Gargan History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsEarly Origins of the Gargan familyThe surname Gargan was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor in the West Riding. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 1 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Gargrave held by Berenger de Tosny and Roger le Poitvin from the King as recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. Early History of the Gargan familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gargan research. Another 153 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1210, 1219, 1446, 1468, 1495, 1510, 1540, 1549, 1559, 1565, 1569, 1571, 1575, 1579, 1582, 1585, 1588, 1597, 1600, 1605, 1606, 1609 and 1638 are included under the topic Early Gargan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Gargan Spelling VariationsIt is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Gargan are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Gargan include Gargrave, Gargreve, Gargreave, Cargrave, Cargrove and many more. Early Notables of the Gargan familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Thomas Gargrave (1495-1579), a Yorkshire Knight who served as High Sheriff of Yorkshire (1565 and 1569), speaker of Queen Elizabeth's first Parliament and President of the Council of the North (1559), father of Sir Cotton Gargrave; Sir Cotton Gargrave (1540-1588), an English landowner and politician, Member of Parliament for Boroughbridge...
Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Gargan, or a variant listed above: Gargan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Gargan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
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