Murray family of Touchadam and Polmaise

'This family has been seated for centuries in the county of Stirling, and is supposed to derive from the noble house of Bothwel.

Its patriarch, Sir William de Moravia, designed of Sanford, joined Robert Bruce in defence of the liberties of his country, but, being taken prisoner by the English, was sent to London in 1306, and remained in captivity there until exchanged after the battle of Bannockburn.

Sir William's son and successor, Sir Andrew de Moravia, obtained from King David Bruce two charters; the first, granting the lands of Kepmad, dated in 1365; and the second, bestowing Tulchadam, Tulchmallar, &c. in 1369. Sir William died temp. Robert II and was succeeded by his son William De Moravia, of Touchadam, living in 1392, in which year he had a charter from King Robert III. He wedded Christian Cunninghame, and was father of Alexander de Moravia, of Touchadam, who, in 1455, upon the resignation of his father, got a charter, from James II. of the lands of Weigateschaw, in the county of Lanark; and Toucliadam, Newark, &c. in the shire of Stirling; all erected into a barony. He m. — Sutherland, and had a son and successor, William Murray, of Touchadam, constable of the castle of Stirling in the reign of James III. This laird acquired, in 1459, the lands of Buchadrock, in Stirlingshire, and in 1462, in a baron court held at Dunipace concerning part of the lands of Herbertshire, of which Wiilliam, earl of Orkney, was superior, Wiilliam Murray, of Touchadam was, by his lordship, appointed judge. Touchadam married a lady named Christian, and had four sons,

I. David, his heir.
II. John, father of John, of Gawamore, successor to his uncle.
III. Herbert.
IV. Patrick.

The eldest son, David Murray, of Touchadam, having no issue, made a resignation of his whole estate to his nephew, John Murray, of Gawamore, captain of the king's guards and lord provost of Edinburgh, who, upon the demise of his uncle about the year 1474, became " of Touchadam," and got a confirmation thereof under the "great seal. This John Murray was a firm and devoted adherent of King James III. After the battle of Stirling, he was deprived of a considerable portion of his estate, and a great number of the old family writs were embezzled and lost. He espoused a daughter of Seaton, of Winton, and had a son and heir, William Murray, of Touchadam, living in 1507, who married Agnes, daughter of John Cockburn, of Ormiston, and was s. at his decease, in 1514, by his son, John Murray, of Touchadam, who had a charter under the great seal, dated 9th June, 1541, of the lands of Sandieholmes, in Lanarkshire. He wedded the Lady Janet Erskine, daughter of Robert, fourth earl of Marr, and had two sons, William and James, by the elder of whom, William Murray, of Touchadam, lie was succeeded.

This laird married Agnes, daughter and co-heir of James Cunninghame, of Polmais, in the county of Stirling, and dying an 1569, left, with a daughter, Agnes, a son and successor, Sir John Murray, of Touchadam and Polmais, who got a charter, dated 26th December 1602, to himself and Jean Cockburn his wife, of several lands in Stirlingshire, containing a new erection, in consideration of the many good services he had himself rendered to the king, as well as of the loyalty so frequently displayed by his great-great-grandfather, John Murray, of Touchadam.

Sir John married. Jean, daughter of John Cockburn, of Ormiston, and was s. by his son. Sir William Murray, of Touchadam and Polmais, who obtained from Charles I. a charter of the lands of Cowie in 1636.

During the conflicts which harassed the reign of that ill-fated prince, Sir William strained every nerve in defence of the royal cause, and, in consequence, suffered severely from the enactments of the adverse party. He was in the engagement of the duke of Hamilton, and in 1654, was emerced by Cromwell in the sum of fifteen hundred pounds. He died shortly after, and left, by Elizabeth his wife, daughter of Sir Alexander Gibson, of Durie, a son and successor, John Murray, of Polmais and Toucha-dam, served heir to his father in January 1655. He married Janet, daughter of Sir John Nisbet, of Dean, lord provost of Edinburgh, and was s. by his son, John Murray, of Touchadam and Polmais, who wedded Anne, daughter of Sir Alexander Gibson, of Durie, one of the senators of the college of justice, and had five sons, viz.

I. John, his heir.
II. William, eventual inheritor.
III. George, who married and had issue.
IV. Adam, M. D. d. s. p.
V. Mungo, who married and had issue.

The eldest son, John Murray, of Touchadam and Polmais, infeft in his father's lifetime, married Lilias, daughter of Stirling, of Keir, and dying in 1716, was s-. by the elder of two sons, John Murray, of Touchadam and Polmais, who dying unm. was s. by his brother, William Murray, of Touchadam and Polmais, at whose decease likewise unm. the estates reverted to his uncle, William Murray, of Touchadam and Polmais, who was served heir to the whole estate in 1729. He married first, Cecilia, dau. of Gibson, of Durie, by whom lie had a son and daughter, who both d. in infancy. He wedded secondly, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Alexander Gibson, bart. of Pentland, and had three sons and one daughter, viz.

I. William, his heir.
II. Alexander, who d. unm.
III. John, who m. Isabella, daughter of Professor Hercules Lindsay, and had issue,

1. John, merchant, of Liverpool, m. Elizabeth, daughter of James Bryce, esq. and has two sons and one daughter.
2. Cecilia, m. to John Russell, esq.
   I. Margaret, m. to the Marchese Abcrambonie.

William Murray d. in 1758, and was s. by his son, William Murray, of Touchadam and Polmais, who tm. first, Margaret, daughter of John Callander, esq. of Craigforth, and by her had a son. William, his heir. He wedded, secondly, Anne, daughter of Lawrence Campbell, esq. of Clathick and Killermont, by whom he had,

John, capt. R. N. deceased.
Archibald, East India company's service, deceased.
Alexander, an advocate, who m. Miss Johnina Wilkinson, of the county of Denbigh.
Anne, married to Robert Bruce, esq. of Kennet. (See vol. ii. page 485).

Mr. Murray espoused, thirdly, Grace, daughter of Alexander Speirs, esq. of Elderslie, and by this lady had one son and three daughters, viz.

1. Peter, died in infancy.
2. Mary, m. to Alexander Speirs, esq. of Culcreuch, in Stirlingshire.
3. Grace.
4. Elizabeth, died an infant.

Polmaise d. in 1814, and was s. by his eldest son, tlie present William Murray, esq. of Polmaise and Touchadam'

Taken from 'A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland, Volume 3', by John Burke

ISAAR(CPF): International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families, International Council on Archives (2nd edition, 2003); Rules for the construction of personal, place and corporate names, National Council on Archives (1997)

Created by Neil Dickson, 23 Mar 2020; added related entries 01 Apr 2020

'The heraldry of the Murrays : with notes on all the males of the family, descriptions of the arms, plates and pedigrees' by Johnston, G. Harvey (George Harvey), 1860-1921

'A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland, Volume 3', by John Burke