Scotland
Maybole Castle, Carrick, Ayrshire
For many centuries, Muircheartaigh
families have been found concentrated in Ayrshire where they
were often living on Kennedy lands and were allied with branches
of that family. The Muircheartaigh were also based on Isle of
Bute, having been part of the Gaelic settlement from Ireland.
MacMurtrie and its variant MacCurdy are septs of the Stuarts of
Bute.
Early variants of Muircheartaigh
include MacMurhyrtay, MacMurarty, MacMurquirtid, MacMurchad,
MacMurchercaid, MacMuerchyay, MacMurcheartahy, MacMuryrty,
McMurche, McMurquhy, Makwartie, Makvreirdy, MakMuryte, Makilwedy,
Makwerich, Makweriche, MacMorich, Makoreirdy, Makwarraty,
MakWeraith, Makvararthie, MakMurtrie, MakQuharrycht, Makwrarty,
McMurtre, McMurthre, MakMurthet, MakMurarty, Makwearthe,
Makilveritie, MakWearthe, M'Mowtrie, M'Moortry, M'Mootry,
M'Murtry.
Ulster Ancestry says "MacCurdy is common on the islands of
Arran and Bute, where it is a variant of MacMurtrie, a sept of
Clan Stuart of Bute.”
Ayrshire
In western Ayrshire we find Goidelic
or Q-Celtic MacMurtries who likely settled there from Ireland,
while in eastern Ayrshire we find MacMurtrie families whose DNA
suggests they are P-Celtic or Brythonic akin to the Strathclyde
British or Welsh.
George
Black, author of
The Surnames of Scotland,
notes that Gilbert Makmurtye was
witness in Edinburgh to a 1508 charter between Sir John Kennedy of Blairquhan to John Stewart of Ardgowan.
Kennedy was from Maybole in Ayrshire while Stewart's lands were
in nearby Renfrewshire.
Gilbert Kennedy of Balmaclanachan transferred his estate to his
son George on 28 June 1538. Mentioned in this estate is Robert Makmurtre,
who is listed as occupying the farm of
Balleballoch in Barr Parish, Ayrshire, lands owned by Kennedy.
Gilbert Kennedy died in 1547 at the Battle of Fawside.
John
Waus of Barnbarroch was also killed at the Battle of Fawside.
The following year we have John and Matthew McMurthre living in
Longcastle, Wigtownshire, and witnessing the 1548 infeft (land
transfer) of the Barnbarroch estate to his son Sir Patrick Waus
(later Lord Barnbarroch).
1562
we find Robert McMurchee (or MakMurthet) living in Ballballoch,
Barr Parish, on lands belonging to George Kennedy of
Balmachlanochan.
Thomas McMurtrie of Culzean, Ayrshire died in 1592 not far from
the village of Kirkoswald and left a will. His son Gilbert
McMurtrie also of Culzean, died in 1615
By
the time regular record keeping began in the 1600s, most
McMurtries seem to have been living not far from the coast of
Southwest Ayrshire in the parishes of Kirkmichael, Kirkoswald, Maybole,
Straiton, Barr, Dailly, and Girvan.
By
the 1700s, they were also in the Ayr Burgh area (Newton-on-Ayr,
Alloway, and St Quivox), Dalmellington, and Kilmarnock. By the
mid-1700s, they had appeared in Glasgow and Falkirk; by the last
quarter of the century, a family or two had found their way to
areas north of Glasgow (New Kilpatrick), west (Paisley), and
further west to Port Glasgow. In Edinburgh, though we see some
McMowtries and McMouttreys in the late 1600s and mid-1700s, it
is not til the early to mid 1800s that we see McMurtries in
Edinburgh and nearby Inverkeithing.
In Wigtonshire, south of Ayrshire, there are a few isolated
families (in Old Luce and Glenluce) in the mid-1700s, but it is
not til around the turn of the century that we see an increase
in McMurtries. Prior to 1798, an Andrew McMurtrie born in
Colmonell in 1769, married in Stranraer, in Wigtonshire. And
around 1807, a John and Robert McMurtrie who had been living in
Co Down, Ireland moved back to Scotland and settled in Inch
Parish, and then Glenluce Parish.
In the early 1800s, a number of families moved to Glasgow - some
remaining and others returning to Ayrshire. Also, a number of
families moved to England - again, some remaining there and
others returning to Scotland. Still others used their moves as
a stepping stone to larger moves - to Australia, New Zealand and
the United States.
Current Distribution of McMurtries in Scotland
Inspection of birth records during the past 30 to 40 years
suggests that family growth has shifted to the Glasgow area,
though significant numbers of births still occur in Ayrshire.
Telephone books indicate that the 118 entries currently listed
have their largest concentration of McMurtries in Glasgow, with
Ayrshire a close second, and with a fair number in the Edinburgh
area.
Though the names and addresses of present day McMurtries is
known, it is not known how all these family members are related
to the well-charted families of the early and mid-1800s. This
is a project that would be interesting to complete.
Major Scottish Families
There are over 50 Scottish families that can trace their
ancestry back to the 1700s. Of these, 28 are major families
with several generations and at least two branches and 3 are
very large families with over 100 descendants. In the
MacMurtrie Clan Family Records, these families sharing a common
ancestor are called Clan Families and given a Clan Family (CF)
number to identify them.
The largest families are generally those who left Scotland and
went to Australia, New Zealand, England or America. However,
there are several families who remained in Scotland and who have
descendants there today:
Kirkmichael McMurtries
Andrew McMurtrie (CF 12) married Janet McKail in Kirkmichael in
1795 and had their first children in Guiltreehill, near Lake
Barnshean in northern Kirkmichael. He is probably one of two
Andrew-s born in 1771 – either son of Hugh of Ladyburn south of
Crosshill or son of John of Pleasant Park (location unknown).
One of Andrew and Janet’s sons was David McMurtrie, born in
Kirkmichael in 1800, married Margaret Reid in 1823 and died in
Ayr in 1867. One of David's sons, also named David, went to
England, married Hannah Bailie there, had his first child there,
but returned to Ayr where the remainder of his children were
born and where descendants lived until just recently. David's
brother John was born in 1836, married Elizabeth Forsyth 1869 in
Ayr, and died in Ayr in 1896. John's grandson Thomas still
lives in Ayr.
Another Kirkmichael family was headed by John McMurtrie, (CF
28) born 1773, married to Jean Baird in Kirkmichael in 1796, and
died in 1803. His grandson was the Very Rev. John McMurtrie
(1831-1912), a leader of the Presbyterian Church. We believe
that he was descended from the family of John and Agnes Telfair/Telfer
who lived in Straiton Parish, just to the east of Kirkmichael,
in the 1760s and 1770s.
Yet another family from this parish was headed by Hugh McMurtrie
(CF 21), a weaver, and Agnes Rowand. Their son Hugh was born in
Kirkmichael in 1785, married Margaret Currie, raised a family
there, but died in Riccarton in 1861. Many of the descendants
live in Kilmarnock and Hurlford. Their son John McM (CF 43)
married Janet Dick of Balminnock, Straiton, lived variously in
Kirkmichael. One branch went to New York, Wisconsin and
Nebraska; another to Ireland and Sydney, Australia. Their son
James had descendants who went to England.
McMurtries of Dailly
One of the largest of the Scottish families had its origins in
Dailly where Thomas McMurtrie (CF 22/32) of Mackrikill married
Margaret McMurtrie in 1720 (not to be confused with the Thomas
McMurtrie who married Jean Greer in 1715_. Thomas' grandson
William b 1766 md 1798 Dailly to Jean McFedreis. Descendants in
the mid to late 1800s lived in Irvine, Inverness and Dailly.
Another of Thomas' grandsons, John McMurtrie, moved to Aidrie,
east of Glasgow. Some of John’s descendants moved to Australia
where they operated a large boot factory; others who stayed in
the Glasgow area spelled the name McMutrie.
McMurtries of New Kilpatrick, Dumbartonshire
Thomas McMurtrie (CF 24), a gardener, married Elizabeth Gardner
in 1781 in New Kilpatrick, Dumbartonshire. Thomas' descendants
live in New Kilpatrick, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
There was also a family of McMurtrys who lived in Cardross,
Dumbartonshire from the 1690s until the 1780s and then went to
Co Antrim in northern Ireland. Descendants went the Canada,
southern Ireland, and South Africa. Relationship to Thomas of
CF 24 is unknown.
McMurtries of Dreghorn
Andrew McMurtrie (CF 27) married Janet Caldwell in 1807 in St
Quivox. His son John (1810-1879), married Margaret Campbell
and died in Dreghorn. Andrew had grandchildren living in
Dreghorn and Irvine in the late 1800s.
McMurtries of Barr, Colmonell and Girvan
One of the oldest McMurtrie families is headed by William
McMurtrie (CF 1) born in 1690 in Barr Parish. One branch moved
to Kirkmichael, then on to Glasgow; another moved to Girvan and
descendants scattered to Australia, Canada, and the USA.
McMurtries of Maybole
Thomas McMurtrie (CF 16), born about 1767, married Janet
Murdock. They went to Paisley near Glasgow briefly in 1793 and
had a son Thomas, born in 1802. This Thomas married Elizabeth
Campbell in Kilmarnock in 1828. One branch of the family
settled in Glasgow.
Another Thomas McMurtrie (CF 7), a weaver, born in 1747, married
Margaret Gemmel,lived in Ladycross, Weaver Vennell. Some
children moved from Maybole to Ayr in the early 1800s.
Descendants still live there, as well as in Glasgow, Aberdalgie,
and Dundee.
James McMurtrie (CF 42) married Margaret McLatchie about 1780
and lived in Doonside and Blairston several miles north of
Maybole on the Dalrymple border. One son, James McMurtrie, born
in 1796, married Jean Black in 1830 in Dundonald. Descendants
live in Rhu, Irvine, Cathcart.
James McMurtrie (CF 39) a tailor married Jane Johnstone in
1800. Descendants live in Glasgow and in England.
James McMurtrie (CF 9) weaver of Redbrae, just to the north of
Maybole, md Margaret McClure about 1793. Descendants live in
Glasgow area.
McMurtries of Inch
Around 1800, two brothers, Robert and John McMurtrie returned
to Scotland from Co. Down, Ireland and settled in Inch Parish,
Wigtonshire and then Glenluce Parish. Descendants lived in
Dumfries and Dalbeattie and Irvine.
McMurtries of Kilmarnock and Edinburgh
Thomas McMurtrie and Margaret Gibson had a son Thomas in 1798 in
Galston, near Kilmarnock. Thomas married in 1826 in St
Cuthberts to Elizabeth Hunter and had large family that mostly
still lives in Edinburgh.
McMurtries of Kirkoswald
Alexander McMurtrie (CF 37), son of Matthew McMurtrie, was born
about 1754 in Kirkoswald, and married Sarah Davidson. Their son
James (1790-1856) married Janet Dow in 1817. One branch had a
sojourn in Wales before returning to Scotland and settling in
Govan and Dalbeattie.
McMurtries of Dalmellington
William McMurtrie (CF 19) had a son David (CF 113) who migrated
to America by 1752 and a nephew who did the same a few years
later. Descendants lived in Philadelphia and Huntingdon
Pennsylvania. William’s grandson Duncan remained in Scotland.
One branch of his descendants went to Australia by 1837 and
included a Lord Mayor of Melbourne; another branch went to
Pennsylvania; another to Illinois.
McMurtries of Craigie and Sorn
John McMurtrie (CF 23) married in Coylton in 1766 to Agnes
Graham. Descendants lived in Craigie and Sorn and then
Kilmarnock. Some came to Rhode Island and Massachusetts in the
late 1800s; others removed to Aberdeen, Scotland.
A full description of the Scottish families will be contained
in a much larger booklet to be prepared at a later date. There
are also more in depth discussions of the Maybole, Kirkmichael,
Dalrympe, Dailly McMurtries in other files on the MCFR website.
There are also detailed descendancy lists of all 58 Scottish
families on the website.
For
much more history, please visit the McMurtrie | McMurtry Clan
Family Records