Clan Muir/Clan Moore

Clan Muir or Clan Moore is a lowland Scottish Clan originating in the East Ayrshire district of Scotland.  The surname muir in Scotland possibly derived from the Gaelic term mòr which means “of great size” and may refer to a person of great importance.   The origin of the clan is believed to originate  as far back as 374 AD when Fergus Mor of Ireland invaded Scotland and defeated the Romans becoming the first King of Dalriada, which would eventually be one of the kingdoms that would merge to form Scotland.  In 1371 the Mures of Rowallan become the prominent line of the family when Gilcrest Mure married the daughter of Sir Walter Cumyn and Rowallan Castle became the seat of the clan.  The surname mor is believed to mean a person of great size or a great man of considerable personality.

The motto of the clan is Durum patientia frango which translates into “By patience I break what is hard” and the clan crest features A savage head couped Proper.

The Historic seat of the clan is Rowallan Castle located on the banks of the Carmel Water in Kilmaurs, East Ayrshire, Scotland.  The castle is believed to date back as far as the 13th century and the southern front of the castle was constructed in 1562 by John Mure of Rowallan.   The castle was believed to have been built by the Comyn clan and was acquired by the Mure’s through the marriage.   In the early 18th century the castle fell out of control of the Muir’s after David Boyle, the Earl of Glasgow obtained the castle through marriage.  The castle was eventually purchased by the Corbett family in the 20th century and restored by famous architect Sir Robert Lorimer.  The castle now serves as an event venue with a golf course recently built on the property.

The last chief of Clan Mure, William Mure of Rowallan, died in 1700 leaving no male heir.  William had three daughters Anna, Margaret and Jean.  Jean Mure was William’s only daughter to survive till marriage.  Jane’s grandson James Mure Campbell inherited the estate of Rowallan in the seventeen hundreds.

In 1999 the Clan Muir Society of North America was formed with the goal of “the promotion of clan spirit through sharing and education”.  The clan organization currently claims to have over 300 members throughout the world.