Contents [hide]

McCullagh History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

McCullagh History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

McCullagh is one of the proud Scottish names to come from the Strathclyde clans of the Scottish/English Borderlands. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name Cullach, meaning boar.

Early Origins of the McCullagh family

The surname McCullagh was first found in Wigtownshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Bhaile na h-Uige), formerly a county in southwestern Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Dumfries and Galloway where one of the first on record was Andrew MacCulloch who served King William the Lion of Scotland and received the lands of Myretoun (now Monreith near Whitehorn in Wigtown). However ancient records show the Clan as being mentioned in the year 743 in that area.

Early History of the McCullagh family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McCullagh research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1354, 1470, 1640, 1697 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McCullagh History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McCullagh Spelling Variations

The many spelling variations in Medieval Scottish names result from the fact that scribes in that era spelled words according to sound. Translation too, was an undeveloped science, and many names were altered into complete obscurity. Over the years McCullagh has been spelled MacCulloch, MacCullagh, MacCully, MacCullough, MacCulley, MacCullaugh, MacCullock, MacCullie, MacLulich and many more.

Early Notables of the McCullagh family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Sir Godfrey McCulloch, 2nd Baronet of Mertoun (c.1640-1697), a Scottish politician executed for the murder of William Gordon who died from a shot in the leg, partly as a result of a long-standing feud. Following the execution, much of his family emigrated to America...
Another 52 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McCullagh Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the McCullagh family to Ireland

Some of the McCullagh family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McCullagh migration to the United States +

To escape the uncertainties and discrimination faced in Scotland, many decided to head out for North America. Once they arrived, many Scots fought with relish in the American War of Independence; some went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Many ancestors of these Scots have recovered their lost national heritage in the 20th century through Clan organizations and Scottish historical societies. Among the settlers to North America were:

McCullagh Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Robert McCullagh, who arrived in America in 1805 1
William McCullagh, aged 24, who landed in New York, NY in 1805 1
William McCullagh, who arrived in America in 1805 1
Patrick McCullagh, aged 46, who landed in New York in 1812 1
H McCullagh, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 1
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McCullagh migration to Australia +

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

McCullagh Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Matthew McCullagh, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Moffatt" in 1839 2
Thomas McCullagh, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Medway" in 1846 3
Rose McCullagh, aged 23, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Grand Trianon"
Samuel McCullagh, aged 27, a farm servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Admiral Boxer"
John McCullagh, aged 13, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Henry Moore"
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McCullagh 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:

McCullagh Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. John McCullagh (McCullough), (b. 1819), aged 40, British settler travelling from Liverpool aboard the ship "Tornado" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 26th September 1859 4
Mrs. Mary McCullagh (McCullough) née Matthews, (b. 1822), aged 37, British settler travelling from Liverpool aboard the ship "Tornado" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 26th September 1859 4
Mr. William McCullagh (McCullough), (b. 1843), aged 16, British settler travelling from Liverpool aboard the ship "Tornado" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 26th September 1859 4
Miss Margaret McCullagh (McCullough), (b. 1845), aged 14, British settler travelling from Liverpool aboard the ship "Tornado" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 26th September 1859 4
Mr. Thomas McCullagh (McCullough), (b. 1847), aged 12, British settler travelling from Liverpool aboard the ship "Tornado" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 26th September 1859 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name McCullagh (post 1700) +

DeClan McCullagh, American journalist and columnist for CBSNews.com
Sir Crawford McCullagh (1868-1948), 1st Baronet, Unionist politician in Northern Ireland
Francis McCullagh (b. 1874), British journalist, war correspondent and author
Sheila K. McCullagh MBE (b. 1920), British author of children's books
Peter McCullagh, Irish statistician from Northern Ireland, winner of the Notable Alumni Award in 2007
James Benjamin McCullagh (1854-1921), Anglican missionary in British Columbia
George McCullagh (1905-1952), Canadian newspaper owner, creator of The Globe and Mail
Edward Vincent McCullagh, nationalist politician and farmer in Northern Ireland
David McCullagh PhD, Irish journalist and author
Colm McCullagh, Gaelic Football player for County Tyrone

Historic Events for the McCullagh family +

HMS Hood

Mr. John McCullagh (b. 1916), English Engine Room Artificer 4th Class serving for the Royal Navy from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 5

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. John Augustus Mccullagh, British Signalman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and died in the sinking 6

The McCullagh 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: Vi et animo
Motto Translation: By strength and courage.

Citations +

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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) MOFFATT 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Moffatt.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) MEDWAY 1846. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1846Medway.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html