| ![Show Contents]() McLeland History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
Etymology of McLelandWhat does the name McLeland mean? The Strathclyde Briton clans of the Scottish/English Borderlands were the first to use the name McLeland. It is derived from the son of the servant of Fillan. Fillan is derived from the word fail which means wolf. In Gaelic, the name was spelled Mac Gill Fhaolain McLeland Coat of Arms CreationThere is a Maclellan Castle in Kirkcudbright, and the Maclellans, once a numerous clan in Galloway, held it for long. The Irish, or at least Saracens or gipsies 'from Ireland, made incursions into their territory, and were so troublesome that the people had to ask the aid of King James II., who promised the estate of Bombie to the man who slew the formidable leader of the marauding band. Young Maclellan got to know how fond this leader was of strong drink, and arranged that on their next coming his men should flee before them, lead the pursuers over a dry area beyond which was a well, which he carefully filled with spirits. The leader, thirsty after the chase, reached it, tasted, drank his fill, and, while thus drugged, was slain by young Maclellan, who took for his crest a Moor's head on the point of a sword. When he went to claim the estate the King said he could remember no such promise, but was told to " Think on," which became the motto of the Maclellans. 1 Early Origins of the McLeland familyThe surname McLeland was first found in the former counties of Kirkcudbrightshire and Galloway where Chief Duncan MacLellan appears in a charter of Alexander II in 1217. Other early records of the surname include Gilbert M'Lolane, who lived around the year 1270. Gilbert's son Patrick, along with several others, took the castle of Dumfries from the supporters of Robert the Bruce in around 1305. Gilelbertus MacLelan was elected Bishop of Man and the Sudreys in 1325 and held the position for almost 3 years. Early History of the McLeland familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our McLeland research. Another 201 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1347, 1450, 1457, 1466, 1513, 1547, 1597, 1633, 1641, 1647 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McLeland History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. McLeland Spelling VariationsThe origin of rules governing the spelling of names and even words is a very recent innovation. Before that, words and names were spelled according to sound, and, therefore, often appeared under several different spelling variations in a single document. McLeland has been spelled MacClelland, McClellan, MacLellan, McLellan, MacLelland, McLelland, MacClelland, McClelland, Clelland and many more. Early Notables of the McLeland familySir William Maclellan of Bombie, knighted by King James IV of Scotland, who fought for the king in the losing Battle of Flodden Field in 1513. According to folklore, McLellan threw his gauntlet at the king's feet, shook his fist and beseeched the king to "Think on!", whereupon King James relented and awarded...
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McLeland Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the McLeland family to IrelandSome of the McLeland family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 97 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| McLeland migration to the United States | + |
The persecution faced in their homeland left many Scots with little to do but sail for the colonies of North America. There they found land, freedom, opportunity, and nations in the making. They fought for their freedom in the American War of Independence, or traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In both cases, they made enormous contributions to the formation of those great nations. Among them:
McLeland Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Andrew, Catherine, Henry, James, John, Martha, Robert, and William M'Cleland, who all settled, who arrived in Charles Town, South Carolina in 1767
- Thomas McLeland, who settled in Charles Town, South Carolina in 1772
McLeland Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Abigl McLeland, aged 24, who arrived in America in 1822 2
- John McLeland, who landed in New York in 1832 2
| McLeland migration to Canada | + |
McLeland Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century- Mr. John McLeland Sr., U.E. who settled in Eastern District, Lancaster [South Glengarry], Ontario c. 1784 3
- Mr. Keneth McLeland U.E. who settled in Eastern District [Cornwall], Ontario c. 1784 3
- Kenneth McLeland, who settled in Canada in 1796
| McLeland 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: McLeland Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- Thomas McLeland, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oliver Lang" in 1858
- Bridget McLeland, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Nimroud" in 1860
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: Think on
- Polson, Alexander, The Romance of Scottish Crests and Mottoes. Inverness: Walter Alexander, Inglis Street 1929. Print
- 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)
- 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
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