McTair History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe McTair family comes from the ancient Scottish Dalriadan clans of the mountainous west coast of Scotland. The name McTair is derived from the Gaelic form Mac-an-Tsaoir, which denotes son of the carpenter or wright. Early Origins of the McTair familyThe surname McTair was first found in on the Isle of Iona, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects. Early History of the McTair familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our McTair research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1372, 1564 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McTair History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. McTair Spelling VariationsSpelling variations were extremely common in medieval names, since scribes from that era recorded names according to sound rather than a standard set of rules. McTair has appeared in various documents spelled MacAteer, MacTear, MacTeir, MacTire, MacAtee, MacAtter, MacAttur and many more. Early Notables of the McTair familyMore information is included under the topic Early McTair Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the McTair family to IrelandSome of the McTair family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Migration of the McTair familyDalriadan families proliferated in North America. Their descendants still populate many communities in the eastern parts of both the United States and Canada. Some settled in Canada as United Empire Loyalists, in the wake of the American War of Independence. Families on both sides of the border have recovered much of their heritage in the 20th century through Clan societies and highland games. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name McTair or a variant listed above: William MacAteer settled in Pennsylvania in 1772; Edward MacAtee settled in Philadelphia in 1864; Mark MacAtter settled in New York in 1811; James MacAttur settled in New York in 1811.
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: Per ardua Motto Translation: Through difficulties. |