I have always thought of a tribe as being a group within a clan. The Murrays you discuss below were part of the Aberscross Murrays who hung out around Golspie and Sciberscross. What happened to the original clan I do not know. Christine Northamptonshire, England www.highlandhearts.com www.sutherlandheritage.com email rhemusaig@tiscali.co.uk -----Original Message----- From: George A Murray [mailto:cte44694@nw.centurytel.net] Sent: Monday, March 31, 2003 3:06 AM To: SCT-SUTHERLAND-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [SUT] Highlander designations I am from the state of Montana in the USA..... What significance is the word 'tribe' vs 'clan' in the Highlands? Here is footnote from the Statistical on Sutherlandshire: About the year 1567 George Earl of Caithness, who claimed wardship of Alexander Earl of Sutherland then a minor, had got the person of the later into his possession. A tribe of Murrays, inhabiting this part of the country, who were firmly attached to the noble family and beheld the conduct of Caithness with a jealous eye, contrived to get the minor conveyed from Caithness and put under the protection of the Earl of Huntly. Caithness in revenge invaded this country, by his son John, who, invested the town and Castle of Dornoch, of which the Murrays had possessed themselves. Several skirmishes took place with various sucesses. The Murrays no longer able to maintain the ground they had occupied, retired to the castle. Upon this, the master of Caithness burnt the town and cathedral; but still the besieged defended themselves in the castle for month longer. At length, however, they were obliged to capitulate, having undertaken to depart out of Sutherland within two months, and delivered three hostages into the hands of the conquerors. The Murrays fulfilled their engagement; yet the a hostages were treacherously murdered. George Alexander MURRAY III Kalispell, Montana USA ==== SCT-SUTHERLAND Mailing List ==== To check out previous messages http://archiver.rootsweb.com/SCT-SUTHERLAND-L/ ============================== To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 --- Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.465 / Virus Database: 263 - Release Date: 3/25/2003 --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.467 / Virus Database: 266 - Release Date: 4/1/2003