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There have been a number of other McCurdy Coats of Arms but most have been lost.
"Dieu et mon pays". The translation means:
Half gold and half black with a marlet (a heraldic bird) at the top and at the bottom a sword, a crown and a tree. A marlet is a martin or bird which has an exact heraldic significance, namely that the arms relates originally to and denotes a fourth son in a family. This along with the antique crown perpetuates the old legend that the first McCurdy was the fourth son of the King of Scotia (Ireland). Queen Tea Tephi is described in ancient writings as "a tender twig". She is represented on the royal Coat of Arms by the top branches of a fir tree.
A Wyvem (winged dragon).
"God and my Country".
Location: Isle of Bute
The notable McCURDY family is shown in the ancient manuscripts and cartularies as tracing their ancestry to Dalriadian origin. The most ancient McCURDY family Coat of Arms, The Barron, was recorded between the 12th and 15th centuries.
First found on the Isle of Bute (then known as Boot) where they were seated 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.
Through the centuries the McCURDY family was affiliated with many different clans through marriage. The clan STEWART claims the McCURDY family as a Sept or directly affiliated family, entitled to clan rights including the use of the clan Tartan shown below.
A Clan is an extended family or group of families in Highland Scotland. The term 'clan' is not used for families in Lowland Scotland.
A Sept is a subsidiary family that has decided to join a clan. This may have occurred for reasons of family relationship, protection from enemies, financial gain, food or improved status. Such families generally came from the same geographical areas as the clan they joined.
The prefix "Mac" means "son of" in Gaelic. Until the 16th Century, individuals in Gaelic-speaking Scotland were given only one name and thus were referred to as Duncan, son of Donald. It was only later that this convention was used to form a formal surname. Mac is variously rendered a Mc or M'. The suggestion that names beginning with "Mc" are Irish and "Mac" are Scottish is wrong. Within Gaelic, "Nic" is the female equivalent of "Mac", that is "daughter of". Thus a female's surname with the surname MacGovan, will appear in Gaelic as Nic Ghobhain, not Mac Ghobhain. However, Nic never appears in the anglicised version of a surname.
In the early days on Arran and Bute, the people of Prince Reuda's colony were also know as the Albanach tribe. The only title the MacReuda had to Arran and Bute was that of possession. This title was lost to the Vikings. The Vikings ceded the title to Scotland. When Scotland issued title, they granted most of the traditional McCurdy land to the Stewarts.
MacCurdy, MacKirdy, MacKirdie, MacCurdie, MacQuartie, MacBararthy, MacBerarthy, MacWerarthy, MacMurtrie, MacMutrie
and many more.
Some of the first American settlers of this name or some of its variants were: James McCurdy, and his wife Elizabeth Ayers, who were recorded as Scotch-Irish living in New Hampshire in 1730; Archibale McCurdy, who arrived in New England in 1737 with his five children; John McCurdy, who arrived in New England in 1745.
