Contents [hide]

Mowat History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Mowat History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

The rugged terrain and rich ancestry of Scotland forms the backdrop to the origins of Mowat family surname. In Scotland, hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules during the late Middle Ages. The Mowat family lived in Angus, but the origin of the surname can be traced back to Normandy where it is thought to be derived from Mont Hault which means of "high mount."

Early Origins of the Mowat family

The surname Mowat was first found 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, where they were granted lands by King David I of Scotland.

Early History of the Mowat family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mowat research. Another 157 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1130, 1296, 1304 and 1320 are included under the topic Early Mowat History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mowat Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Mowatt, Mouat, Mowat, Mouatt and others.

Early Notables of the Mowat family

Notable among the family at this time was

Sir Bernard Mowatt

Mowat migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Mowat Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

George Mowat, who settled in Boston in 1744
John Mowat, who settled in Boston in 1770
Alexander Mowat, who arrived in America in 1773
Elisabeth Mowat, who arrived in Savannah, Georgia in 1774
Elizabeth Mowat, who settled in Savanna, Georgia in 1774 with her brothers James and John
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Mowat Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Mowat, who arrived in New York in 1842 1

Mowat migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Mowat Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Oliver Mowat, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749

Mowat Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Edward Mowat, who settled in Canada in 1801

Mowat migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Mowat Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Alexander Mowat, aged 29, a sawyer, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Epaminondas" 2
Mary Mowat, aged 26, a dairymaid, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Epaminondas" 2

Mowat migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Mowat Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. James Mowat, British settler travelling from Liverpool aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 19th October 1859 3
Mr. Alexander Mowat, (b. 1862), aged 8 months, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Huntress" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st April 1863 3
Mr. Donald Mowat, (b. 1839), aged 24, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Huntress" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st April 1863 3
Mrs. Margaret Mowat, (b. 1841), aged 22, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Huntress" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st April 1863 3
John F. Mowat, aged 25, a carpenter, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Caroline" in 1876 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Mowat (post 1700) +

Charles Loch Mowat (1911-1970), British-born, American historian
John S. Mowat Jr. (b. 1927), American Republican politician, Member of Michigan State House of Representatives 40th District, 1971-78; Member of Michigan State Senate 19th District, 1979-82 ; Candidate in primary for U.S. Representative from Michigan 4th District, 1981 5
Jill Mowat, Scottish television journalist
Bob Mowat (b. 1949), former Canadian World Hockey Association player
Richard Mowat (1865-1936), renowned and award-winning British player of the Northumbrian smallpipes
Doug Mowat (1929-1992), Canadian politician
Herbert Macdonald Mowat (1863-1928), Canadian lawyer, jurist, and parliamentarian
James Mowat (1889-1952), Scottish-born merchant and political figure in British Columbia
David John Mowat (b. 1957), English Conservative Party politician
Farley McGill Mowat OC (1921-2014), Canadian conservationist and one of Canada's most widely-read authors
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Mowat 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: Monte alto
Motto Translation: The high mountain

Citations +

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)
South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) EPAMINONDAS 1852. Retrieved www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/epaminondas1852.shtml
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 5th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 20) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html