Cayzer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

In its ancient Gaelic form, the Irish name Cayzer was written Ó Cathasaigh, from the word "cathasach," which means watchful. 1

Early Origins of the Cayzer family

The surname Cayzer was first found in the counties of Fermanagh, Mayo, Dublin, Limerick, Cork and Roscommon. In early times, there were six unrelated septs of Ó Cathasaigh; the two most important were the erenagh (church steward) families of Devenish in the county of Fermanagh and the Lords of the Suaithni, in the present-day barony of Balrothery West, in County Dublin. The name has since become widely scattered. Although it remains common in County Dublin, it is now most prevalent in the southwest of Munster, with a smaller but still sizable population in north Connacht. This corresponds with the locations of the other four septs, which were found at Liscannon near Bruff in the County Limerick; near Mitchelstown in County Cork; in Clondara in County Roscommon; and in Tirawley in County Mayo, where two Casey septs were located. The Caseys of Mayo and Roscommon, like those in Fermanagh, were also notable as erenaghs.

Archaeological remains indicate that Caseys were also once found near Waterford. Furthermore, a sept of MacCasey was once located at Oriel and was common in County Monaghan. However, this sept is nearly extinct today. Due to the widespread dropping of Irish prefixes under British rule and their often-erroneous resumption in the 20th century, many MacCaseys are incorrectly thought to be O'Caseys.

Early History of the Cayzer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cayzer research. Another 113 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1381, 1551, 1723, 1762, 1765, 1773, 1787, 1800, 1801, 1840, 1846, 1848, 1862 and 1870 are included under the topic Early Cayzer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cayzer Spelling Variations

Within archives, many different spelling variations exist for the surname Cayzer. Ancient scribes and church officials recorded names as they were pronounced, often resulting in the name of the single person being recorded under several different spellings. Different spellings that were found include Casey, MacCasey, O'Casey and others.

Early Notables of the Cayzer family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was William Casey, Anglican bishop in Ireland, nominated Bishop of Limerick by King Edward VI on 6 July 1551 and consecrated at Dublin on 25 October 1551.Thomas Casey JP (1765-1840) was an Irish politician and barrister who was a Member of Parliament for Kilmallock in the Irish House of Commons from 1800...
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cayzer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cayzer migration to Australia +

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

Cayzer Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Henry Cayzer, aged 24, a farm servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1850 aboard the ship "Stag" 2

The Cayzer 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: Per varios casus
Motto Translation: By various fortunes.

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, Supplement to Irish Families. Baltimore: Genealogical Book Company, 1964. Print.
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) STAG 1850. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850Stag.htm