In Scottish history, few names go farther back than Elligott, whose ancestors lived among the clans of the Pictish tribe. The ancestors of the Elligott family lived in
Liddesdale and Teviotdale where the family has a long and distinguished history dating back to the early Middle Ages. The name is actually derived from the Old English
personal name Elwald or
Aelfwald, but this name is now all but extinct as a personal name.
Early Origins of the Elligott family
The surname Elligott was first found in
Liddesdale, and Teviotdale. Although originally from Elliott, a village near Forfar, this
Clan was persuaded by the Douglases to move south to help defend the border in 1396. There they became one of the most influential clans. Some of the notable personalities were "Archie Fire the Braes," "Hob of the Park," "Little Jock of the Park," "Jock Half Lugs," "Jock A'God's Name," "Gibbe Wi' the Gowden Gartens."
Early History of the Elligott family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Elligott research.
Another 281 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1499, 1546, 1898, 1592, 1632, 1636, 1668, 1604, 1690, 1612, 1685, 1640, 1665, 1714, 1700, 1670, 1797 and are included under the topic Early Elligott History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Elligott Spelling Variations
Although Medieval
Scotland lacked a basic set of spelling rules, which meant that scribes recorded names according to their sounds it was not uncommon for the names of a father and son to be recorded differently. As a result, there are many
spelling variations of Scottish single names. Elligott has been written Elliott, Elliot, Eliot, Eliott, Ellegett, Ellegot, Ellecot, Ellacott, Ellacot, Ellgate, Ellett, Ellit and many more.
Early Notables of the Elligott family (pre 1700)
Notable amongst the
Clan at this time was Sir John Eliot (1592-1632), an English statesman who was serially imprisoned in the Tower of London by King Charles I for advocating the rights and privileges of Parliament; George Elliott (ca. 1636-1668), English surgeon to the Earl of Teviot's Regiment; John Eliot (c...
Another 76 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Elligott Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Elligott family to Ireland
Some of the Elligott family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 149 words (11 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 Elligott family to the New World and Oceana
Thousands of Scots left their home country to travel to
Ireland or
Australia, or to cross the Atlantic for the North American colonies. The difficult crossing was an enormous hurdle, but those who survived found freedom and opportunity in ample measure. Some Scots even fought for their freedom in the American
War of Independence. This century, their ancestors have become aware of the illustrious history of the Scots in North America and at home through
Clan societies and other organizations. Passenger and immigration lists show many early and influential immigrants bearing the name Elligott:
Elligott Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- John Elligott, who landed in Mississippi in 1889 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Elligott 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: Fortiter et recte
Motto Translation: Rightly and Boldly