McCurdy (surname)

McCurdy is a Scottish and Irish surname.

Scottish nobility

Mackwrerdys (later Mackirdies, Mackirdys, McCurdys) were some of the principal possessors of the island of Bute at a very early period; they belonged to the tribes who possessed the western islands of Scotland.

Subsequently James IV, King of Scots in 1489, leased the Crownlands in Bute, which in 1503 was embodied in one general charter of the 30th Parliament and detailed in the Exchequer Rolls, land assigned to the Makwrerdys, Makarartys, McVarathy, Banachtynes, Stewarts, etc, the greater portion being assigned to the Makwrerdys, consisting of the following properties:

  1. "To Gilchrist Makwrerdy, half of Bruchag and Bransare, and the 22 shilling and three penny land of Berone."
  2. "To Gilchrist Makwrerdy, Jr., the eleven shillings and five penny land of Berone."
  3. "To Finlay Makwrerdy, half of Langil-Culcreith and half of Kerrymanach and half of Stramanane."
  4. "To John Makwrerdy, half of Stramanane and half of Danallid."
  5. "To Donald Makwrerdy, two-thirds of Bernaul and Langil-Culcathla."
  6. "To Alexander Makwrerdy, half of Cowleing."

Most of the above lands eventually descended to Robert Makwrerdy, the Baron of Garrochty. There are traditions existing in many families that the Mackirdys descended from a chieftain named Gilchrist, who was supposed to have flourished about 1525; whether this was Gilchrist of Bruchag, his son Gilchrist, or a son of one of the other Makwrerdys mentioned in the general charter is unknown. Be that as it may, Gilchrist the chieftain had four sons: Gilchrist, Donald, Finlay and John.

Donald was the father of Donald Jr. and Alexander; the latter's son Robert was the father of Robert, the Baron of Garrochty, to whom most of the feudal lands descended. Donald, Jr. was probably born about 1550 and may be properly termed the "Founder of the Mackirdys" as he was the first, so far as known, to contract the name from Makwrerdy. Of his children we have no authentic account except of his son Fingal, who was killed with his father in a battle in which they were allied with a Cameron clan in 1600, so Fingal's son Donald became their heir.

Donald MacKirdy was born about 1598; he married Mary Margaret "Peggy" Cameron, a great grand daughter of James IV, King of Scots; they had six sons: Irven; Pethric, Fingal, Daniel, Gilkrist and Alexander; of two of these sons, nothing is known.

Pethric McCurdy, the first known to use this iteration of the name, was born about 1648. His father's name undoubtedly was Daniel, the son of Donald and Peggy Mackirdy. Pethric McCurdy married Margaret Stewart, daughter of Charles Stewart of Ballintoy, Ireland.

Descendency and diaspora

It is through the marriage of Petheric McCurdy to Margaret Stewart that most McCurdy families in the Eastern and Southern United States can trace their roots as Petheric and Margaret's sons John, Daniel and James immigrated to Pennsylvania and South Carolina during the Colonial period.

  • The names of McCurdy, McCready, McCurry, McQuady, McCurdie and other similar names are generally believed to have descended from the Mackirdy stock as research in many cases has proven.

Notable McCurdys

The following is a list of notable people with the surname McCurdy:

See also

References
    • Information taken from the Public Domain Historical Genealogy of the McCurdy Family by D.E. McCurdy
    • Crownland distribution by King James IV of Scotland as detailed in the Exchequer Rolls of 1450 for the Isle of Bute.
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