McMaster History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

To escape the religious and political discrimination they experienced primarily at the hands of the English, thousands of Irish left their homeland in the 19th century. These migrants typically settled in communities throughout the East Coast of North America, but also joined the wagon trains moving out to the Midwest. Ironically, when the American War of Independence began, many Irish settlers took the side of England, and at the war's conclusion moved north to Canada. These United Empire Loyalists, were granted land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula. Other Irish immigrants settled in Newfoundland, the Ottawa Valley, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, however, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America and Australia. Many of those numbers, however, did not live through the long sea passage. These Irish settlers to North America were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. Irish settlers made an inestimable contribution to the building of the New World. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name McMaster or a variant listed above, including:

McMaster Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

• James McMaster, who sailed to Boston in 1766
• George McMaster, who sailed to Charles Town South Carolina in 1772
• George McMaster, who landed in South Carolina in 1772 2
• Hugh McMaster, who arrived in South Carolina in 1772 2
• Martha McMaster, who landed in South Carolina in 1772 2
• ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McMaster Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

• Samuel McMaster, who arrived in America in 1807 2
• Flora McMaster, who arrived in New York in 1833 2
• John McMaster, who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1836 2
• William McMaster, who arrived in New York in 1842 2
• David McMaster, who landed in America in 1850 2
• ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McMaster Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

• John McMaster was a Loyalist who settled in Nova Scotia in 1784
• Mr. James McMaster U.E. born in Boston, Massachusetts, USA who settled in St. Patrick, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 he died in 1804 3

McMaster Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

• Charles McMaster migrated from Bute to Hull Twp. in Ottawa County Ontario in about 1832
• John McMaster, who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833
• Anne McMaster, aged 20, who landed in Quebec in 1834
• James McMaster, aged 18, who landed in Quebec in 1834
• Miss. Jane McMaster, aged 2 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Julius Caesar" departing 13th July 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 5th September 1847 but she died on board 4
• ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McMaster Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

• John McMaster (aged 20) arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Gomelza"
• Donald McMaster, aged 27, who arrived in South Australia in 1860 aboard the ship "Grand Trianon"
• Hugh McMaster, aged 21, who arrived in South Australia in 1860 aboard the ship "Grand Trianon"
• Hugh McMaster, aged 23, who arrived in South Australia in 1860 aboard the ship "Grand Trianon"
• John McMaster, aged 20, who arrived in South Australia in 1860 aboard the ship "Grand Trianon"
• ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McMaster Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

• Angus McMaster, aged 36, a ploughman, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Blenheim" in 1840
• Mr. James McMaster, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Sevilla" arriving in Bluff, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 4th September 1864 5
• Mrs. McMaster, Scottish settler with 2 children travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Sevilla" arriving in Bluff, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 4th September 1864 5
• Charles McMaster, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Armstrong" in 1865
• Jane McMaster, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Armstrong" in 1865
• ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

• Herbert Raymond "H.R." McMaster (b. 1962), American United States Army lieutenant general, 26th National Security Advisor (2017-)
• William Henry McMaster (1877-1968), the tenth Governor of South Dakota
• Gerald R. McMaster (b. 1953), American Plains Cree and Blackfoot curator, artist, and author
• Sherman McMaster (1853-1892), American outlaw turned lawman, who was one of the six men involved in the Earp vendetta ride
• Henry Dargan McMaster (b. 1947), South Carolina's Republican attorney general
• John B McMaster (1852-1932), American historian
• Stanley Raymond McMaster (1926-1992), Unionist politician in Northern Ireland
• Rhyll McMaster (b. 1947), contemporary Australian poet and novelist
• Griffin McMaster (b. 1983), Australian footballer
• Surgeon Valentine Munbee McMaster (1834-1872), British recipient of the Victoria Cross
• ... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)