Show ContentsMulcaster History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Mulcaster family

The surname Mulcaster was first found in Cumberland where they trace their lineage back to the place name Muncaster, home of Muncaster Castle, a privately owned castle overlooking the Esk river, near the west-coastal town of Ravenglass in Cumbria which dates back at least 800 years. Baron Muncaster was a title in Ireland and the United Kingdom held by the Pennington family, traditional owners of Muncaster Castle. The placename "Muncaster" contains the Latin word castra, meaning "encampment", or "fort." [1] "This place, formerly called Meol-Castre, derives its name from a castle. The principal tower of the castle is retained in the mansion built by the late Lord Muncaster." [2]

Walter de Mulcastr was listed in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1219. [3]

The Writs of Parliament had the first two entries for the family, both in Cumberland: Robert de Molecastre, 1270; and Walter de Mulecastre, 1287. [4]

An early branch of the family was found at Bewaldeth in Cumberland. "[The township] was granted by Alice de Romely to John de Utterfield; after which, the family of Mulcaster had the manor for several descents. In or about the year 1400, Robert de Mulcastre or Mulcaster conveyed it to Robert de Highmore." [2]

Today, Muncaster Castle is a privately owned castle overlooking the River Esk, about a mile east of the west-coastal town of Ravenglass in Cumbria

Early History of the Mulcaster family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mulcaster research. Another 66 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1530, 1531, 1534, 1543, 1548, 1555 and 1611 are included under the topic Early Mulcaster History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mulcaster Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Muncaster, Moncaster, Molcaster, Mulcaster and others.

Early Notables of the Mulcaster family

Notables of the family at this time include

  • Richard Mulcaster (c.1531-1611), English school headmaster, and early British education theorist...
  • ’ His father, William Mulcaster, was of an old border family, who traced back their history to the time of William Rufus, and had been active in repelling the incursions of the Scots...
  • In 1548 Mulcaster was elected scholar of King's College, Cambridge, but soon migrated to Christ Church, Oxford, where in 1555 he was elected a student, and proceeded...


Australia Mulcaster migration to Australia +

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

Mulcaster Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

New Zealand Mulcaster 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:

Mulcaster Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Thomas G. Mulcaster, (b. 1841), aged 29, British farm labourer travelling from London aboard the ship 'Merope' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 27th October 1870 [6]

Contemporary Notables of the name Mulcaster (post 1700) +

  • Capt Sir William Howe Mulcaster CB, KCH, KTS, RN (1783-1837), British Royal Navy officer, known for his part in the Anglo-American War of 1812, in the Engagements on Lake Ontario
  • Sir Frederick Mulcaster (1772-1846), British lieutenant-general, Colonel-Commandant Royal Engineers, and Inspector-General of Fortifications, eldest son of Major-general G. F. Mulcaster [7]
  • Wynona Croft Mulcaster (1915-2016), Canadian prairie landscape painter and teacher from Saskatchewan
  • John Mulcaster Carrick (1833-1896), British painter, etcher and illustrator. He painted in the Pre-Raphaelite style from Carlisle


  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 8th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Dick
  6. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  7. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020


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