Show ContentsQuarie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

In the mountains of Scotland's west coast and on the Hebrides islands, the ancestors of the Quarie family were born. Their name comes from Guaire, an old Gaelic personal name meaning noble or proud. 1

Early Origins of the Quarie family

The surname Quarie was first found in on the Isle of Ulva, where they were originally a branch of the 'Siol Alpin,' the descendants of Kenneth Mac Alpin, founder and first king of Scotland during the 9th century.

One of the first records of the family was "John M'Goyre of Wlua [who] witnessed a charter by John of Yle, Earl of Ross, in 1463. In the royal confirmation of this charter his name appears as M'Geir de Ulva. In the Gaelic genealogical manuscript of 1467 the name appears correctly as M'Guaire." 2

Later, Donald McGillecallum McGorre or McQuhorre was tenant of Kyllewane in Kintyre, 1506, and Cillecallum McNeill McQuhore was also a tenant in Kintyre in the same year. 2

"A side form of the name is Macwharrie, and this shortened to Wharrie is also in current use. In the Isle of Man the name has become Quarry and Querry, and in Ireland it is Gorey (from UaGuaire). " 2

Early History of the Quarie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Quarie research. Another 336 words (24 lines of text) covering the years 1509, 1517, 1581, 1627, 1630, 1673, 1674, 1745, 1777, 1778, 1781, 1784, 1787, 1809, 1810, 1811, 1813, 1818, 1824 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Quarie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Quarie Spelling Variations

In various documents Quarie has been spelled Since medieval scribes still spelled according to sound, records from that era contain an enormous number of spelling variations. MacQuarrie, MacQuarie, MacQuarry, McQuarrie, McQuarry, MacQuerry, MacCorrie, MacCorry, MacQuarrey, MacWharrie and many more.

Early Notables of the Quarie family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was

  • Lachlan MacQuarie (d. 1824), major-general and governor of New South Wales, came of an old Scottish family which had been established for many generations on the island of Ulva, near Mull. His father...
  • Towards the close of 1809 Macquarie proceeded with his regiment to the convict settlement of New South Wales. The colony was in a critical state. The New South Wales corps, acting with the less law-ab...
  • For the twelve years of his administration Macquarie was practically dictator of the settlement. When the secretary of state informed him that it was not the intention of his majesty's government to a...
  • His expenditure on public works was very lavish. 'The number of public buildings … erected or constructed by Governor Macquarie not only in Sydney and Paramatta, but in all the other settlements of th...

Ireland Migration of the Quarie family to Ireland

Some of the Quarie 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 Quarie 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 Quarie or a variant listed above include: Anne McGuary, who arrived in New York in 1740; Donald Macquarrie, a "prisoners of the '45 rising," who was on record in Barbados or Jamaica in 1745.



The Quarie 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: Turris fortis meus mihi Deus
Motto Translation: To me God is my strong tower


  1. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. 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)


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