Show ContentsMabey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Mabey family

The surname Mabey was first found in Kirkcudbrightshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Chille Chuithbheirt), part of the present day Council Area of Dumfries and Galloway, former county in Southwestern Scotland, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Much farther to the south in Cornwall, England we found this interesting entry as to the parish of Mabe in Cornwall:

"This parish, which is neither large nor populous, is in the deanery and east division of the hundred of Kirrier. It is situated about two miles and a half nearly north-west from Penryn, and contains but little to recommend it to particular notice. On the origin of its name many doubts have been entertained. As a distinct parish its antiquity cannot be compared to that of many other parishes; since it was formerly appropriated to the rich college of Glaseney, at Penryn, and in conjunction with Milor, it forms at present only a consolidated vicarage. In some old records this parish bears the name of Lavabe or Lavapper, and at other times Lan-Mabe, which implies the church of Mabe.' 1

Father Mapple is a fictional character in Herman Melville's novel Moby-Dick (1851); eponym of Mapple Glacier, in the Aristotle Mountains of Antarctica.

Early History of the Mabey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mabey research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1200 is included under the topic Early Mabey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mabey Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Mabbe, Mabee, Mabey, Mabie, Mabes and others.

Early Notables of the Mabey family

More information is included under the topic Early Mabey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Mabey migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Mabey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Robert Mabey, English convict from Kent, who was transported aboard the "Anson" on September 23, 1843, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 2
  • Charles Mabey, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Glen Huntley" in 1849 3
  • Susanne Mabey, aged 64, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1850 aboard the ship "Fatima" 4
  • William Mabey, aged 35, a schoolmaster, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Mary Green" 5

Mabey migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Mabey Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Charles Mabey, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
  • Job Mabey, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
  • Charles Mabey, aged 38, a farm labourer, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Olympus" in 1841
  • Harriet Mabey, aged 35, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Olympus" in 1841
  • Sophia Mabey, aged 10, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Olympus" in 1841
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Mabey (post 1700) +

  • Charles Rendell Mabey (1877-1959), American politician, the fifth Governor of Utah
  • Rendell Noel Mabey (1908-2000), American Republican politician, Member of Utah State House of Representatives, 1943-48; Speaker of the Utah State House of Representatives, 1947-48; Member of Utah State Senate, 1953-56 6
  • Charles Rendell Mabey (1877-1959), American Republican politician, Member of Utah State House of Representatives, 1913-16; Governor of Utah, 1921-25 6
  • Reginald William "Reg" Mabey (1932-2000), Canadian businessman and politician in New Brunswick who represented Sunbury County in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1970 to 1974
  • Paul Mabey (1786-1863), Canadian merchant and politician in Prince Edward Island, represented Charlottetown in the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island from 1817 to 1830
  • Richard Mabey (b. 1941), English naturalist and author
  • Bevil Mabey, English founder of the Mabey Group, a British-based group of engineering companies in 1923

RMS Titanic
  • Mr. J. Mabey (d. 1912), aged 23, English Steward from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 7


  1. Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
  2. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Anson voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1843 with 499 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/anson/1843
  3. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The GLEN HUNTLEY 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849GlenHuntly.htm
  4. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The barque FATIMA 1850, 521 tons. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850Fatima.htm
  5. South Australian Register Monday 20 June 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) MARY GREEN 1853. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/marygreen1853.shtml
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  7. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html


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