Шотландиялық Моррисон тайпасы

Scottish clan

Clan Morrison is a Scottish clan. The Highland Clan Morrison is traditionally associated with the Isle of Lewis and Harris (Leòdhas) around Ness (Nis), Dun Pabbay, and Barvas (Barabhas), lands in Sutherland around Durness, and in North Uist. There are numerous Scottish clans, both Highland and Lowland, which use the surname Morison or Morrison. In 1965, the Lord Lyon King of Arms decided to recognise one man as chief of all Morrisons, whether their clans were related or not.

The Morrison clan centred on the Isle of Lewis derived their surname from MacGilleMhoire, a name said to mean "son of a servant of Mary". ("Mhic" meaning son, "Gille" meaning servant and "Mhoire" meaning Mary). In time this Gaelic surname was Anglicised as Morrison. The chiefs of the clan were the Morrisons of Habost and Barvas, 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. 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.

A group of the bardic Ó Muirgheasáin clan settled on the isle of Harris around 1600 under the service of the MacLeods of Harris and Dunvegan. At around this time, the file Ó Muirgheasáin replaced the bard Mac Gille Riabhaich, to the MacLeods of Harris and Dunvegan. The Ó Muirgheasáins ultimately had roots in the north of Ireland, within "O'Neill's country". The Irish Gaelic 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". This personal name is a variant of Maurice, and was quite popular in the Middle Ages. The mainland Morrisons descend from a Norman named Maurice. The senior line of the mainland Morrisons were the Morrisons of Bognie Castle in Aberdeenshire. The Morrisons of Perth and Lennox derive their surname in this way. Within the north east of Scotland, the Morisons of Bognie, in Aberdeenshire, are the principal 'Morrison' family. Until the last century, this family was the principal armigerous 'Morrison' family. The family first gained the Bognie estate in the first part of the 17th century. The coats of arms of the Morisons of Dersay (or Darcie), in Fife; 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. 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 who had been held hostage.

In the late 17th century, the origin of the clan was documented within an historical account of Lewis written by John Morrison of Bragar, '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 first and most antient Inhabitants of this Countrie were three men of three severall races viz. Mores the son of Kenannus whom the Irish historiance call Makurich whom they make to be [[illegitimate

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.

The first Morrison on record is Hutcheon (Scottish Gaelic: Ùisdean), a contemporary of Rory MacLeod, the last chief of Clan MacLeod of Lewis. Hutcheon held the hereditary office of brieve, on Lewis. According to tradition, Ay Mac Hormaid (Aodh Mac Thormoid) married a daughter (or sister) of the Bishop of Caithness, 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. One location, said to have been the battle site is Druim nan Carnan ("the ridge of the cairns"), near Barvas. 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 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. The Clan Morrison Society, which was established in 1909, bought Dùn Èistean and transferred ownership to John Morrison (great grandfather of the current chief). 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.