McEldowney History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland

McEldowney is a name that dates back to the kingdom of Dalriada in ancient Scotland. It was given to someone who lived in the old barony of Duny or Downy, which was also called Douney in 1331, in the parish of Monikie, Angus. The surname is still commonplace in the district and Downie is one of the oldest names in the parish of Kemnay. 1

Early Origins of the McEldowney family

The surname McEldowney was first found in the parish of Monikie in Angus (Gaelic: Aonghas), part of the Tayside region of northeastern Scotland, and present day Council Area of Angus, formerly known as Forfar or Forfarshire.

One of the first records of the name was Duncan de Dunny who witnessed a discussion of boundaries of Tulloes (Tulloch) and Conon in 1254. Alexander Downy or Douny held land of the abbot of Arbroath in 1330, and Mury Dunny, forestaller in Aberdeen, is mentioned in 1402. 1

Early History of the McEldowney family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McEldowney research. Another 158 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1330, 1402, 1550, 1614, 1620, 1675, 1800, 1823, 1838, 1843 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McEldowney History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McEldowney Spelling Variations

Spelling in the medieval era was a highly imprecise process. Translation, particularly from Gaelic to English, was little better. For these reasons, early Scottish names are rife with spelling variations. In various documents McEldowney has been spelled Downey, Downie, Downy, MacIldowney, MacIldownie, MacDowney, MacDownie, O'Downey and many more.

Early Notables of the McEldowney family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was William Dauney, " son of William Dauney of Falmouth, Jamaica, was born at Aberdeen in the year 1800. He commenced his education at Dulwich, and completed it at the University of Edinburgh. On June 13, 1823, he was called to the Scottish bar. He found in the Advocates' Library at Edinburgh a MS. collection of music, written between 1614 and 1620 and known as the Skene Manuscript. It consists of 114 English and Scottish ballad, song, and dance tunes, written in tableture. This manuscript Dauney deciphered and published...
Another 95 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McEldowney Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the McEldowney family to Ireland

Some of the McEldowney family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 95 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McEldowney migration to the United States +

Many of the ancestors of Dalriadan families who arrived in North America still live in communities along the east coast of Canada and the United States. In the American War of Independence many of the original settlers traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the ancestors of many Scots began recovering their collective national heritage through Clan societies, highland games, and other patriotic events. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name McEldowney or a variant listed above:

McEldowney Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John McEldowney, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1841 2
James McEldowney, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1847 2

McEldowney Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Jane K. McEldowney, aged 48, who settled in America from Tyrone, in 1901
Hester McEldowney, aged 25, who immigrated to the United States, in 1905
William McEldowney, aged 22, who settled in America from Donegal, in 1906
Frank McEldowney, aged 21, who settled in America from Draperton, Ireland, in 1907
David McEldowney, aged 20, who immigrated to the United States from Tyrone, Ireland, in 1907
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name McEldowney (post 1700) +

Robert McEldowney, American politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates from Wetzel County, 1875
John C. McEldowney, American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at New Martinsville, West Virginia, 1893-98
Nancy McEldowney, United States career diplomat
Harrison McEldowney, American choreographer, best known for his theatrical work for the 1992 Summer Olympics Closing Ceremonies
Brooke McEldowney (b. 1952), American cartoonist, creator of 9 Chickweed Lane, Best Newspaper Comic Award (2006)
John McEldowney, Professor of Law at the University of Warwick
Francis McEldowney (b. 1981), Irish Gaelic footballer
Dennis McEldowney (1926-2003), New Zealand born author and publisher, winner of the Hubert Church Memorial Prize (1958)

Historic Events for the McEldowney family +

HMS Cornwall

William Patrick Mceldowney, British Surgeon Lieutenant (D) aboard the HMS Cornwall (1942) when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he survived the sinking 3

HMS Dorsetshire

William Patrick Mceldowney, British Lieutenant Surgeon aboard the HMS Dorsetshire (1945) when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he survived the sinking 4

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)
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)
Force Z Survivors Crew List HMS Cornwall (Retrieved 2018, February 13th) - Retrieved from https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listcornwallcrew.html#A
Force Z Survivors HMS Dorsetshire Crew List, (Retrieved 2018, February 13th), https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listdorsetshirecrew.html