Eskins History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

In ancient Scotland, Eskins was a Strathclyde-Briton name for someone who lived on the Clyde river, near Glasgow. The town name comes from the Gaelic air an sgian, meaning "upon the knife." According to legend, a Scotsman under the command of Malcolm II uttered that phrase after slaying a Danish leader at the Battle of Murthill.

Early Origins of the Eskins family

The surname Eskins was first found in at Erskine in Renfrewshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Rinn Friù), a historic county of Scotland, today encompassing the Council Areas of Renfrew, East Renfrewshire, and Iverclyde, in the Strathclyde region of southwestern Scotland.

In the year 1225, King Alexander II granted Henry de Erskine, who held the baroncy of Erskine, lands in Renfrewshire. Sir John Ireskin also swore an oath of allegiance to King Edward I of England in 1296. Members of the Erskine family appear in many other documents and records dating from throughout the 13th century and afterward.

A few of the more interesting records show that Henry de Erskyn bore official witness to the Earl of Lennox's grant of a church to the Abbey of Paisley, and that in 1491, Robert Erschin held the office of Canon of Glasgow. 1

Early History of the Eskins family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Eskins research. Another 235 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1376, 1552, 1558, 1572, 1592, 1615, 1616, 1624, 1634, 1662, 1671, 1677, 1685, 1695, 1696, 1715, 1743, 1768 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Eskins History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Eskins Spelling Variations

Prior to the first dictionaries, scribes spelled words according to sound. This, and the fact that Scottish names were repeatedly translated from Gaelic to English and back, contributed to the enormous number of spelling variations in Scottish names. Eskins has been spelled Erskine, Arskine, Arskin, Erskin, Irskine, Hirskine, Ersken and many more.

Early Notables of the Eskins family

Notable amongst the family at this time was John Erskine, 5th Lord Erskine (died 1552), a Scottish nobleman; John Erskine, 17th Earl of Mar (died 1572), Regent of Scotland; John Erskine, 2nd Earl of Mar (ca.1558-1634), Scottish politician; William Erskine (died 1685), Master of Charterhouse Hospital; Alexander Erskine of Gogar, (died 1592), Scottish laird and keeper of James VI of Scotland at Stirling Castle; Lady Margaret Erskine (died 1572), a mistress of King James V...
Another 75 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Eskins Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Eskins family to Ireland

Some of the Eskins family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Eskins family

In such difficult times, the difficulties of raising the money to cross the Atlantic to North America did not seem so large compared to the problems of keeping a family together in Scotland. It was a journey well worth the cost, since it was rewarded with land and freedom the Scots could not find at home. The American War of Independence solidified that freedom, and many of those settlers went on to play important parts in the forging of a great nation. Among them: William Erskin arrived in New York State in 1803; Thomas Erskine settled in New England in 1773; John, Richard and William Erskine arrived in Philadelphia in 1876..

The Eskins 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: Je pense plus
Motto Translation: I think more.

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)