Claigue History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The lineage of the name Claigue begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It is a result of when they lived in the region of Clegg in Rochdale in the county of Lancashire. In some cases, this name was derived from the Gaelic MacLiagh, meaning "son of the physician." One source claims that the name was "Old Norse, kleggi, a compact mass. There was a Northman with this surname in the Landnamabok." 1

Early Origins of the Claigue family

The surname Claigue was first found in Lancashire where "almost all our Cleggs hail from Clegg, or Clegg Hall, in the parish of Rochdale." 2 "Clegg was the name of a very ancient family of Clegg Hall near Rochdale; but the estate passed out of the family by marriage in the reign of Edward VI. The name is common in the Rochdale registers of the 16th century, and it is still in the town." 3

Early rolls revealed: Nicholas de Clegg and Mathew de Clegg in Lancashire in 1360. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list: Ricardus de Cleghe and Henricus de Cloghe. Much later, the Wills of Chester list Thomas Clegg as a tanner in Middleton, Lancashire in 1581 and the same listing included Arthur Clegg, of Fieldhouse in the parish of Rochdale in 1608. 2

Early History of the Claigue family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Claigue research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1679, 1702, 1714, 1723, 1743, 1744, 1746, 1755 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Claigue History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Claigue Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Claigue has undergone many spelling variations, including Clegg, Clegge, Cleg, Claig, Claigg, Claige, Cleig, Cleigg, Clegges, Clegs, Cllege, Cleagg, Cleagge and many more.

Early Notables of the Claigue family

Distinguished members of the family include James Clegg, M.D. (1679-1755), a Presbyterian minister and author from Rochdale, Lancashire. "He was educated by the Rev. Richard Frankland at...
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Claigue Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Claigue family to Ireland

Some of the Claigue family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 279 words (20 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 Claigue family

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Claigue were among those contributors: John Clegg who settled at Pennaquid, Maine in the year 1687; and Thomas Clegg, his son, was recorded later. Alfred, David, Edward, Francis, George, Henry, Isaac, James, Joseph, Nathaniel, Robert, Samuel, and Thomas Clegg, all arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between 1820 and 1869.

The Claigue 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: Qui potest capere capiat
Motto Translation: Let him take who can take.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.