Rugged coastal mountains and the windswept
Hebrides islands were the home of the first family to use the name McGear. It was originally given to a
short person. The Gaelic form of the surname is
Mac an gheairr, which means
son of the short or low-sized man.Early Origins of the McGear family
The surname McGear 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 very ancient times, and were believed to be descended from one of the many (350) chiefs who accompanied the banished King Colla da Crioch, who left
Ireland for the
Hebrides and south west
Scotland in the year 327. This ancient Irish clann were originally from
County Armagh in Ireland.
Early History of the McGear family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McGear research.
Another 247 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1684, 1658 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McGear History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
McGear Spelling Variations
Many
spelling variations of McGear have been recorded over the years, including McGirr, McGeer, McGear, MacGirr, MacGeer, McGhirr and many more.
Early Notables of the McGear family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early McGear Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the McGear family to Ireland
Some of the McGear family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 123 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the McGear family to the New World and Oceana
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 the Crown 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 McGears to arrive on North American shores:
McGear Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Jane McGear, who settled in Delaware in 1772
McGear Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
- Mr. John McGear U.E. who settled in St. Stephen, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X