|
![Show Contents]() Coulfields History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Ireland
The Irish name Coulfields has been taken as synonym for many other names. The Gaelic form of the name Coulfields was generally Mac Cathmhaoil. The name Caulfield was used by people of the Irish names Ó Gamhna, Ó Caibheanaigh and Mac Conghamhna, and Mac Carrghamhna. 1 The Anglicized form of these last four Irish surnames is Gaffney, but for some obscure reason, this has often been changed to Caulfield. Early Origins of the Coulfields familyThe surname Coulfields was first found in Fermanagh (Irish: Fear Manach) in the southwestern part of Northern Ireland, Province of Ulster, where they held a family seat from ancient times. They were directly descended from King Colla da Crioch through the Maguires, Princes of Fermanagh. Castle Caulfield is a large ruined house in Castlecaulfield, County Tyrone. At one time, the building was three stories high with large windows and tall chimney stacks. A wooden joist from the castle eludes to the age of the building as about 1282. The Caulfeild Coat of Arms is still seen over the entrance. Nearby, Sir Toby Caulfeild, 1st Baron Caulfeild (1565-1627) built a house on the site of an earlier O'Donnelly castle. It was burned in the Irish Rebellion of 1641, but was rebuilt in the 1660s. Today Castle Caulfield is a ruin and declared a State Care Historic Monument. Early History of the Coulfields familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Coulfields research. Another 219 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1530, 1545, 1565, 1570, 1587, 1607, 1621, 1622, 1624, 1627, 1640, 1642, 1671, 1682, 1685, 1715, 1716, 1717, 1726 and 1734 are included under the topic Early Coulfields History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Coulfields Spelling VariationsPronunciation, rather than spelling, guided scribes and church officials when recording names during the Middle Ages. This practice often resulted in one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname Coulfields are preserved in these old documents. The various spellings of the name that were found include Caulfeild, Caulkin, Calfkins, Cawlfield, Cawfield, MacCaul, MacCawell and many more. Early Notables of the Coulfields familyNotable among the family name at this time was Sir Toby or Tobias Caulfeild first Baron Charlemont (1565-1627), descended from a family which had been settled in Oxfordshire for many generations, his father being Alexander Caulfeild of Great Milton in that county. 2
Continuing this noble line was: William Caulfeild (1587-1640), 2nd Baron Caulfeild; Toby Caulfeild (1621-1642), 3rd Baron Caulfeild; Robert Caulfeild (1622-1642), 4th Baron Caulfeild; William Caulfeild...
Another 66 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Coulfields Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Coulfields familyThe 19th century saw a great wave of Irish families leaving Ireland for the distant shores of North America and Australia. These families often left their homeland hungry, penniless, and destitute due to the policies of England. Those Irish immigrants that survived the long sea passage initially settled on the eastern seaboard of the continent. Some, however, moved north to a then infant Canada as United Empire Loyalists after ironically serving with the English in the American War of Independence. Others that remained in America later joined the westward migration in search of land. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, though, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America, and those who arrived were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. In fact, the foundations of today's powerful nations of the United States and Canada were to a larger degree built by the Irish. Archival documents indicate that members of the Coulfields family relocated to North American shores quite early: Mary Caulfield, her husband Thomas and one child, settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1822; Charlotte Caulfield settled in New Orleans in 1823.
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: Deo duce ferro comitante
Motto Translation: God is my guide,and my sword is my companion.
- MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
|
