MacGofferent History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland

Early Origins of the MacGofferent family

Early History of the MacGofferent family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacGofferent research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1410, 1444, 1476, 1481, 1547, 1581, 1587 and 1593 are included under the topic Early MacGofferent History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

MacGofferent Spelling Variations

Irish names were rarely spelled consistently in the Middle Ages. Spelling variations of the name MacGofferent dating from that time include MacGovern, Magauran, MacGoveran, MacGoverin and others.

Early Notables of the MacGofferent family

Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early MacGofferent Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the MacGofferent family

The 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 MacGofferent family relocated to North American shores quite early: Daniel MacGoveran, who settled in Philadelphia in 1840; Andrew, Bernard, Edward, James, John, Michael, Patrick, Peter, Terry, Thomas MacGovern all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860.