Andrew Murray and William Wallace

As published in the Pine Tree Highlander:

Andrew Murray and William Wallace
Co-Commanders at the Battle of Stirling
Dianne Bergstedt FSA Scot
Historian, St. Andrews Society of Maine

Andrew Murray, also known as Andrew Moray, was born about 1270 into one of Scotland’s most powerful families. As the oldest son of Sir Andrew Moray of Petty, he had the advantages of family connections to the most powerful Scottish families. Andrew’s education included instruction in military strategy to prepare him for his place in the knighthood.

Sir Andrew Murray

In April 1296, Andrew Murray was part of the Scottish army defeated by Edward I’s forces near Dunbar. After the battle, Sir Andrew Murray, Andrew’s father, was captured by the English and was locked up in The Tower of London. Rather than imprisoning Andrew in London, he was held captive at Chester Castle, from which he escaped.

After his escape, he returned to Avoch, his father’s castle, overlooking the Firth of Moray and where he built forces in opposition to Edward I. He attacked many of the main castles in Moray including laying siege to Urquhart Castle. While most of these actions were not considered momentous, a few of them certainly caught the attention of Edward. In one incident, Andrew attacked and killed several soldiers of Sir William fitz Warin, Constable of Urquhart Castle, as he was returning from a meeting with Sir Reginald Cheyne – Edward’s main supporter in Moray. Upon receiving the report of this attack, Edward I directed several Scottish notables, including John Comyn, the Earl of Buchan, to deal with Andrew Murray – Andrew was the stepson of Euphemia Comyn. Using his connections to the Comyn family through Euphemia, Andrew managed to ‘escape’ to the wilds of Moray and avoided capture by Edwards‘ men. The King’s men decided not to pursue him in this area; it is worth noting that all of Andrew’s pursuers had intimate knowledge of the land in Moray, but used the rough terrain as an excuse for inaction. Some say that the Scottish nobility tacitly supported Andrew and supplied him with cash, weapons, and horses.

During the autumn of 1297, Andrew Murray and William Wallace joined their 2 armies at the Battle of Stirling. Andrew was one of the few soldiers from the Wallace/Murray army who died during the battle. Many say that Andrew was merely wounded; historians have found 2 letters sent by William Wallace after Stirling that bear both the Murray seal and Wallace’s seal. The first letter was sent from Haddington on 11 October to the mayors of Lübeck and Hamburg, two of the towns of the Hanseatic League, by "Andrew de Moray and William Wallace, leaders of the kingdom of Scotland and the community of the realm." The second was issued to the Prior of Hexham on 7 November by: "Andrew de Moray and William Wallace, the leaders of the army and of the realm of Scotland." Since the name of Andrew Moray does not appear on any other later document, it is deduced that he must have succumbed to his wounds around this time. But the importance of these letters is undermined by the lack of any mention in English or Scottish chronicle-sources of Moray's presence at Hexham during the invasion of northern England when this latter letter was issued. Walter Guisborough's chronicle, which contains a detailed account of this invasion, makes it clear that it was led by William Wallace; he makes no mention of Moray.

Stirling Bridge

It has been suggested that Wallace needed to issue documents jointly in the name of his deceased co-commander until such time as he was able to consolidate his position as Guardian of Scotland. Willam Wallace, as a former outlaw, was vulnerable to the machinations of Scotland’s politically elite. He needed the protection offered by Andrew Murray’s name and influence, even after death, to keep his position secure.

A few months after his death, Andrew Murray’s widow gave birth to a son, also named Andrew. This child would rise to the lordships of Petty and Bothwell and play a crucial part in resisting the efforts of Edward III to control Scotland. He would be entrusted twice by King David II, the son of King Robert I, to lead and protect the realm in the King’s absence. Like his father, he would be a gifted military strategist and leader, and, like his father, he would die too young in the defense of his beloved Scotland.

Clan Murray Badge

Clan Murray is the Honored Clan for the 2008 Maine Highland Games.

Slainte,

Dianne

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Scottish Trivia

A Scot, James Watt, developed the first efficient steam engine and in so doing started the Industrial Revolution.

A Scot, John Logie Baird, invented the Television.

A Scot, John Napier, invented logarithms and the decimal notation.

A Scot, Kirkpatrick Macmillan, invented the bicycle.

A Scot, John Paul Jones, founded the American Navy.

A Scot, Alexander Fleming, discovered Penicillin.

A Scot, William Paterson, founded the Bank of England.

A Scot, Alexander Graham Bell, invented the telephone.

A Scot, John Chalmers, invented the adhesive postage stamp.

A Scot, John Boyd Dunlop, invented the car tire.

A Scot, Captain Patrick Ferguson, invented the breech loading rifle (the Ferguson Rifle).

A Scot, Sir John Alexander Macdonald, was the first Prime Minister of Canada under confederation.

A Scot, Thomas Blake Glover, was one of the founding fathers of modern Japan.

A Scot, Henry Faulds pioneered the use of fingerprints as means of undisputed identity of people.

A Scot, Robert Stirling, invented the Stirling engine in 1850. Stirling engines are being studied at NASA for use in powering space vehicles with solar energy!


The Scots invented Golf.


“History credits the Rev. Elijah Craig, a Baptist minister, with being the first in 1789 to make bourbon.” He was a Scotsman. Kentucky is the place for bourbon because of the limestone which makes the water almost iron-free. “The first bourbon recognized by brand outside of Kentucky probably was produced by Dr. James Crow...a Scotsman who settled near the Rev. Craig’s place.” He was known by the locals as Jim Crow.

The Scottish-American Hall of Fame contains more plaques for the military than any other category. Twenty-one men are installed including Daniel Boone who is listed as an “Indian Fighter.”

The list is as follows:

George Rogers Clark, Frontier hero of the Revolutionary War

Stonewall Jackson

Joseph E. Johnston

Henry Knox, (Maine)

Arthur MacArthur, army general, father of Douglas MacArthur

George B. McClellan

Alexander Macomb, general and hero of the War of 1812

George S. Patton, WWII exponent of mobile warfare

J.E.B. Stuart, Confederate cavalry general

Christopher “Kit” Carson, frontiersman and explorer

William Clark, explorer with Merriwether Lewis

Davy Crockett, frontiers-man who died at the Alamo

Two individuals are listed under the category of “Naval.” They are David Glasgow Farragut, Civil War naval hero, and John Paul Jones, Revolutionary War naval hero

Scottish Freemasonry is now officially recognised as being the oldest in the world and is now recorded as a Guinness World Record.

Scotsman Albert Thurston invented modern suspenders.

Although the Scots comprise less than one-half of 1 percent of the world’s population, 11 percent of all Nobel prizes have been awarded to Scotsmen. Quote from "The Mark of the Scots" by Duncan A Bruce.

The world’s first university faculty of engineering and technical science was in Glasgow.

67 US Politicians were born in Scotland that we know of.

There are estimated to be 20,000 Americans living in Scotland and half a million visit each year.

It is estimated that 15% of Canadians are of Scots descent.

Scotland invented branch banking and so brought banking facilities to the people and the world.

Scots emigres to the US are five times more likely to become dollar millionaires than those from any other country, according to a study of wealth. Thomas Stanley and William Danko, in their book The Millionaire Next Door, analysed the ethnic backgrounds of the wealthiest members of US society and discovered that while people of Scottish origin make up 1.7% of the population, they comprise 9.3% of its millionaires.


Slainte,
Dianne

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Dr. Livingstone, I presume?

The Scottish explorer and pioneer medical missionary, David Livingstone, died on April 30, 1873 in Africa. (Some sources cite the date of death as May 1, but I obtained my information from the BBC Scotland in History , and I figure they would know best).

He was born on March 19, 1813, in the mill town of Blantyre, Lanarkshire, Scotland, into a Protestant family. He was trained as a medical missionary.

His work with the London Missionary Society fueled a British obsession for exploring central Africa and laid groundwork for the discovery of the source of the Nile river. He was the first European to see the famous Victoria Falls in southern Africa.

Livingstone's first assignment by the LMS began in 1841 in South Africa. From 1841 to 1856, he traveled extensively throughout southern and central Africa, becoming one of the few Westerners to make a transcontinental journey across Africa. By all accounts he was a successful representative of the LMS; he understood the ways of the village chiefs and did not force Christianity on them; he preached a Christian message, but let people come to Christianity in their own time.

In 1857, Livingstone, feeling that he had a higher calling as an explorer rather than as a missionary, resigned from the London Missionary Society. Funded by the British government, he returned to Africa as head of the Zambezi Expedition to examine the natural resources of southeastern Africa. This disastrous expedition lasted until 1864.

Sometime in the mid 1860's, Livingstone completely lost contact with the outside world. Interest in his adventures had kept him in the American newspapers and in 1869 the owners of The New York Herald hired Henry Morton Stanley to find Livingstone.

Stanley found Livingstone on November 10, 1871, in a village on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. On August 10, 1872, the editorial of the New York Herald read "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?"

For more information on David Livingstone click here.

Slainte,
Dianne

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