Eckerd History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe story of the Eckerd family begins in ancient Scotland among the Pictish clans. The Eckerd family lived in the old barony of Urquhart, which is located on Loch Ness in the county of Inverness. Early Origins of the Eckerd familyThe surname Eckerd was first found in Elginshire a former county in northeastern Scotland, in the present day Scottish Council Area of Moray, where Galleroch de Urchart "who lived temp. Alexander II" 1 was granted lands in Cromarty, and Inverness. He held a family seat at the Castle of Urquhart in 1214. "His descendants were "hereditary sheriffs of Cromarty." 1 Early History of the Eckerd familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Eckerd research. Another 177 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1114, 1306, 1358, 1611, 1650, 1660 and 1759 are included under the topic Early Eckerd History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Eckerd Spelling VariationsTranslation has done much to alter the appearance of many Scottish names. It was a haphazard process that lacked a basic system of rules. Spelling variations were a common result of this process. Eckerd has appeared Urquhart, Urquhard, Urchard, Orchard and many more. Early Notables of the Eckerd familyNotable amongst the Clan at this time was Sir Thomas Urquhart (Urchard) of Cromarty (1611-c.1660), a Scottish writer and translator, most famous for his translation of Rabelais.
Down in London, Thomas Urquhart (fl. 1650?), was a "noted violin-maker and was distinguished... Migration of the Eckerd family to IrelandSome of the Eckerd family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Eckerd familyMany Scots left their country to travel to the North American colonies in search of the freedom they could not find at home. Of those who survived the difficult voyage, many found the freedom they so desired. There they could choose their own beliefs and allegiances. Some became United Empire Loyalists and others fought in the American War of Independence. The Clan societies and highland games that have sprung up in the last century have allowed many of these disparate Scots to recover their collective national identity. A search of immigration and passenger ship lists revealed many early settlers bearing the Eckerd name: Alexander Urquhart who settled in Antigua in 1679; James Urquart settled in Virginia in 1716; Thomas Urquhart settled in Granada in 1776; Donald Urquhart settled in Jamaica in 1745.
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