Phergusson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

In the mountains of Scotland's west coast and on the Hebrides islands, the ancestors of the Phergusson family were born. Their name comes from the Scottish surname MacFergus, which means "son of Fergus".

Early Origins of the Phergusson family

The surname Phergusson was first found in Galloway (Gaelic: Gall-ghaidhealaibh), an area of southwestern Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Dumfries and Galloway, that formerly consisted of the counties of Wigtown (West Galloway) and Kirkcudbright (East Galloway), where they were descended from the Prince of Galloway who married the daughter of Henry I of England. These ancient Lords of Galloway were independent rulers until they were annexed by Scotland in 1234. Alan, Prince of Galloway, was the last of the line. The Craigdarroch branch was the oldest but they also had branches at Cowal, Kintyre, Kilkerran, Atholl, Kinmundy, Pitfour.

The Ayrshire Fergusons, who descended from Fergus, the independent 12th century Lord of Galloway, were established in the Southwest of Scotland even before they received their charter from Bruce, the King of Scotland, in the 13th century. Furthermore, numerous families of the name Ferguson were established throughout Scotland at an early date. In Argyll, where the Ferguson Clan is particularly numerous, the Fergusons held lands in Strachur until the beginning of the 19th century. The Fergussons of Perthshire were recognized as the principal Highland branch of the Clan and the chieftainship belonged to the Dunfallandy family, the head of which was designated "MacFhearghuis."

Early History of the Phergusson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Phergusson research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1621, 1637, 1667, 1672, 1699, 1705, 1714, 1715, 1723, 1734, 1745, 1816 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Phergusson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Phergusson Spelling Variations

In various documents Phergusson has been spelled Since medieval scribes still spelled according to sound, records from that era contain an enormous number of spelling variations. Ferguson, Fergusson, Farguson, Fargerson, Fargusson and many more.

Early Notables of the Phergusson family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was James Ferguson (1621-1667), a Scottish minister; William Ferguson (d. 1699) of Badifurrow, Aberdeenshire, Scotland; and his son, James Ferguson (died 1705), of Balmakelly and Kirtonhill, Kincardineshire, a Scottish major-general, colonel of the...
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Phergusson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Phergusson family to Ireland

Some of the Phergusson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Phergusson family

The descendants of the Dalriadan families who made the great crossing of the Atlantic still dot communities along the east coast of the United States and Canada. In the American War of Independence, many of the settlers traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Clan societies and highland games have allowed Canadian and American families of Scottish descent to recover much of their lost heritage. Investigation of the origins of family names on the North American continent has revealed that early immigrants bearing the name Phergusson or a variant listed above include: Daniel Ferguson who settled in New England in 1651; Duncan Ferguson settled in Virginia in 1716; Robert Ferguson settled in Virginia in 1716; Thomas Fergusson settled in Barbados in 1678..

The Phergusson 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: Dulcius ex asperis
Motto Translation: Sweeter after difficulties