McCaskey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland

In the mountains of Scotland's west coast and on the Hebrides islands, the ancestors of the McCaskey family were born. Their name comes from an ancient Norse warrior name Askell, which means cauldron of the Gods and denoted son of Asgaill.

Early Origins of the McCaskey family

The surname McCaskey was first found in living on the Islands of Skye and of Lewis (Scottish Gaelic: Leòdhas), 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. On Skye, ancestors of the McCaskey Clan occupied the district of "Rubha an Dunain, " where the ruins of the family residence may seen to this day.

Early History of the McCaskey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McCaskey research. Another 128 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1795 and 1863 are included under the topic Early McCaskey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McCaskey Spelling Variations

Spelling variations are a very common occurrence in records of early Scottish names. They result from the repeated and inaccurate translations that many names went through in the course of various English occupations of Scotland. McCaskey has been spelled MacAskill, MacAskill, Gaskell, Gaskill, MacGaskill, MacKaskil, MacKaskill and many more.

Early Notables of the McCaskey family

Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McCaskey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McCaskey migration to the United States +

Scottish settlers arrived in many of the communities that became the backbones of the United States and Canada. Many stayed, but some headed west for the endless open country of the prairies. In the American War of Independence, many Scots who remained loyal to England re-settled in Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Scots across North America were able to recover much of their lost heritage in the 20th century as Clan societies and highland games sprang up across North America. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first McCaskeys to arrive on North American shores:

McCaskey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Richard McCaskey, who arrived in America in 1812 1

McCaskey migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McCaskey Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mary McCaskey, aged 26, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Eleanor Gordon" in 1834
Biddy McCaskey, aged 40, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Eleanor Gordon" in 1834
John McCaskey, aged 13, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Eleanor Gordon" in 1834
George McCaskey, aged 11, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Eleanor Gordon" in 1834
Eliza McCaskey, aged 9, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Eleanor Gordon" in 1834
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McCaskey 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:

McCaskey Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Jonathan Mccaskey, (b. 1855), aged 20, Irish labourer from County Tyrone travelling from London aboard the ship "Waimate" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 4th December 1875 2

Contemporary Notables of the name McCaskey (post 1700) +

Michael McCaskey (1943-2020), American sports executive, Chairman of the Chicago Bears in the National Football League from 1999 until 2011
John Gruard McCaskey (1874-1924), American oil businessman and philanthropist, "the Sauerkraut King"
John Piersol McCaskey (1837-1934), American politician, 23rd Mayor of Lancaster, Pennsylvania from 1907 to 1911
Evan McCaskey (d. 1989), American guitarist
George McCaskey, current chairman of the Chicago Bears
Virginia Halas McCaskey (b. 1923), American owner of the Chicago Bears

The McCaskey 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: Spea
Motto Translation: By hope.

Citations +

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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html