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Show ContentsPrendergast History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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The origins of this surname remain uncertain. According to family lore, it was originally from a place named Brontegeest, near Ghent in Flanders. Form there, Flemish settlers took the name to Normandy, before arriving in Britain with the Norman invasion. The Prendergast family lived in the village of Prendergast in the Welsh county of Pembroke.

Early Origins of the Prendergast family

The surname Prendergast was first found in Pembroke where Philip, son of a bearer of Prenliregast, a follower of the Conqueror was given the lands, which would encompass Prendergast Castle. There has long been a Prenegast family of this name in Berwickshire, which is said to come from these same roots. "Preenhirlegast is generally supposed to be synonymous with Prendergast, which family, soon after the Conquest, held possessions in the county of Pembroke, and at Akill, in Northumberland, which last estate its owners forfeited in 1327, by their adherence to the Scottish party. Maurice, Lord of Prendergast, near Pembroke, was one of the most eminent of Strongbow's companions in the conquest of Ireland. " 1

In Scotland, "The family gave the name of their Welsh home to their new possessions, Prenderguest (now a farm, a 1152 Prenderghest) near Ayton, Berwickshire. Waldoev de Prendergest witnessed the grant of the church of Kilmaurs to the Abbey of Kelso, c. 1170. Helia de Prendregest witnessed a charter by Adam de Lamberton of the third part of Lambertun, c. 1190-1200. " 2

Early History of the Prendergast family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Prendergast research. Another 178 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1170, 1172, 1225, 1240, 1296, 1325, 1354, 1413, 1424, 1440 and 1709 are included under the topic Early Prendergast History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Prendergast Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Prendergast, Prendegast, Pendergast, Pendegast, Prendregast, Pendergrass, Pendergrist and many more.

Early Notables of the Prendergast family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • Sir Thomas Prendergast (d. 1709), Brigadier-General created 1st Baronet Prendergast, of Gort, Ireland

Prendergast Ranking

In the United States, the name Prendergast is the 6,733rd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 3

Ireland Migration of the Prendergast family to Ireland

Some of the Prendergast family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 71 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

United States Prendergast migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Prendergast Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Phillip Prendergast who settled in Virginia in 1643
  • Phillipp Prendergast, who arrived in Virginia in 1643 4
Prendergast Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Thomas Prendergast, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1772 4
Prendergast Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Edward Prendergast, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1824 4
  • Michael Prendergast, who landed in Savanna(h), Georgia in 1856 4
  • Richard and Miles Prendergast, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1858
  • James Prendergast, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1867 4
  • John Prendergast, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1878 4

Canada Prendergast migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Prendergast Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Johanna Prendergast, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1825
  • Miss. Catherine Prendergast, aged 5 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Avon" departing from the port of Avon, Cork but died on Grosse Isle in August 1847 5
  • Mr. Timothy Prendergast, aged 30 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Avon" departing from the port of Avon, Cork but died on Grosse Isle in July 1847 5
  • Mr. James Prendergast, aged 2 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Avon" departing 19th May 1847 from Cork, Ireland; the ship arrived on 26th July 1847 but he died on board 6

Australia Prendergast migration to Australia +

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

Prendergast Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Francis Prendergast, Welsh convict who was convicted in Pembroke, Pembrokeshire, Wales for 7 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
  • Miss Mary Prendergast, (Farrell), Irish convict who was convicted in Wicklow, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Exmouth" on 2nd January 1804, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
  • Miss Mary Prendergast, (Farrell), (b. 1791), aged 18, Irish convict who was convicted in Wicklow, Ireland for 7 years for theft, transported aboard the "Experiment" on 21st January 1809, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, she died in 1856 9
  • Eliza Prendergast, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Eliza" in 1849 10
  • Mr. Patrick Prendergast, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Equestrian" on 27th August 1852, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Prendergast 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:

Prendergast Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mary Prendergast, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "William Watson" in 1859
  • Miss Mary Prendergast, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "William Watson" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 8th February 1859 12
  • Patrick Prendergast, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Telegraph" in 1863
  • Bridget Prendergast, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Telegraph" in 1863
  • Robert Prendergast, aged 37, a labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Helenslee" in 1864 13
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Prendergast (post 1700) +

  • Thomas Francis Prendergast (1871-1913), American Medal of Honor recipient
  • Michael "Mike" Thomas Prendergast, American Major League Baseball player
  • Maurice Brazil Prendergast (1858-1924), Canadian-born, American Post-Impressionist artist
  • John Prendergast (b. 1964), American author and human rights activist
  • Edmond Francis Prendergast (1843-1918), American Archbishop of Philadelphia
  • Mike Prendergast (1888-1967), American Major League Baseball player
  • Mick Prendergast (b. 1950), English professional Association footballer
  • Patrick "Paddy" Prendergast (1926-2021), Irish Gaelic footballer for Dungloe and Ballintubber, member of the Donegal and Cork senior football teams (1946-1956)
  • Sir James Prendergast GCMG (1826-1921), London-born, New Zealand jurist, 3rd Chief Justice of New Zealand (1875-1899); he emigrated to Victoria, Australia in 1852 and later to New Zealand in 1862
  • Thomas Prendergast (1806-1886), Irish inventor of the ‘mastery’ system of learning languages, his father, Sir Jeffery Prendergast, born at Clonmel in 1769, was in the service of the East India Company, becoming colonel of the 39th native infantry in 1825
  • ... (Another 21 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
  1. Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
  2. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. 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)
  5. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 51)
  6. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 92)
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/experiment
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 2nd June 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/experiment
  10. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ELIZA 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Eliza.htm
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/equestrian
  12. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  13. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 12th December 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
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