Corries

Originally written by George Howard Jackson (I think), in around 1910? Transcribed by JSHV then transcribed by NGHV

"With regard to the foregoing pedigree it may be noted:

1. That the son of MacPherson of Cluny (or Clunie) is traditionally related to have been obliged to fly his country in consequence of his having committed to the act of murder and rapine (not uncommon in those blessed times when law secured no life). For the purposes of concealment he took the name of Corrie, corroborative of this tradition it may be stated that when John Corrie, who is mentioned in the pedigree as born in 1746 and dying in 1829, was residing in the Highlands of Scotland for 3 or 4 years he was acknowledged by the MacPhersons as one of their clan known amongst them by the patrenymic of McUrie or MacUrie the clan of MacPherson being called in Gaelic clan Urie.
2. The writer of this note also met by accident with Mr William Corrie of Liverpool 1828 (who from circumstances not here to be mentioned is without doubt descended from one of the other sons of MacPherson) and that gentleman stated that the same tradition respecting the origin of the name of Corrie existed in his family.
3. That Anne MacNab was nearly allied to the MacNabs of that ilk to the Campbells of Ballynealen and the Campbells of Bircaldeni"

"The arms bourne by the Corries of Colsterworth are gules, a saltire cross argent, with a rose in chief proper (modified by patent in 1835).

Their crest is a mountain cat proper, with motto "Touch not the cat but a glove" the word BUT being the old Scotch for WITHOUT vide Gentlemen's magazine 1807.

As descendents of the MacPhersons they are entitled to the arms of that clan, in base, having the Corrie arms above, in chief, counterchanged (?), but as the Corrie Arms were in all probability adopted by the MacPhersons on changing his name, they retained simply the armorial bearings described above. As to the crest however, that being a smaller option, they take the 'cat' in preference to the 'cock' which is usually bourne by the name of Corrie; both because the former is most ancient and also for distinctions sake. The crest of the MacPhersons of the present day is a cat-a-mountain sitting and not rampant; the latter being the crest of the MacIntoches; but it being a disputed matter which is the correct attitude; the cat adopted by the Corries has the attitude most frequently assigned to the MacPhersons' crest by tradition. The MacPhersons described at the battle of Carron, in which Wallace was defeated by Edward I of England, as having their crest as a cat sitting and a motto "Touch not the cat" etc.. and fighting in the leather doublets whilst in battle of the Clan Chatten, in the time of the Bruces, they are described as bearing on their banner a cat rampant.