Show ContentsCarnigay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The annals of Scottish history reveal that Carnigay was first used as a name by descendants of the Pictish tribe of ancient Scotland. The Carnigay family lived in the old barony of Carnegie in Angus. One of the first records of the name was Duthac de Carnegy who witnessed a deed of sale in Aberdeen in 1383.

Early Origins of the Carnigay family

The surname Carnigay was first found in Angus (Gaelic: Aonghas), part of the Tayside region of northeastern Scotland, and present day Council Area of Angus, formerly known as Forfar or Forfarshire, where the was recorded as a family of great antiquity seated at Carnegie in the parish of Carmyllis in that shire. Confirmation of the grant of lands of Cairynegy was made by King David of Scotland in 1358 to then Chief of the Clan John Carnegie. He was descended from Jocelyn of Balinhard who was the progenitor of the family.

The former name of the Carnegies of Southesk was De Balinhard, but they assumed the name Carnegie in 1340 when they acquired the lands of Carnegie. Although the Clan can claim their initial descent from John de Balinhard, one of the first mentions of the name Carnegie was of Duthaac de Carnegy in 1383. A few years late, John Carnegy was the first of the name designated 'dominus ejusdem' or 'de eodem,' which is Anglicized to the expression 'of that Ilk' in 1450.

The line of descent from John de Balinhard died out in the 16th century, and so a new line was taken from his son Duthac. In 1663, David, the eighth Chief, was created the Earl of Southesk. Later, James Carnegie, the fifth Earl of Southesk was present at the raising of the Standard on the Braes of Mar in 1715 and was the hero of the song "The Piper o' Dundee." His support for King James in the rising of 1715 and the defeat of the Jacobites lead eventually to the loss of the earldom. The Carnegies were generally loyal to the Stewart claim to the throne. Interestingly, Sir Alexander Cornegie of Pitarro managed to somehow have the earldom reinstated, and he became the ninth Earl of Southesk. Another branch of the family began the earldom of Ethie, and later managed to have it renamed the Earldom of Northesk in the 17th century.

Early History of the Carnigay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Carnigay research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1409, 1530, 1575, 1583, 1611, 1627, 1643, 1649, 1658, 1661, 1667, 1669, 1674, 1679, 1681, 1682, 1685, 1686, 1688, 1699, 1700 and 1729 are included under the topic Early Carnigay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Carnigay Spelling Variations

During the Middle Ages, there was no basic set of rules and scribes wrote according to sound. The correct spelling of Scottish names were further compromised after many haphazard translations from Gaelic to English and back. Spelling variations of the name Carnigay include Carnegie, Carnechie, Carnegey, Carnagie, Carnagee and many more.

Early Notables of the Carnigay family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was Sir David Carnegie, 1st Earl of Southesk, 1st Baron Carnegie of Kinnaird, 1st Baron Carnegie, of Kinnaird and Leuchards (1575-1658), a Scottish nobleman; James Carnegie, 2nd Earl of Southesk (ca. 1583-1669), a Scottish nobleman; Robert Carnegie, 3rd Earl of Southesk (c.1649-1688); Charles Carnegie, 4th Earl of Southesk (1661-1699); John Carnegie, 1st...
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Carnigay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Carnigay family

Scots left their country by the thousands to travel to Australia and North America. Desperate for freedom and an opportunity to fend for themselves, many paid huge fees and suffered under terrible conditions on long voyages. Still, for those who made the trip, freedom and opportunity awaited. In North America, many fought their old English oppressors in the American War of Independence. In recent years, Scottish heritage has been an increasingly important topic, as Clan societies and other organizations have renewed people's interest in their history. An examination of passenger and immigration lists shows many early settlers bearing the name of Carnigay: John Carneagge who arrived in Virginia in 1698; Alexander Carnagee settled in Maryland in 1747.



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