Hi Frank & Fellow listers I have not been active on the Argyll track for a while as I have been searching other areas. I was very interested in your explanation regarding the CURRIES, as I have some documents, which were sent to my Aunt (not sure who by) of which I have copies. My Maiden name is McMurrich, which I understand at some time were a Clan in their own right. I also believe that the origin of the name may have come from the Mhuirichs, the former may also have prior connections with the MacPhersons and had broken away after offending their chief. The names also appear as MacMureach and McVurich. The Curries as you say dropped the Mac and took on the anglicised verson, I also understand that the The Clan Currie were anciently, the Clan Mac Mhuirich. What you say does support a great deal of the information which makes it all the more interesting. I have spent a good deal of time finding ancestors of the McMurrich family, without really concentrating on the origin of the name itself. Regards Lynda ----- Original Message ----- From: <Wflbigwood@aol.com> To: <SCT-ARGYLL-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, November 06, 2002 8:37 PM Subject: [ARGYLL] Re: SCT-ARGYLL-D Digest V02 #179 Margaret in Toronto "Martyn" is correct up to a point. In the 18th century and early 19th century the name is quite often found as McCurry which was then reduced to Curry. (The loss of Mac is very common in names in Argyll). You should also know that the name is also became McMurchy or McMurchie in Kintyre, although that name elsewhere derives from MacMhurchaidh and not MacMhuirich. (mh represents the sound v in Gaelic). However, you are also correct in that the MacPhersons of Badenoch were known as Clann Mhuirich. Be warned that one must be very careful when dealing with Gaelic names a) because a common clan name may hide a variety of names which were used for particular parts of the clan or for different individuals in it - for example the many different names which are used for the various branches of the Campbells (Mac Cailein Mór - the Duke of Argyll, Mac Dhonnchaidh - Campbell of Inverawe, Mac Iomhair - Campbell of Asknish etc.) ; and b) because the same name in Gaelic could have several different equivalents when used in English and the same form used in English could represent several quite different Gaelic names. Frank Bigwood ==== SCT-ARGYLL Mailing List ==== ***************************************************************** http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/Scotland/Argyll is the GenConnect board for Argyll