Tartan for Me, Reliability?

[McElmurry]

I don't know what you based your own conclusions on, but they're probably as acurate as anything else.

My conclusion is based on a preponderance of evidence as I have come to a dead end at John McElmurry, Senior in Southern Illinois prior to the Revolution (Illinois was a French colony at the time).

By Ulster Irish tradition Mac Giolla Mhuire is of the race O’Morna and is referenced as early as 1276. Over time the name was anglicized to various degrees as McGilmurry, McElmurry and Gilmore, to name a few. The name appears in several Irish books of surnames including those by John O’Hart, Edward MacLysaght, Capt. Patrick Kelly, and Patrick Woulfe. Several interesting tales of these folks can be found on the internet two of which involve burning churches in Derry and Carrickfergus.

However, my Grandfather described the family as Scots-Irish and by the time they arrived in Arkansas they were Methodist. John Senior was noted for his red hair but both he and his son married Native Americans which I presume would suppress that characteristic although the women could have been part French or Scot for that matter. The red hair returned in my grandfather whose mother was a McCollum.

My best hypothesis for the origin of the Scots-Irish moniker is they migrated from County Down to the west coast of Scotland and then back to Ulster before coming to the colonies. The Morrison DNA project has placed Gilmures (subgroup N1 which include McElmurry) on the west coast of Scotland in Renfrewshire. Another interesting genetic tidbit is Duane McElmurry, author of The McElmurry Genealogy, suffered from Dupuytren’s contracture.

My understanding is the Morrison Clan is a kind of a big tent which includes the entire name Morrison regardless of origin (per the Lord Lyon). McElmurry may not be directly related to the Lewis or Harris Sons of the Servants of Mary but would be included based on a similar origin of the name and may in fact share some genetic similarities (particularly Norse influence) with their cousins (?) from the Outer Hebrides.

So I had pretty much decided Morrison was the best fit until I found this reference to Murray.

I've heard McElmurray as a name under Clan Morrison, son of the servant of Mary.

Thanks for the information. Things can get a little muddled by the time they reach the west coast and it is nice to get an east coast perspective.