Meskill History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The ancient Scottish name Meskill was first used by the Strathclyde-Briton people of the Scottish/English Borderlands. The original bearer of the name lived in Galloway. The Meskill surname also comes from the Gaelic patronytmic name Mac an Ghoill, which means "son of the stranger."

Early Origins of the Meskill family

The surname Meskill was first found in Galloway (Gaelic: Gall-ghaidhealaibh), an area of southwestern Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Dumfries and Galloway, that formerly consisted of the counties of Wigtown (West Galloway) and Kirkcudbright (East Galloway), 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.

Early History of the Meskill family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Meskill research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1231, 1579, 1582, 1595, 1734 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Meskill History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Meskill Spelling Variations

Spelling and translation were hardly exact sciences in Medieval Scotland. Sound, rather than any set of rules, was the basis for spellings, so one name was often spelled different ways even within a single document. Spelling variations are thus an extremely common occurrence in Medieval Scottish names. Meskill has been spelled MacGill, Magill, Makgill and others.

Early Notables of the Meskill family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Sir James MacGill of Nether Rankeillour (died 1579), a Scottish politician, Lord Clerk Register to Mary, Queen of Scots; and his son, David MacGill or Makgill (died...
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Meskill Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Meskill family to Ireland

Some of the Meskill family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 96 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Meskill migration to the United States +

Such hard times forced many to leave their homeland in search of opportunity across the Atlantic. Many of these families settled along the east coast of North America in communities that would become the backbones of the young nations of the United States and Canada. The ancestors of many of these families have rediscovered their roots in the 20th century through the establishment of Clan societies and other patriotic Scottish organizations. Among them:

Meskill Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Meskill, who landed in St Clair County, Illinois in 1855 1

Meskill migration to Australia +

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

Meskill Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Margaret Meskill, (Mccaskill), Irish convict who was convicted in County Clare, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Experiment" on 21st January 1809, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 2
James Meskill, aged 32, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Epaminondas" 3
Simon Meskill, aged 22, a farm labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Grand Trianon"
Jane Meskill, aged 20, a dairy maid, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Grand Trianon"

Contemporary Notables of the name Meskill (post 1700) +

Thomas Joseph Meskill (1928-2007), American Republican politician, Mayor of New Britain, Connecticut, 1962-64; Delegate to Connecticut State Constitutional Convention 6th District, 1965; U.S. Representative from Connecticut 6th District, 1967-71
Matthew Meskill, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Connecticut, 1956
Thomas Joseph Meskill (1928-2007), American judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the 82nd Governor of Connecticut

The Meskill 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: Sine fine
Motto Translation: Without end.

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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 2nd June 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/experiment
South Australian Register Monday 26th December 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Epaminondas 1853. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/epaminondas1853.shtml