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The Picts were the ancient Scottish tribe where the ancestors of the Chrystay family lived. The name Chrystay comes from Christopher or perhaps from Christian. "Christie and Christy are all but invariably North English or Border surnames, Christian being a former favourite font-name in those districts. It is still a popular girl's name in the Scottish Lowlands." 1
The surname Chrystay was first found in Edinburghshire, a former county, now part of the Midlothian council area where they held a family seat at Carvant. By 1296 they had moved northward to Stirlingshire and there is a section of the Stirling Antiquary called "the Christies and their doings." 2
"The surname is very common in Fife, which indeed seems to have been an early home of the name. In a charter dated 13th July 1457, granted by the abbot of Lindores to the burgh of Newburgh, John Chrysty appears as a burgess. John Chryste was admitted burgess of Aberdeen in 1530. Sir Robert Criste, presbyter, witness in Fife, 1547." 2
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chrystay research. Another 235 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1476, 1541, 1565, 1569, 1582, 1590, 1597, 1602, 1605, 1612, 1634, 1688, 1710, 1730, 1748, 1761, 1766, 1773, 1774, 1784, 1796, 1797, 1800, 1803, 1810, 1816, 1823, 1829, 1831, 1838, 1840, 1865, 1874 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Chrystay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
When the first dictionaries were invented in the last few hundred years, spelling gradually became standardized. Before that time, scribes spelled according to sound. Names were often recorded under different spelling variations every time they were written. Chrystay has been written Christie, Chrystie, Chrysty, Christy, McChristie, McChristy, Christe, Christi and many more.
Notable amongst the Clan at this time was Hugh Christie (1710-1774), Scottish school-master and grammarian, the third son of Alexander Christie, great-uncle of William Christie, Unitarian writer [q. v.] He was born at Garvock, Kincardineshire, in 1710, and educated at King's College, Aberdeen, where he took the degree of M.A. in 1730. Soon after taking his degree he was a pointed rector of the grammar school of Brechin, an office which-the held until he was elected rector of the grammar school of Montrose, where he remained until his death (1774)
James Christie, the Elder (1730-1803), English auctioneer, resigned a commission in the...
Another 272 words (19 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Chrystay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The crossing to North America did not seem so great in comparison with the hardships many Scots endured at home. It was long, expensive, and cramped, but also rewarding. North America offered land and the chance for settlers to prove themselves in a new place. And many did prove themselves as they fought to forge a new nation in the American War of Independence. The ancestors of those Scots can now experience much of their once-lost heritage through the Clan societies and highland games that have sprung up across North America in the last century. A search of immigration and passenger lists revealed many important, early immigrants to North America bearing the name of Chrystay: Agnes Christie settled in Maryland in 1736; Thomas settled in Georgia in 1732; Richard settled in St. Christopher in 1635; Alexander Christy arrived in New York in 1738.