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Throughout June we have been celebrating all things Clan Morrison. We have met some famous faces, visited many sites, and gained great insight into the history of this ancient clan. Finally, we called upon the valued Clan members to share their stories and we had a wonderful response; read the blog to find out more!
Read the Morrison Stories
Lori Morrison - President of United Irish Societies of Montreal
A big thank you to Lori Morrison, President of United Irish Societies of Montreal, for sending in her lovely Morrison story! Read on to find out more:
"My Morrison side of the family came to Canada in the early 1900s. My great grandfather, Charles Alexander Morrison was born in 1882 in Aberdeen, Scotland to Charles and Mary Morrison. My grandfather, Allan Charles Morrison often spoke of his Scottish ancestry with great pride and I brought some of that with me when I travelled to Scotland in 2018. I had noticed that the Morrison name was quite strong in Aberdeenshire and imagine my surprise when my husband and I arrived at Aberdeen airport to find the driver we hired said: “Morrison isn’t a common name here, but it’s where the name originates. Hi, I’m Billy Morrison!” Are we related? Quite possibly as the names I gave him also appeared in his family tree. I never did follow up to ascertain that, though, but living with the belief that we are related is a bit of a treat.
To further forge the Morrison connection with us, Billy took us on side-quests across Aberdeenshire rather than a ‘point a to point b’ trip. Mortlach, Huntly (and the castle which may or may not play a part in my family tree, it’s a tenuous link), Inverurie, Keith, and so many more villages through hillsides filled with heather and of course, Scottish “coos”. I do hope to return soon and with any luck, Billy Morrison is still available to drive us around again and perhaps we can meet up with other Morrisons and exchange family information.
Since then, I’ve been involved as President of the United Irish Societies of Montreal (my other side of the family) where this year, we celebrated Montreal’s 200th St Patrick’s parade with many illustrious guests including Canada’s new Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Mark Carney, and the Irish Ambassador to Canada, His Excellency John Concannon.
The UIS also participates in the Montreal Highland Games with this year being an exception as the Games are on hiatus until 2026. It’s always such a pleasure for me to tie the two sides of who I am together. As a matter of fact, in 2019, I was awarded the Community Service title by Montreal’s St Patrick’s Society and I wore the Montreal 1642 tartan sash that incorporates the 5 founders of Montreal: Irish, Scottish, English, French, and the Indigenous as represented on the flag of our city. My sash pin is a combination of the claddagh with a ring of thistle around it, and I wear it with pride, if not on my person, on my heart."
Diane Wirth's Morrison Connection
We also received a couple of Morrison stories from Diane Wirth whose grandfather was president of the Clan Morrison association during the early 60s. His name was John Allan Morrison and went by Allan more often. Read on for Diane's stories!
Story One : A dapper penguin in Morrison Red Ancient tartan kilt
"I was taking my mum back home for a visit. I have a small plush penguin, Pitter Patter. Well, he had to be kitted appropriately upon his arrival and his visit to Glasgow, Dundee, Isle of Bute, Kilchattan Bay and his adventure on The Waverley. I ordered a yard of the tartan from y’all. And I sewed the smallest kilt I have ever sewn. Making the icklest pleats was a task. But I did it. I also sewed him a small vest and created the Glengarry cap.
The first image of him (above), was the day I received the tartan from y’all, for his kilt. The next images are of him wearing the complete outfit. And then shots of him on The Waverley, the bay at Rothesay, Isle of Bute, and with The Dundee Penguins."
Story Two: Tartan Sandtrooper
"I am a member of the international Star Wars costuming club, known as the 501st. I portray a Sandtrooper. A while back, after the release of “The Last Jedi”, the local Saint Andrews Scottish Society had requested the 501st make an appearance for their Robbie Burns Supper. As it was scenes in The Last Jedi that were rumored to have been filmed in Scotland. Being a member of the Morrison clan, and a Sandtrooper, what better way to represent than wear my family tartan to the event. It looks a wee bit odd. I didn’t realize how much tartan I needed for the look to be right, but I went and represented."
Thank you, Diane, we love the stories and photos you've shared!
Unfortunately June has come to an end, that certainly doesn't mean our love for Clan Morrison is over, so be sure to get in touch with us if you fancy chatting all things Morrison!
