Show ContentsEllgate History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

An ancient Pictish-Scottish family was the first to use the name Ellgate. It is a name for someone who lived in Liddesdale and Teviotdale where the family has a long and distinguished history dating back to the early Middle Ages. The name is actually derived from the Old English personal name Elwald or Aelfwald, but this name is now all but extinct as a personal name.

"A William Aliot came into England with the Conqueror, and the name seems to be connected with Alis and Ellis." 1

Early Origins of the Ellgate family

The surname Ellgate was first found in Liddesdale, and Teviotdale. Although originally from Elliott, a village near Forfar, this Clan was persuaded by the Douglases to move south to help defend the border in 1396. There they became one of the most influential clans. Some of the notable personalities were "Archie Fire the Braes," "Hob of the Park," "Little Jock of the Park," "Jock Half Lugs," "Jock A'God's Name," "Gibbe Wi' the Gowden Gartens."

Early History of the Ellgate family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ellgate research. Another 141 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1450, 1490, 1499, 1522, 1546, 1565, 1592, 1604, 1612, 1632, 1636, 1640, 1665, 1668, 1670, 1685, 1690, 1700, 1714, 1726, 1784, 1789, 1797, 1890 and 1898 are included under the topic Early Ellgate History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ellgate 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 Ellgate include Elliott, Elliot, Eliot, Eliott, Ellegett, Ellegot, Ellecot, Ellacott, Ellacot, Ellgate, Ellett, Ellit and many more.

Early Notables of the Ellgate family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was Sir John Eliot (1592-1632), an English statesman who was serially imprisoned in the Tower of London by King Charles I for advocating the rights and privileges of Parliament; George Elliott (ca. 1636-1668), English surgeon to the Earl of Teviot's Regiment; John Eliot (c. 1604-1690), English Puritan missionary to the American Indians from Widford, Hertfordshire; John Eliot...
Another 63 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ellgate Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Ellgate family to Ireland

Some of the Ellgate family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Ellgate migration to the United States +

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 Ellgate:

Ellgate Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • William Ellgate, who landed in Maryland in 1661 2

West Indies Ellgate migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 3
Ellgate Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Margeret Ellgate, who settled in Barbados in 1635
  • Margrett Ellgate, aged 24, who arrived in Barbados in 1635 2
  • Miss Margaret Ellgate, (b. 1611), aged 24, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Peter Bonaventure" arriving in Barbados and St Christopher (Saint Kitts) in 1635 4


The Ellgate 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: Fortiter et recte
Motto Translation: Rightly and Boldly


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. 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)
  3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  4. Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's. Retrieved 23rd September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm


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