Show ContentsAllestree History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

On the western coast of Scotland and on the Hebrides islands the Allestree family was born among the ancient Dalriadan clans. Their name comes from the given name Alexander, which in turn was originally derived from the Greek name, which means defender of men. In the late 11th century, Queen Margaret introduced the name, which she had heard in the Hungarian Court where she was raised, into Scotland by naming one of her sons Alexander. The popularity of the name Alexander was ensured by the fact that it was born by three Scottish kings, the first being Margaret's son who succeeded to the throne of Scotland following the death of Malcolm III.

Early Origins of the Allestree family

The surname Allestree was first found in Kintyre, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

"As a surname Alexander is very common on the west coast, where, according to the authors of Clan Donald, some of the descendants of Godfrey, second son of Alastair Mor, appear to have settled in the Carrick district of Ayrshire. " 1

The Clan MacAllistair, Alisdair being the Gaelic for Alexander, are descended from the great King Somerled. Somerled had five sons, by his marriage to Ragnhildis, daughter of the Norwegian King of the Isles, Olaf Morsel. In the MacAllister line, Ranald had two sons, Ruari and Donald, and Donald had two sons, Angus and Alisdair. Alisdair living about 1230 to 1295 claimed the territory in South Knapdale, Kintyre, the ancient Clan seat was at Ard Phadraid (Patrick's Point) on the south side of Loch Tarbot. Alisdair (known as Alisdair Mor (the big)) is the recognized founder of the Clan. On his death, his estates were given to his brother and heir who was one of Bruce's supporters, Angus Mor.

Early History of the Allestree family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Allestree research. Another 462 words (33 lines of text) covering the years 1120, 1200, 1204, 1220, 1230, 1245, 1295, 1431, 1475, 1570, 1588, 1602, 1605, 1614, 1615, 1619, 1620, 1640, 1643, 1652, 1653, 1655, 1660, 1664, 1665, 1667, 1681, 1686, 1743, 1765, 1797, 1846 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Allestree History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Allestree Spelling Variations

In various documents Allestree has been spelled Since medieval scribes still spelled according to sound, records from that era contain an enormous number of spelling variations. Alexander, Alistair, MacAlexander, Alisandre, Alischoner, Alsinder, Alastair, MacAlexter, Callestar, Aleckander, Alexandri, Alisdair, Alaisder, Alestare, Alistare and many more.

Early Notables of the Allestree family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was

  • Richard Allestree or Allestry (1619-1681), English Royalist churchman, Provost of Eton College (1665-1681)

Ireland Migration of the Allestree family to Ireland

Some of the Allestree family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 153 words (11 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Australia Allestree migration to Australia +

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

Allestree Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Levi Allestree, (Allister), (b. 1825), aged 20, English carpenter who was convicted in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England for 7 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Equestrian" on 30th June 1845, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island), he died in 1853 2


The Allestree 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: Per mare, per terras
Motto Translation: By sea, by land.


  1. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  2. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/equestrian


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