MacHie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

MacHie was first used as a surname by descendants of the Pictish people of ancient Scotland. The ancestors of the MacHie family lived in ancient chronicles where the tradition relating this distinguished Pictish family of Hay begins during an attack by the Danes in the reign of Kenneth III of Scotland in 980. The defeated Scottish army retired through a narrow pass near Lochnarty in Perthshire which was later defended by a local farmer and his two sons. Upbraiding the retiring Scottish army, the farmer rallied the retreating Scottish and eventually defeated the Danes. They took the yokes from the oxen with which they were ploughing, and so belaboured the invaders as to drive them from the field, amidst shouts of Hay! Hay! The King rewarded the family with many grants of land including the Carse of Gowrie on the River Tay, traditionally marked by the limit of a falcon's flight, six miles in length. There is a monument still extant called the Falcon's Stone marking the falcon's place of rest. 1 The king also assigned three shields or escutcheons for the arms of the family, to intimate that the father and his two sons had been the three fortunate shields of Scotland.

Early Origins of the MacHie family

The surname MacHie was first found in Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) former county in the present day Council Area of Perth and Kinross, located in central Scotland, but looking further back we find Hay family of Normandy was of considerable rank and importance in the year 823 AD.

Significantly, the family held a Coat of Arms from ancient times that consisted of three red shields on a silver background. They also held many baronies, including the Castle and Barony of La Hai-du-puits in Coutances from whence the Sire-de-la-haie came.

He accompanied Duke William of Normandy in his conquest of England and was granted vast estates in Sussex, Essex and Suffolk, as recorded in the Domesday Book. He died in 1098, his daughter marrying her cousin Robert de la Haie, Count of Mortain. William de Haya, who first settled in Scotland was probably Robert's son, and he witnessed charters by King Malcolm IV in 1160 AD. 2

Early History of the MacHie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacHie research. Another 250 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1255, 1258, 1309, 1333, 1342, 1403, 1406, 1418, 1419, 1450, 1456, 1508, 1543, 1564, 1568, 1572, 1577, 1579, 1588, 1591, 1594, 1599, 1625, 1634, 1645, 1660, 1668, 1697, 1704, 1706, 1713 and 1890 are included under the topic Early MacHie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

MacHie Spelling Variations

Repeated and inaccurate translation of Scottish names from Gaelic to English and back resulted in a wide variety of spelling variations with single names. MacHie has appeared Hay, Haye, Haya, Mac Garaidh (Gaelic) and others.

Early Notables of the MacHie family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was Sir Gilbert de la Haye (d. 1333), Lord High Constable of Scotland from 1309; Gilbert Hay (c.1403), Scottish poet and translator, author of "The Buik of King Alexander the Conquerour" and other works; Sir Thomas de la Hay (c. 1342-1406), Lord High Constable of Scotland, third member of the Hay family to hold this post, his predecessor was David Hay; John Hay, 1st...
Another 71 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early MacHie Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the MacHie family to Ireland

Some of the MacHie 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.

MacHie migration to the United States +

Many Scottish families suffered enormous hardships and were compelled to leave their country of birth. They traveled to Ireland and Australia, but mostly to the colonies of North America, where many found the freedom and opportunity they sought. It was not without a fight, though, as many were forced to stand up and defend their freedom in the American War of Independence. The ancestors of these Scots abroad have rediscovered their heritage in the last century through the Clan societies and other organizations that have sprung up across North America. Immigration and passenger ship lists show some important early immigrants bearing the name MacHie:

MacHie Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Alex. Machie, aged 30, who landed in America from Glasgow, in 1898

MacHie Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

David Machie, aged 44, who settled in America from Beith, Scotland, in 1908
John Machie, aged 21, who landed in America from St. Andrews, Scotland, in 1908
James Machie, aged 31, who immigrated to the United States from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1909
James Machie, aged 62, who settled in America from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1912
Jean Machie, aged 30, who immigrated to the United States from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1912
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

MacHie migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

MacHie Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Sedley J. Machie, aged 27, who settled in Canada, in 1908

The MacHie 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: Serva jugum
Motto Translation: Keep the yoke.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. 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)