McGoffrey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland

Early Origins of the McGoffrey family

Early History of the McGoffrey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McGoffrey research. Another 51 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1987 is included under the topic Early McGoffrey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McGoffrey Spelling Variations

Many different spelling variations of the surname McGoffrey exist in the archives researched. Ancient scribes and church officials recorded names as they were pronounced, often resulting in a single person being recorded under several different spellings. Different spellings that were found include MacCaffery, MacCaffrey, MacCafferty, MacAffery, MacAffry, MacAfferty, MacGoffrey, MacGodfrey and many more.

Early Notables of the McGoffrey family

More information is included under the topic Early McGoffrey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the McGoffrey family

During the middle of the 19th century, Irish families often experienced extreme poverty and racial discrimination in their own homeland under English rule. Record numbers died of disease and starvation, and many others, deciding against such a fate, boarded ships bound for North America. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Unfortunately, many of those Irish that arrived in Canada or the United States still experienced economic and racial discrimination. Although often maligned, these Irish people were essential to the rapid development of these countries because they provided the cheap labor required for the many canals, roads, railways, and other projects required for strong national infrastructures. Eventually the Irish went on to make contributions in the less backbreaking and more intellectual arenas of commerce, education, and the arts. Research early immigration and passenger lists revealed many early immigrants bearing the name McGoffrey: Biddy MacCafferty who settled in Newcastle in 1804; Arthur, Charles, Daniel, Edward, Henry, Hugh, James, John, Patrick, and Robert MacCafferty all arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between 1840 and 1860.