Absalom History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

The ancestors of the Absalom family come from the ancient Scottish kingdom of Dalriada. The family name comes from the Gaelic form of Absolom, which means peace. Historically this name can be found in The Bible, as the name of the third son of King David, who was killed for rebellion against his father.

Early Origins of the Absalom family

The surname Absalom was first found in Argyllshire (Gaelic erra Ghaidheal), the region of western Scotland corresponding roughly with the ancient Kingdom of Dál Riata, in the Strathclyde region of Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Argyll and Bute, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Absalom family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Absalom research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1421, 1692, 1716, 1766 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Absalom History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Absalom Spelling Variations

Historical recordings of the name Absalom include many spelling variations. They are the result of repeated translations of the name from Gaelic to English and inconsistencies in spelling rules. They include MacAuslan, MacAslan, MacAsland, MacAusland, MacAuslane, Mac Auslin, MacCauslan, MacCausland, MacCauseland and many more.

Early Notables of the Absalom family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was Baron Alexander MacAuslan who reputedly killed the Duke of Clarence, brother of King Henry V of England at the Battle of Beauge in Normandy in 1421.Further to the south in Wales, William Caslon the Elder (1692-1766), the famous type-founder, was born in 1692 at Cradley, Worcestershire, near Halesowen, Shropshire. He served his apprenticeship to...
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Absalom Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Absalom family to Ireland

Some of the Absalom family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 74 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Absalom migration to the United States +

Dalriadan families proliferated in North America. Their descendants still populate many communities in the eastern parts of both the United States and Canada. Some settled in Canada as United Empire Loyalists, in the wake of the American War of Independence. Families on both sides of the border have recovered much of their heritage in the 20th century through Clan societies and highland games. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Absalom or a variant listed above:

Absalom Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Elihu Absalom, aged 37, who arrived in New York in 1812 1
William Absalom, aged 36, who arrived in New York in 1812 1
Ehhu Absalom, aged 37, who arrived in New York in 1812 1
Nicholas Absalom, who landed in St Clair County, Illinois in 1875 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Absalom (post 1700) +

Absalom Jefferson Hembree (1813-1856), American soldier and politician, Member of the Oregon Territorial Legislature (1849, 1851 and 1854)
Absalom Greeley (1823-1888), Canadian Member of Provincial Parliament for Prince Edward County (1867-1870)
Absalom Shade (1793-1862), American-born, Canadian businessman and political figure in Upper Canada
Absalom Knox Simonton, American politician, Member of North Carolina House of Commons from Iredell County, 1858-61 2
Absalom Tatom (1742-1802), American Republican politician, U.S. Representative from North Carolina at-large, 1795-96; Member of North Carolina State Legislature, 1797 3
Absalom Fowler, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Arkansas, 1840, 1856; U.S. Attorney for Arkansas, 1841-43, 1850 4
Absalom M. Vickrey (1822-1886), American politician, Member of Indiana State House of Representatives, 1885 5
Absalom Hyer, American politician, Delegate to Texas Convention of 1832 from District of Sabine, 1832 6
Absalom Wells Jr., American politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from New Hartford, 1826-28 7
Absalom Harris Chappell (1801-1878), American politician, Member of Georgia State Legislature; U.S. Representative from Georgia at-large, 1843-45 8

The Absalom 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: Audaces juvat
Motto Translation: Fortune favours the bold.

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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html