Contents [hide]

Gage History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Gage History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Ireland

Gage is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Gage family lived person who worked as the local assayer, who would determine weights and measures. The surname has another occupational origin which suggests that the bearer worked as a money lender, which was taken from the Old French word gage, which literally means a pledge.

Early Origins of the Gage family

The surname Gage was first found in Gaugy, Normandy where Ralph de Gaugy was listed there in 1180. Various versions of the name were listed including Gauchi, Gaugi, and Gaacy in L'Aigle, Normandy about the same time. The first record on the name in England was Warin de Gaacy (Wacy) in Bedfordshire in 1140.

A few years later, Ralph de Gauchi (Gaugi) held a fief in Northumberland by marriage in 1165 and in the same year, Robert de Gaugi was Baron of Slesmouth, again in Northumberland. The latter's brother, Roger de Gauchi was granted the ownership of Argentan Castle and Forest by King John in 1203. 1

The parish of Alciston in Sussex was another ancient family seat. "This manor was given, with others, to Battle Abbey by the Conqueror, whose grant was confirmed by Henry I.: on the surrender of the abbey, in 1539, the king became seised of the lordship, and gave it to Sir John Gage and Philippa his wife, to hold in capite by knight's service. Alciston Place was occupied by an ancestor of the present Lord Gage in 1585." 2

At one time, Burstow, Surrey was another stronghold of the family. "Burstow-Court Lodge became, in the 15th century, the property of the Gages, of whom was Sir John Gage, K. G., a distinguished military officer in the reigns of Henry VIII. and Edward VI.; the family sold the property in 1613." 2

Early History of the Gage family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gage research. Another 133 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1269, 1479, 1556, 1596, 1621, 1633, 1642, 1654, 1656, 1660, 1682, 1691, 1695, 1699, 1700, 1702, 1722, 1744, 1754 and 1934 are included under the topic Early Gage History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gage Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Gage, Gauge and others.

Early Notables of the Gage family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Sir John Gage (1479-1556), Vice Chamberlain of England to Henry VIII, who began the line of the Gage family of Firle Place
Thomas Gage (circa 1596-1656), English Catholic missionary who traveled in Mexico and Central America, and whose written accounts encouraged English exploration
Francis Gage (1621-1682), an English Roman Catholic priest, President of the English College, Douai
Sir Thomas Gage (died 1654), 2nd Baronet of Firle Place
Sir Thomas Gage (died 1660), 3rd Baronet of Firle Place
Sir John Gage (c. 1642-1699), 4th Baronet of Firle Place
Sir John Gage (c. 1691-1700), 5th Baronet of Firle Place

Gage Ranking

In the United States, the name Gage is the 1,869^th most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Gage family to Ireland

Some of the Gage family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 66 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gage migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Gage or a variant listed above:

Gage Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Gage, of Suffolk who sailed from Isle of Wight arriving in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet, found in Boston. 4
Mrs. Amy Gage of Suffolk who sailed from Isle of Wight arriving in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet, found in Boston. 5
John Gage, who landed in Ipswich, Massachusetts in 1634 4
William Gage, who arrived in Virginia in 1638 4
Elizabeth Gage, who landed in Virginia in 1652 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gage Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Gage, who settled in Maryland in 1747

Gage Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

B Gage, aged 33, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1830 4
James Gage, aged 21, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1833 4
A Gage, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 4
T B Gage, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 4
William Gage, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gage migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Gage Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Nathan Gage, who arrived in Canada in 1839

Gage migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Gage Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Robert Gage, British Convict who was convicted in Bridgewater, Somerset, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Dudbrook" on 17th November 1852, arriving in Western Australia 6
John Gage, aged 50, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Hooghly" 7
John Gage, aged 15, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Hooghly" 7

Gage migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Gage Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

George Gage, who landed in Bay of Islands, New Zealand in 1840
J Gage, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840

Contemporary Notables of the name Gage (post 1700) +

Leighton David Gage (1942-2013), American author of crime fiction best known for the Chief Inspector Mario Silva Investigations series of novels
Brigadier-General Philip Stearns Gage (1885-1982), American Commanding General Harbor Defenses of Boston (1944-1947) 8
Ben Gage (1914-1978), American television actor
Nicholas Gage (b. 1938), Greek-American writer
Jack R. Gage (1899-1970), American governor of Wyoming
Henry Tifft Gage (1852-1924), American politician, Governor of California from 1899-1903
Lyman Judson Gage (1836-1927), American banker and cabinet member
Matilda Joslyn Gage (1826-1898), American women's suffrage activist and author
Thomas Gage (1702-1754), 1st Viscount Gage of Castle Island in the County of Kerry of the Kingdom of Ireland, Irish peer, Member of Parliament for Minehead and Tewkesbury and Governor of Barbados
William Hall Gage (1718-1791), 2nd Viscount Gage of Castle Island in the County of Kerry of the Kingdom of Ireland, Irish peer
... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Gage family +

Halifax Explosion

Mrs. Susan Gage (1855-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 9

HMS Repulse

Mr. Roy G Gage, British Stoker 1st Class, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 10

The Gage Motto +

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: Courage sans peur
Motto Translation: Courage without fear.

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 23rd July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dudbrook
South Australian Register Wednesday 21st February 1855. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Rodney 1855. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/rodney1855.shtml
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, March 5) Philip Gage. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Gage/Philip_Stearns/USA.html
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html