Caruth History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

The roots of the name Caruth are found among the Strathclyde-Briton people of the ancient Scottish/English Borderlands. Caruth was originally found in the land of Carruthers in the parish of Middlebie, Dumfriesshire. Interestingly in that area, the name is pronounced "Cridders." 1

Early Origins of the Caruth family

The surname Caruth was first found in Dumfriesshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Dhùn Phris), a Southern area, bordering on England that today forms part of the Dumfries and Galloway Council Area, where by the 12th century the family had become hereditary Stewards of the Annandale district of the border allied to the Bruces and the Stewarts.

One of the first records of the name was Simon Carruthers, parson of Middlebie, who swore an oath of allegiance to King Edward I of England in 1296. A few years later, John de Carutherys received a charter of the lands of Musfald and Appliltrewayt in 1320. "Sir Nigel de Karrutheris, a cleric, who obtained the rectory of Rivel (Ruthwell) in 1330 is mentioned again in 1337 and 1351 as Nigel de Carrothorys, canon of Glasgow. In 1340 we find Sir Nigel de Karuther high chamberlain to the Regent, and in 1344, as Sir Nigel de Carother, he is named as chancellor of Robert Steward of Scotland. A charter was granted at Moysfald in 1361 in favor of John de Carotheris, Simon de Carrutheris witnessed a deed in 1394, and John of Carrutheris was one of the 'borowis' for the earl of Douglas's bounds of the West March in 1398." 1

Some of the family drifted south to England where Simon Carruders was listed in Northumberland, temp. Edward VI. By the 17th century, some were even found in London, which we shall explore in more detail later. 2

Early History of the Caruth family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Caruth research. Another 214 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1329, 1330, 1344, 1361, 1370, 1375, 1398, 1405, 1429, 1446, 1452, 1460, 1468, 1537, 1572, 1587, 1625, 1628, 1673, 1759, 1770, 1799, 1824, 1827, 1828, 1831, 1832, 1852, 1878 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Caruth History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Caruth Spelling Variations

In the era before dictionaries, there were no rules governing the spelling or translation of names or any other words. Consequently, there are an enormous number of spelling variations in Medieval Scottish names. Caruth has appeared as Carruthers, Carothers, Carouthers, Carrothers, Carruther, Carruthirs, Carruthers, Carrutherys, Cridders, Gridders and many more.

Early Notables of the Caruth family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Andrew Carruthers (1770-1852), a Scotch Catholic prelate, "born at Glenmillan, near New Abbey in the stewartry of Kirkcudbright, on 7 Feb. 1770. He studied for six years in the Scotch college at Douay, whence he returned to Scotland on the out-break of the French revolution. " 3His brother James Carruthers (1759-1832), the Scottish historian, "was a native of New Abbey in the stewartry of Kirkcudbright. He was educated in the Scotch college at Douay, and on his return to Scotland was ordained priest and appointed to the extensive charge of Glenlivet. Afterwards he...
Another 211 words (15 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Caruth Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Caruth family to Ireland

Some of the Caruth family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 82 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Caruth migration to the United States +

The freedom, opportunity, and land of the North American colonies beckoned. There, Scots found a place where they were generally free from persecution and where they could go on to become important players in the birth of new nations. Some fought in the American War of Independence, while others went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these Scottish settlers have been able to recover their lost national heritage in the last century through highland games and Clan societies in North America. Among them:

Caruth Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Alex Caruth, who landed in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1856 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Caruth (post 1700) +

Donald T. Caruth (1950-2010), American politician, Minority Leader of the West Virginia Senate (2004-2010)
Cathy Caruth (b. 1955), American Class of 1916 Professor of English at Cornell University
Asher Graham Caruth (1844-1907), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Representative from Kentucky 5th District, 1887-1895
David W. Caruth, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Missouri, 1888 (member, Committee on Permanent Organization)
Peter Caruth (b. 1988), Ireland men's field hockey international player

The Caruth 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: Promptus et fidelis
Motto Translation: Ready and faithful.

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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)