McKilmartin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland

The original Gaelic form of McKilmartin was Mac Giolla Mhartain. This name denotes a devotee of St. Martin. This saint founded the first monastery in France c. 360 and was made Bishop of Tours in 372. He is the patron saint of publicans and inn-keepers and is also a patron saint of France.

Early Origins of the McKilmartin family

The surname McKilmartin was first found in County Galway (Irish: Gaillimh) part of the province of Connacht, located on the west coast of the Island, where they had been granted lands by Strongbow after the Norman invasion of Ireland in 1172, and became one of the "Tribes of Galway." Kilmartin is a small village in Argyll and Bute, in western Scotland. It is best known as the center of Kilmartin Glen, one of the best examples of standing stones in Scotland. Kilmartin Castle, a small tower house, dating from about 1580, stands above the village and was the property of the Campbells.

Early History of the McKilmartin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McKilmartin research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1600, 1648, 1652 and 1722 are included under the topic Early McKilmartin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McKilmartin Spelling Variations

Within the archives researched, many different spelling variations of the surname McKilmartin were found. These included One reason for the many variations is that scribes and church officials often spelled an individual's name as it sounded. This imprecise method often led to many versions. Gilmartin, Kilmartin, MacKilmartin, MacGilmartin and many more.

Early Notables of the McKilmartin family

Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McKilmartin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the McKilmartin family

To escape the religious and political discrimination they experienced primarily at the hands of the English, thousands of Irish left their homeland in the 19th century. These migrants typically settled in communities throughout the East Coast of North America, but also joined the wagon trains moving out to the Midwest. Ironically, when the American War of Independence began, many Irish settlers took the side of England, and at the war's conclusion moved north to Canada. These United Empire Loyalists, were granted land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula. Other Irish immigrants settled in Newfoundland, the Ottawa Valley, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, however, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America and Australia. Many of those numbers, however, did not live through the long sea passage. These Irish settlers to North America were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. Irish settlers made an inestimable contribution to the building of the New World. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name McKilmartin or a variant listed above, including: Daniel and Pat Gilmartin who arrived in New York State in 1803; Francis Gilmartin settled in New York State in 1795; Pat Gilmartine settled in New York in 1854..

The McKilmartin 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: Auxilium meum a domino
Motto Translation: My help is from the Lord.