| ![Show Contents]() Glassock History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The western seacoast of Scotland and the rugged Hebrides islands made up the ancient Kingdom of Dalriada, the ancestral home of the Glassock family. Glassock is a name for a person with gray hair. The surname Glass is derived from the Gaelic word glas, which means gray, however, it may also be a shortened Anglicized form of the surname MacGille Glais, which means son of the gray lad. 1 In England, the name is an occupational name for "one who made or sold glassware." 2 Early Origins of the Glassock familyThe surname Glassock was first found in Buteshire (Gaelic Siorrachd Bhòid), an island region of western Scotland within the ancient Kingdom of Dál Riata, now part of the Council Area of Argyll and Bute. Glass is a "parish, of which the name, in the Gaelic language, signifying "grey," is descriptive of the uncultivated portion of its surface, is about eight miles in extreme length, and five miles in extreme breadth, comprising an area of nearly 19,000 acres." 3 Early records of the family are very scarce. The name is thought to be "a shortened form of Mac Gille glais [who were] families locally called barons from the fifteenth century till recently. In 1506 there is record of a grant of half the lands of Langilculcreich in Bute to Alexander Glass. The name is also in record in Perth in 1674, and fifteen of the name are recorded in the Commissariot Record of Dunblane from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century." 4 Much father to the south in Devon, England "the present home of the name of Glass in this county is in the Exbourne district. Nicholas Glass was the name of the mayor of Barnstaple in 1787 and 1804. Glass was the name of two Tiverton churchwardens in 1723 and 1724. The name is also established in Wiltshire." 5 Early History of the Glassock familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Glassock research. Another 150 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1652, 1674, 1695, 1724, 1773 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Glassock History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Glassock Spelling VariationsHistorical recordings of the name Glassock include many spelling variations. They include They are the result of repeated translations of the name from Gaelic to English and inconsistencies in spelling rules. Glass, Glas, MacGilleglas, Glasse and others. Early Notables of the Glassock familyNotable amongst the Clan from early times was John Glas (1695-1773), Scottish sectary, only son of Alexander Glas (d. 1724), minister of Auchtermuchty, Fifeshire, afterwards of Kinclaven, Perthshire. He was born at Auchtermuchty on 21 Sept. 1695. "Glas was of even and cheerful disposition, in company free from professional stiffness, and not without a sense of humour. ‘I too can be grave at times,’...
Another 63 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Glassock Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Glassock family to Ireland
Some of the Glassock family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Glassock migration to the United States | + |
Numerous Scottish settlers settled along the east coast of the colonies that would become the United States and Canada. Others traveled to the open country of the west. At the time of the American War of Independence, some remained in the United States, while those who remained loyal to the crown went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The highland games and Clan societies that sprang up across North America in the 20th century have helped many Scots to recover parts of their lost traditions. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Glassocks to arrive in North America:
Glassock Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Jean Glassock, aged 23, arrived in New York in 1912 aboard the ship "Carpathia" from Naples, Italy 6
- Arelian Glassock, aged 21, arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Hahatonka" from Tampico, Mexico 6
| Contemporary Notables of the name Glassock (post 1700) | + |
- Craig Glassock (b. 1973), Australian cricketer who played four first-class and one List A match for New South Wales (1994-1995) and (1997-1998)
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: Luctor
Motto Translation: I struggle, but am not overwhelmed.
- Dixon, Bernard Homer, Surnames. London: John Wilson and son, 1857. Print
- Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
- Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
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Glassock migration to the United States 
Scotland
Ireland
England
