Clege History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe history of the Clege family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living 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 Clege familyThe surname Clege 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 Clege familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Clege 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 Clege History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Clege Spelling VariationsUntil quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Clege include Clegg, Clegge, Cleg, Claig, Claigg, Claige, Cleig, Cleigg, Clegges, Clegs, Cllege, Cleagg, Cleagge and many more. Early Notables of the Clege familyDistinguished 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... Migration of the Clege family to IrelandSome of the Clege family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Migration of the Clege familySearching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Clege or a variant listed above: 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 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.
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