ALL antiquaries are agreed, that the common ancestor of this most noble and far spread family of the Murrays, derive themselves from one FRISKINUS, a gentleman of note and figure in the reign of King David I. who came to the throne on the deInise of his brother, King Alexander I. anno 1122. No body can pretend, with any kind of certainty, to trace his origin, or to show his descent; but it may be conjectured that he was one of those Saxon nobles, who, with Cospatrick and Arkil, the true and genuine ancestors of the great families of the Earls of Dunbar and Lennox, filed to Scotland, upon the conquest of England, or a little after, and were graciously received, and rewarded suitably to their birth and merit, with lands and territories, and from whence they or their immediate successors assumed surnames: however, so much is most certain, that this Friskinus, from an authentic voucher, of no less authority than a charter under the Great Seal of King William the Lion, held of the crown in the time of King David his grandfather, the lands of Strathbrock, in Linlithgowshire; the lands of Dufflus, Rossile, &c. in the shire of Murray; he had two sons as plain as a demonstration, William and Hugh; who are both designed patronimically, Willielmus filius Friskini, & Hugo filius Friskini, who is certainly the ancestor of the family of Sutherland, as is plainly vouched from the chartulary of the episcopal see of Murray, in the lawyers library; William the son of Friskin, designed only by the christian a The original charter is in the possession of the Earl of Buchan. b From a voucher in the Chartulary of Murray, by Robert, Bishop of St. Andrew's name of his father, Willielmus filius Friskini, gets from King William a charter of the lands of Strabrock, Duffus, Rossile, Inchikel, Macher, and Kintrai: "quas terras pater suus Friskin tenuit tempore regis David avi mei," says the King. The charter has no precise date, but it must be betwixt the years 1168 and 1171; for Felix, Bishop of Murray, is a witness to the King's deed; in the year 1168, he was promoted to the episcopal see of Murray, and died in that office, 1171.e This William, the son of Friskin, Willielmus filius Friskini, as he designs himself, seems to have been a very considerable man in the court of King Malcolm IV. He is witness to the charter of that King to Baldwin-Frandense, of the lands of Innes; and is witness to the charter granted by King William, of the lands of Burgin to the Abbey of Kinloss. WILLIAM, the third of the line, his son, is the first that assumed the surname de Morravia, for he is designed Willielmus de Morravia, filius Willielmi filii Friskini, in a deed, whereby he gives in pure and perpetual alms, "Deo et Ecclesæ sanctæ Trinitatis de Spiny, et collegio canonicorum ibidem Deo servientium ecclesiam de Artendol, cum pertinentis suis coram Hugone fratre meo." The reason I apprehend why he assumed the surname de Morravia from the country of Murray, was, because he had a great estate and vast possessions, and had his residence at Duffus there. HUGO DE MORRAVIA was his eldest son; for in the Chartulary of the see of Murray there is an agreement betwixt Archibald, Bishop of Murray, and Walter de Morravia, filius quondam domini Hugonis de Morravia, of a part of the wood and muir of Spiny, which his father had from Brunus, Bishop of Murray, qui ducit ad Castellum de Duffus in 1226. This Walter de Morravia and Dominus de Duffus, had for certain FRISKIN DE MORRAVIA Dominus de Duffus his son, who is so designed in an agreement about the abounding of lands with the Bishop of Murray in 1248; he had no male issue, and his estate, both in the South and in the West came to his two daughters, who were coheirs; Hellen, who was married to Sir Reginald le Chien; and Christian, to William de Feddereth. This Sir Friskin de Morravia is witness, together with Sir Malcolm de Morravia, in a charter granted by Malise, Earl Strathern, to Annabella, his sister, of the lands of Kincardine, which is confirmed by King Alex e Chronicle de Melross. VOL. V. d Chartulary of Murray. T • Ibid. ander II. at Selkirk, the 28th of June, the twenty-second year of the King's reign, that is, the year of our Lord 1223. This Sir MALCOLM Murray, is by some thought to be brother to this Sir Friskin Murray of Duffus, witnessing the Earl of Strathern's charter with him. Others again think he was uncle to this Sir Friskin, son to Sir William de Morravia of Duffus; however this be, he is very early branched from the stem, and is uncontrovertibly the original ancestor of the most noble and illustrious family of the MURRAYS OF TILLIBARdine. He for certain had a considerable estate in the county of Perth; for in the 36th of Alexander III. he, Dominus Malcolmus de Morravia, Miles, Vicecomes de Perth, is witness to a charter granted by Malesius Comes de Strathern, Domino Malcolmo de Logie filio quondam Domini Malesii Senescalli de Strathern de terris de Catintulloch; to the charter, Alexander Comes de Buchan justitia. rius Scotia is a witness. In an account of the family drawn up in the year 1600, Sir MALCOLM de Morravia (the certain and uncontroverted ancestor of the House of Tillibardine), is mentioned to have got the lands of Gask and others, in the county of Perth, by marrying the daughter and hejr of Sir Gilbert de Gask. Sir DAVID Murray, one of the ancestors of the Duke of Atholl, is designed David de Morravia de Gask, in a charter, by Euphemia Comitissa de Strathern, to Luke Stirling, one of the ancestors of the family of Keir, of the lands of Rattern, in the year 1411,5 and he is designed by the title of Gask, by that learned Scottish historian, Dr. John Major, as one of those illustrious persons, who were knighted by King James I. for the greater splendor of his coronation at Perth, anno 1424. As we are certain from undoubted vouchers, that Sir Malcolm Murray had an estate in Perthshire, in the reign of King Alexander II. that he executed the office of High Sheriff there in the reign of King Alexander III. so we are as sure, from unquestionable records and charters in the family, that he gave to Sir William de Morravia his son, "Willielmo de Morravia filio suo terras de Lamabude," by a charter which is in the hands of his Grace the Duke of Atholl," Andreas Episcopus Moravia, Willielmus de Hayie de Locherward & Michael de Weems Militibus, being witness thereto; the charter is without date, as is very usual in the more ancient deeds; f Sir James Balfour's, Lord Lyon's Collections in Bib'. Jurid. but it must be before 1244, when from the Chronicle of Melross, this prelate, Andrew Bishop of Murray, died. This same noble and illustrious person, WILLIELMUS de Moravia miles, filius quondam domini Malcolmi de Moravia militis, got and obtained the lands and estate of Tullibardine, in the county of Perth, by the marriage of Adda, daughter of Malise Senescal de Strathern, by Mauriele his wife, daughter and heir of Congal filius Duncani filii Malcolmi. There is in the custody of his Grace the Duke of Atholl, a charter of King Alexander II. under the Great Seal, ratifying and confirming a former deed and grant by Robertus comes de Strathern, Congal filio Duncani, filio Malcolmi, de illis terris in villa de Cacherlanuch quæ dicitur Tullibardine, and bears date the 3d of April, the twentieth year of the King's reign, that is, the year 1231; to which deed Bishop Bondington of Glasgow, the Chancellor, is a witness. Sir William got also a ratification of the charter of the lands and estate of Tullibardine, from his Lady's brother, Henricus filius quondam domini Malesii Senecalli de Strathern, whereby he confirms for him and his heirs, illam donationem quam domina Mauriela mater mea filia Congal dedit et concessit domino Willielmo de Morravia filio domini Malcolmi de Morravia, et Addæ filiæ dictæ dominæ Mauriele, sororis meæ de Tullibardine, secundum tenorem chartæ quam dictus dominus Willielmus, et Adda soror mea habent de predicta Mauriele matre mea. Apud Duffaly die Martis in Vigilia omnium sanctorum, anno domini millessimo ducentesimo octogessimo quarto. Upon the death of Queen Margaret, the grandchild and heir of King Alexander III. anno 1290, when the competition arose about the right of succession to the crown, betwixt John Baliol and Robert Bruce, the decision and determination whereof was, by both parties, referred to King Edward I. of England; the whole country, as usual upon such occasions, and in like cases, sided and attached themselves to the different rivals; Sir William Murray, of Tullibardine, or Tholibardine, as the record my voucher calls him," took part with John Baliol; and being a person of character and figure, was one of those Barons that went to Berwick, the place of meeting, for giving decision in the point. for supporting the claim, and where he gave his oath of fealty and subjection to King Edward as direct and superior Lord of Scotland; but in this Sir William Murray was not alone, for even the competitors themselves, the very guardians of Scotland, and i Penes Ducem de Atholl. Rymer and Prin. 1 Rymer. indeed all the Scotsmen about him, did the like. The King of England's decision in favour of John Baliol, could not be very agreeable to Sir William Murray, who had so strenuously asserted his preferable right and title, and submitted to him as King, when the crown of Scotland was adjudged to belong to him on the 19th of November 1292.m Two years after this, anno 1294, a war breaking out between England and France, King Edward thinking himself assured of all the assistance the King and kingdom of Scotland could give him, at least he flattered himself so far as to think they would not at once disobey his commandments and baulk bis entreaty, for he made use of both; and on the 29th of June, of the year 1294 aforesaid, he sent from Portsmouth no less than fifteen distinct letters to King John himself, and to others of the first rank and quality in Scotland, and among others, to Sir William Murray, of Tullibardine;" all whom he required upon their allegiance, and entreated as his friends, to come in person, if they possibly could, to London, with their men, horses, and arms, and to be ready on the 1st day of September next, to go over with him to France, in order to assist him in the recovering of his province of Gascony. But by this time the Scotch nation were grown weary of their superior King Edward, and did not like the encroachments he had, by fraud, force, and violence, made upon their constitution and independency; so that his sum. monses by this time were but little regarded; for they did not think themselves bound to keep oaths so violently extorted from them by so eminent an invader of their liberties and independency. What became of Sir William Murray, of Tullibardine, after this, or what part he acted in the calamitous war that soon after ensued, for want of vouchers to direct me, I cannot tell, and at this distance I will not offer any conjecture. I observe from Mr. Rymer's Foedera and Prin's Collections, there were really more gentlemen of the surname of Murray, even at that time, with territorial designations, than of any other family whatsoever; for there is Sir William Murray, of Tullibardine; Sir William Murray, of Drumfargard; and Sir Andrew Murray, of Bothwell; whom I look upon to be all near relations to one another, and of the same blood and kindred. By Dame Adda his wife, aforesaid, Sir William Murray had, ANDREW, his son and heir, who gave in pure and perpetual m Rymer. Rymer's Fœdera Angliæ ad Annum 1294. |