzies! He forced them off their lands. The Morrisons later returned to Ness but never regained their old power.
The Morrisons tried to live peacefully with their neighbours. But the Macaulays of Lewis killed Donald Ban, the brother of John Morrison the Brehon (judge). The Morrisons fought back by raiding the MacAulays. The MacAulays asked their allies, the Clan MacLeod of Lewis, for help. The Morrisons were badly defeated. A strong force of MacAulays and MacLeods then attacked the Morrison lands. The Morrison chief was captured. He escaped, but the MacLeods convinced the king to declare him an outlaw. This meant anyone could harm him. In desperation, the chief kidnapped one of the MacLeod heiresses. He agreed to release her if he received a royal pardon. The girl was released safely.
The fighting continued with the next chief, Uisdean. He attacked north Harris. Again, the Clan MacLeod of Lewis stepped in. It's said that Uisdean was the only Morrison to survive the battle, swimming over two miles to the mainland even though he was badly hurt.
Last Big Clan Battle
Local stories say the last major clan battle between the Macaulays and Morrisons happened in 1654 on Lewis. The fight supposedly started when Macaulays stole cattle from Ness Morrisons. The two sides met in battle at Barvas. We don't know how many people died, but tradition says they were buried there.
It's thought that the brieves (judges) didn't have much power after about 1595. The last Lewis brieve mentioned was 'Donald MacIndowie Brieff'.
Modern Clan Morrison
In 1965, the Lord Lyon King of Arms said there were no direct descendants of the old Lewis Morrison chiefs. So, he recognized Dr. John Morrison of Ruchdi as the main chief for all Morrisons. Dr. John Morrison of Ruchdi could trace his family back about twelve generations, to the Morrisons of Dun Pabbay on Tarbert of Harris.
The Clan Morrison Society, started in 1909, bought Dùn Èistean (an old Morrison stronghold). They then gave ownership to John Morrison, the great-grandfather of the current chief.
The current clan chief is R. Alasdair Morrison. He became chief on November 7, 2020, after his father passed away.
Clan Symbols
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Clan Morrison members wear a special crest badge. It has the chief's heraldic crest and motto. Wearing this badge shows you support your clan chief. The chief's motto is TEAGHLACH PHABBAY, which means "Pabbay family" in Gaelic. This motto refers to the chief's family coming from the Morrisons of Ruchdi, who are linked to the Morrisons of Dun Pabbay on Harris.
The chief's crest shows a hand holding a dagger coming out of a wall on a green hill, with waves below. The plant badge of Clan Morrison is driftwood.
There are several tartan patterns for the Morrison name. Clan Morrison has an official clan tartan. This tartan was officially recognized in 1968. It's based on a pattern found in 1935, wrapped around an old Morrison family bible on Lewis. A note with the tartan was dated 1745.
The Clan Morrison Society (of Scotland) also has a tartan, which is a variation of the Mackay tartan. They chose this because of a historical connection between Morrisons and Mackays. This link comes from a marriage where the bride's dowry included the lands of Durness. Sixty Morrison families then moved there in the 1600s.
Tartans
| Tartan image | The red tartan was recognized as the true tartan of clan Morrison by lord Lyon in the 1960s |
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See also
- Dùn Èistean, an old stronghold of the Morrisons of Lewis
- Isle of Lewis, the traditional island home of Clan Morrison
- Ness, a traditional home of Clan Morrison
- Durness, a Highland home for some Morrisons
- Clan Mackay, traditional allies of Clan Morrison
- Clan Macleod of the Lewes, a dominant clan on Lewis before the 1600s
- Clan Mackenzie, traditional allies of Clan Morrison
- MacAulays of Lewis, a rival clan on Lewis
- Pabbay, Harris, a traditional home of Clan Morrison
- Morrison (surname), people with the last name Morrison
