First found in on the Isle of Guernsey where they were seated from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Magor or a variant listed above: Peter Mager who settled in Virginia in 1663; John Major and Thomas Major who both settled in Virginia in 1645; as well as Adam Mager, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1738. Charles, James, John, and Peter Mager all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860.

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