| ![Show Contents]() Pherson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
Scotland Etymology of PhersonWhat does the name Pherson mean? The Picts, an ancient Scottish tribe, were the ancestors of the first person to use the name Pherson. It was a name for a parson. The Gaelic forms of the names are Mac a' Phearsain and Mac a Phearsoin, which mean son of the parson. This was the surname of various ecclesiastical families in Scotland and is descended from a Chief of the great Clan Chattan ('tribe of the cats'), called Gille Chattan. This Chief can, in turn, be traced back to Feachar the Long, King of Lorn who died in 697 AD. The Clan's original territories were in Stratthnairn, Strathdearn and Badenoch from whence they long contested the leadership of the Clan Chattan with the MacKintoshes, who also claimed descent from the Gille Chattan through a female heiress. Pherson Coat of Arms CreationThe Macphersons carry a cat as their crest, and their motto is " Touch not the cat bot (without) a glove." The story is that young Angus Oig Macdonald went over to Ireland to help an Irish king, and there he got the king's daughter in marriage. While the clansmen after the nuptials were waiting to return to Scotland, there came into the camp an Irish piper, a Macneil, who managed to smuggle himself into one of the boats. A black cat followed, and when a Highlander tried to catch and throw it overboard, he got badly scratched for his pains, and the piper gave him the advice which became the motto of the clan, and the black cat accompanied them to Scotland. This piper when in Scotland took to preaching, married, and settled among the Argyllshire MacDonalds. His sons were known as Mhic a Pharson, and thus the Clan Macpherson originated. The clan has a galley in its coat of arms, perhaps in memory of the trip to Ireland, or perhaps to their being once driven by stress of weather on to the coast of Caithness. They also carry a dagger, point up, for killing the Cummings, and " a black cat for luck " has been a proverb, for the Macphersons have been lucky since they settled in Scotland. They are a branch of the great Clan Chattan. 1 Early Origins of the Pherson familyThe surname Pherson was first found in Inverness, where they were hereditary keepers of the sacred stone of St. Catan, and early Chief of the Clan Chattan. The MacPhersons are sometimes called the Clan Mhuirich, 'the children of Muredach,' from an early Chief of the Clan, Duncan (the Parson) who was imprisoned with the Lord of the Isles after the Battle of Harlaw (1411). Early History of the Pherson familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pherson research. Another 524 words (37 lines of text) covering the years 1490, 1528, 1600, 1645, 1672, 1675, 1688, 1689, 1700, 1715, 1745, 1776, 1783, 1784 and 1932 are included under the topic Early Pherson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Pherson Spelling VariationsRepeated and inaccurate translation of Scottish names from Gaelic to English and back resulted in a wide variety of spelling variations with single names. Pherson has appeared MacPherson, McPherson, MacPhersone, Mac a' Phearsoin (Gaelic) and many more. Early Notables of the Pherson familyNotable amongst the Clan at this time was - James MacPherson (1675-1700), the Scottish outlaw, famed for his Lament or Rant supposedly written on the eve of his execution, a version of which was rewritten by Robert Burns
| Pherson migration to the United States | + |
Many Scottish families suffered enormous hardships and were compelled to leave their country of birth. They traveled to Ireland and Australia, but mostly to the colonies of North America, where many found the freedom and opportunity they sought. It was not without a fight, though, as many were forced to stand up and defend their freedom in the American War of Independence. The ancestors of these Scots abroad have rediscovered their heritage in the last century through the Clan societies and other organizations that have sprung up across North America. Immigration and passenger ship lists show some important early immigrants bearing the name Pherson:
Pherson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Evan Pherson, who arrived in New York in 1796 2
- Murdock Pherson, who landed in New York in 1798 2
Pherson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- M Pherson, aged 48, who arrived in Maryland in 1813 2
- John Pherson, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1814 2
| Contemporary Notables of the name Pherson (post 1700) | + |
- Andy Pherson, American brewmaster and founder of Long Trail Brewing Company, a regional brewery in Bridgewater Corners, Vermont in 1989
| Pherson Motto and War Cry | + |
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Touch not the cat bot a glove
Motto Translation: Touch not the cat without a glove
War Cry: "Craigdhu."
- Polson, Alexander, The Romance of Scottish Crests and Mottoes. Inverness: Walter Alexander, Inglis Street 1929. Print
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
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