![Show Contents]() Mhaighstir History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Scotland Ireland The name Mhaighstir comes from the ancient Scottish kingdom of Dalriada, where it was used to indicate someone who worked as a cleric. The Middle Gaelic word magisder is borrowed from the Latin magister. The Gaelic form of the surname is Mac a Mhaighstir, which means son of the Master. 1 Early Origins of the Mhaighstir familyThe surname Mhaighstir was first found in Ardgour (Scottish Gaelic: Ard Ghobhar, meaning Height of the goats), where they were anciently derived from members of the Clan MacInnes, who changed their name. "This surname is now found mainly in the shires of Dumfries and Wigtown, but was also the name of a sept in Ardgour traditionally said to have been dispossessed by Macleans in the fifteenth century." 1 Early History of the Mhaighstir familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mhaighstir research. Another 72 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1433, 1498, 1582 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Mhaighstir History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Mhaighstir Spelling VariationsSince medieval scribes still spelled according to sound, records from that era contain an enormous number of spelling variations. In various documents Mhaighstir has been spelled MacMaster, McMaster, M'Master, Mac a' Mhaighstir (Gaelic) and many more. Early Notables of the Mhaighstir familyMore information is included under the topic Early Mhaighstir Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Mhaighstir family to Ireland
Some of the Mhaighstir family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 88 words (6 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 Mhaighstir familyDescendents of Dalriadan-Scottish families still populate many communities across North America. They are particularly common in Canada, since many went north as United Empire Loyalists at the time of the American War of Independence. Much later, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the highland games and Clan societies that now dot North America sprang up, allowing many Scots to recover their lost national heritage. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Mhaighstir, or a variant listed above: James McMaster, who sailed to Boston in 1766; Elizabeth MacMaster sailed to New York in 1774; Angus MacMaster migrated from Lochaber, Inverness to Inverness County, Nova Scotia in 1802.
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: MacAonghais a-rithist
Motto Translation: Again MacInnes
- 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)
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