Contents [hide]

Montague History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Montague History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Montague was brought to England in the wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Montague family lived in Somerset. The name, however, derives from the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Montaigu-Les-Bois in Coutance, Normandy. 1

"The Christian name of the distinguished soldier was Drogo, denominated 'de Montagu,' from a town in Normandy. In Domesday Book, he is styled Drogo de Montacuto." 2

Early Origins of the Montague family

The surname Montague was first found in Somerset. In the Domesday Book Drogo de Montacuto held lands under Robert, Earl of Morton and was one of the companions of the Conqueror in his quest to conquer England. As half-brother of the Conqueror, "this Drogo fixed his chief residence at the castle of Shipton-Montacute, co, Somerset. " 2

Simon de Montacute, Lord of Shipton-Montacute was a strong warrior during the reign of Edward I, "a right valiant cheiftaine." "From this renowned soldier descended the illustrious race of Montague, conspicuous in all the great achievements of English history. " The parish of Montacute in Somerset holds a special significance to the family's lineage. "This place, in the time of the Saxons, was called Logaresburch, which is said to have been changed for its present name by William, Earl of Morton, who soon after the Conquest built a strong castle here, on the sharp point of a hill. " 3

Early History of the Montague family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Montague research. Another 192 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1086, 1350, 1400, 1428, 1485, 1530, 1557, 1559, 1563, 1602, 1603, 1616, 1636, 1642, 1644, 1661, 1665, 1671, 1677, 1678, 1684, 1715, 1761, 1793 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Montague History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Montague Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Montague have been found, including Montague, Montagu, Montegue, Montacute and others.

Early Notables of the Montague family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Montacute, (1350-1400), 3rd Earl of Salisbury and 5th and 2nd Baron Montacute, English nobleman, one of the few who remained loyal to Richard II after Henry IV became king; James Montagu, Bishop of Bath; Sir Edward Montagu (ca. 1485-1557), an English lawyer and judge; Sir Edward Montagu (ca. 1530-1602), an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1559; Edward Montagu, 1st Baron Montagu of Boughton (1563-1644), an English politician; Sir Henry Montagu, 1st Earl of Manchester (ca.1563-1642), an English...
Another 92 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Montague Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Montague Ranking

In the United States, the name Montague is the 3,323^rd most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Montague family to Ireland

Some of the Montague family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Montague migration to the United States +

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Montague were among those contributors:

Montague Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Peter Montague, who landed in Jamestown, Va in 1621 5
Johannes Montague, who landed in New York in 1624 5
Richard Montague, who settled in Boston in 1634
Richard Montague, who arrived in Maine in 1634 5
Lewis Montague, who landed in Virginia in 1658 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Montague Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Samuel Montague, who landed in South Carolina in 1736 5
Elizabeth Montague, who settled in Maryland in 1737

Montague Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Henry Montague, who arrived in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1807 5
Simon Montague, who arrived in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1818 5
E. Montague, who settled in New York in 1822
John A Montague, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1838 5
William Montague, who settled in Philadelphia in 1848
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Montague migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Montague Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

James Montague, aged 28, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Dorcas Savage" from Belfast, Ireland

Montague migration to Australia +

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

Montague Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Montague, British Convict who was convicted in Peterborough, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl Cornwallis" in August 1800, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
George Montague, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Bolton" in 1849 7
Mr. James Montague, (b. 1829), aged 25, Cornish carpenter departing from Plymouth in May1854 aboard the ship "Geelong" arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 11th August 1854 8
Mrs. Mary Montague, (b. 1832), aged 22, Cornish settler departing from Plymouth in May1854 aboard the ship "Geelong" arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 11th August 1854 8
Miss Josephine Montague, (b. 1836), aged 18, Cornish domestic servant departing from Plymouth in May 1854 aboard the ship "Geelong" arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 11th August 1854 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Montague 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:

Montague Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Lydia Montague, aged 19, a servant, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Adelaide" in 1858 9
Thomas Montague, aged 27, a bricklayer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Steinwarder" in 1864
Helen Montague, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Andrew Jackson" in 1865
Bridget Montague, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Helenslee" in 1870 10
Catherine Montague, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Helenslee" in 1870 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Montague (post 1700) +

Lieutenant-General Robert Miller Montague (1899-1958), American Commanding General Caribbean Defense Command (1956-1958) 11
Stephen Montague (b. 1943), American composer
Robert Miller Montague (1899-1958), Lieutenant General in the United States Army
John Montague (b. 1929), American-born, Irish poet
Edward Michael "Ed" Montague (b. 1948), American former umpire in Major League Baseball
Edward Francis Montague (1905-1988), American Major League Baseball infielder for the Cleveland Indians from 1928 to 1932
Daniel Montague (1866-1867), United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Spanish-American War
Andrew Jackson Montague (1862-1937), U.S. politician from Virginia, 44th Governor of Virginia from 1902 to 1906
Richard Merett Montague (1930-1971), American mathematician and philosopher
Charles Montague, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 1884 12
... (Another 31 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Montague family +

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Frank Montague, English Petty Officer from Bath, England, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 13

The Montague 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: Equitas actionum regula
Motto Translation: Let equity be the rule of our actions.

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)
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-cornwallis
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The BOLTON 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Bolton.htm
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_victoria.pdf
Shadow Time Settlers (Retrieved 5th November 2010), retrieved from http://shadowsoftime.co.nz/settlers.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 12th December 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2014, March 26) Robert Montague. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Montague/Robert_Miller/USA.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html