NAME

We didn't always have a surname.  It all started when William the Conqueror invaded England in 1066.  He commissioned what is now known as The Doomsday Book, which took a year to complete (during which William got conquered by death).  The book listed landholdings from south of the River Ribble to Tees in the vicinity of Adrian's Wall (Scottish border).  Well, the Scots royalty thought this was a fine idea, so they implemented the same idea.  However, it proved a difficult task as we didn't have any surnames to enter into the book.  Nothing to tell us apart on paper.  We belonged to clans (more about this in the McCaw Tartan section). Because there were no written names and they were made orally, there can be many spellings:  MacCaw, mcCaw, McAw, McGaw, Megaw, Magaw - some are anglicized forms of the Scots Gaelic name M'Adhamp (pronounced M'awyoe)- like yo' ma, but reverse. The Gaelic Mac means son of and the name Adhamh is from the Hebrew word for Red Earth (Adam was made from the earth).  I'm guessing red earth because, as you have seen, there are a lot of Gaelic people with red hair.

1170 - earliest  - MaCaw - one who shouts "The Quene, The Quene" when one of King William the Lion of Scotland's mistresses was coming with him to a village and the people would have to act accordingly, as if she were the Queen.  The Macaw bird comes to mind here.
1214 -  There is a MaCaw buried at Arbroath. It is purported that it is from this source that all McCaws came.  
1481 - a  Donald McCawe in Drumboy, Scotland
1490 - Earliest Isle of bute reference to the christian name McCaw witnessed a sasine (legal document) in favour of Nirian Steward - the sheriff of Bute.
1506 - Gillinaw M'Kaw had a grant of land in North Garrochach.  Gilpatrick Makkaw had half of the land of South Garrochach and John MakKaw the other half.
1534 - Gilpatrick Makcoe of Dungull, Bute.
1604 - The "Mac" is dropped in some families.
1662 - Patrick Mc'Kaw and Isobell More Mc'Kaw his wife, were chrged with witchcraft in Bute in 1662.
By the beginning of the nineteenth century,(1800's) the name of the But mcCaws (and variations of spelling thereof) had become Mackay, according to sources.
1772 - 1846- Eastern Virginia, U.S.A. - James Brown McCaw of Scots parentage and educated in Edinburgh, ranked as a leading surgeon in Virginia.
..information courtesy of the research of Susan Brown

Following are the original papers that were sent to me:

McCaw’s in Scotland

1170 one bearing the name McCaw accompanied William the Lion King of Scots to the court of Henry 11 of England. Afterwards this same MaCaw acted as a harbinger to His Majesty riding in front. The King had several mistresses and families by each and when he went his progresses were usually accompanied by one or other of them. It was the duty of this MaCaw to shout "The Quene, the Quene" so that the people might cheer, loth to do so as so many ladies had been foisted on them by this name while the real queen remained at Sterling.

1214 - MaCaw was stated to be of Perth, though buried about 1214 at Arbroath. Nisbet the great authority on Scottish heraldry says distinctly that it was from this source that all subsequent MaCaws sprang. There is the greatest possible difficulty in tracing the family owing to the fact that it is spelt MaCaw, McCaw, Caw, and McCall, though all from the same stem and to make matters worse, after using say McCall they would in two generations or so revert to MaCaw.

1481 – Donald McCawe in a place called Drumboy

1490 – earliest Bute reference to the Christian name McCaw witnessed a sasine (legal document) in favour of Ninian Steward – the Sheriff of Bute

1512 - “From Wind And Tide."

"and in the still earlier Dean of Lismore mc (c 1512) Drumboy was let to Donald McCawe or Makkaw in 1481, and in 1487 he is recorded as dead. Patrick and John Makcaw had receipt of remission pro inter fictione quondam Johnannes Makcornok (?) John Makcaw was familiar servitor to King James V. and Archdeacon of the Cathedral Church of Lismore. Donald McCaw Voyll was fined for reset of members of Clan Gregor 1613 and in 1662 Alison Makca is in record in Edinburgh. There was an old family of this name in Bute. In 1506, Gillinaw M'Kaw had a grant of the land of North Garrochach. Gilpatrick Makkaw had half of the land of South Garrochach, and John MakKaw, the other half. Gilpatrick Makcoe of Dungull, Bute is in record, 1534. Patrick Mc'Kaw and Isobell More Mc'Kaw, his wife was charged with witchcraft in Bute in 1662.

1604 - "Mac" has been also dropped in Caw and is a present day surname.

Maccawe, M'Kau, Mackaw, and Makkae

1696 - Gildow MacCaw was Commissioner of Supply for Bute

1772 – 1846 James Brown McCaw of Scots parentage and educated in Edinburgh, ranked as a leading surgeon of Eastern Virginia.

By the beginning of the nineteenth century, the name of the Bute family had become Mackay.

M'aw 1675,

M'Call 1649,

M'Cawe 1636,

Makaw 1506,

Maccaw 1534 is a current spelling of the name in Galloway

Other surnames : MacCawe, Makcaw, Makca, Makcoe

McCaws were cast adrift from Bute-presumably for sheep stealing and by wind and tide came to N. Ireland

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HOW SURNAMES DERIVED INPARTICULAR

McCAW

It all started when William the conqueror invaded England in 1066. He commissioned a book called The Doomsday Book. In 1086 it took a year to

complete. William died during the making of the book.

The reason for the book was so he could tax every one, the book was a Complete record if Land holds, There property, Livestock, pastures, and fisheries. Ect ,Ect,

The boundary was south of the River Ribble, and Tees .which was the Scottish Border. (Adrian’s wall) area.

In those days the gentry had titles not surnames.

The Scots were not long before they started using the idea ,therefore everyone needed a surname a the scot used Clans and titles also,

McAw This surname with spellings MacCaw ,McCaw ,McAw, McGaw ,Megaw, ,and Magaw,is a semi anglicized form of the OLDe Scots Gaelic name M’Adhamp ( pronounced M’awyoe ).The Gaelic prefix “MAC” means son of”, plus the personal name Adhamh from the Hebrew meaning “Red Earth”

It firs appears as a personal name in Scotland circa1189 when Adam, Sub-prior of Melrose, became Abbot of Caspar,

Duncan Adam who flourished circa 1316 had 4 sons, and it was believed that all Scottish bearers of the name (with its numerous variants ) descend from,

The semi-anglicized form of the name first appeared in the latter half of the

15^th century, One Patrick MakCaw is mentioned in the “ Register of the Privy

Seal of Scotland “ in1489 ,and in 1613 Donald McCaw was fined “for reset of members of Clan Gregor “ –“Register of the Privy Council of Scotland” The first recorded spelling of the name is shown to be that of Donald McCawe tenant of Drumboy,which was dated 1481,in the” The Exchequer Rolls of Scotland”, during the reign of King James 111 of Scotland 1460—1488

Surnames became necessary when government introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax, Throughout the centuries surnames in every country have continued to “Develop “ often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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MCCAWS OF GARRACHTY

According to family tradition McCaws come from the Isle of Bute and belong to the clan of the Stewarts of Bute.

Tradition is substantiated by a report on 'The M'Caws of Garrachty' written by Adam Dick MacBeth in 1908, now in the Genealogical Collection of the NY Public Library (ARD). MacBeth writes that the lands of Garrachty, occupying the southwestern extremities of the Isle of Bute, belonged to the M'Caws for four centuries, and possibly longer.

Throughout the ages, the Isle of Bute had been divided into 99 land holdings. Two of the landholdings known as North Garrachty and South Garrochty belonged throughout the centuries to M'Caws. The M'Caws were often called 'Barons of Bute' even though they were only occasionally entitled to the honorific, as Barons had to own 70+ hectares of land. Boundaries of North and South Garrachty are shown on Wilson's 'Guide to Rothsay and the Island of Bute' (1848) and mention is made in 'Bute in Olden Times' and John Blain's 'History of Bute'.

I understand the name McCaw translates from the Gaelic as 'Servant of the Saints' or as the 'Saint's man', and has reference to Adamnan (@ 624-704 AD) who was the ninth Abbot of the Monastery of Iona, who, in about 690 AD wrote 'The Life of Saint Columba' one of the earliest writings of the early Celtic Christian Church. The name probably alludes to the ancient ruins of a 6th Century monastery standing on a hill in the midst of Garrachty midway between North and South Garrachty. The ruin is now known as Saint Blaine's Chapel. Adamnan is said to have visited this holy place when Bute was still part of the Kingdom of Dalriada.

The M'Caw holdings of North and South Garrachty are very well documented. In 1506 a charter, or instrument of sasine infefting Alexander Stewart of Kerequhonlich (Kelwhinlech in 1908) recites the grants contained in the King's (James IV) charter, and the words referring to the lands of Garrachty (Gaelic for rough field house) are as follows: "Gillenow M'Caw, terras de le North Garrochach; Gilpatrick M'Caw alteram dididiatem terrarum de South Garrochachi, Johanni M'Cawm alteram dimidiatem dictarum."

Gillenow M'Caw was granted the land of North Garrachtie (also known as North Garrochty, Garrachtymor, and - as of 1908- called 'the plan' (flat place). There is no descent copied for this holding.

Gilpatrick and John M'Caw were each granted half the lands of South Garrachty, which in the reign of Alexander III, were valued at 50 shillings a year. The descent for the two portions of South Garrachties (also known as Yonder Garrachy or Garrochach, or Garoch) was listed as follows:

The M'Caws of the Southernmost portion of South Garrochtie:
1506: Gilpatrick M'Caw (or John)
1568: Gilchrist M'Caw
1603: Alexander M'Caw
????: Patrick M'Caw
1642: Alexander M'Caw
1649: John M'Caw
1677: Patrick M'Caw

The M'Caws of the Northwestrn (70 acre) portion of South Garrachtie:
1506: John (or Gilpatrick) M'Caw
1568: Gilnew M'Caw
1602: John M'Caw (son of Alexander)
1647: John M'Caw (emigrated to Ireland)
1686: Gilnew M'Caw (son of John. Married Jean Stewart, dau of James Stewart of Lagizean)
????: Daniel M'Caw (son of Gilnew)
1745: James M'Caw (son of Daniel)
1796: Daniel M'Caw (son of James)
1845: James M'Caw (son of Daniel. Married Elizabeth Barbour. Had a sister, Ephemia M'Caw)

James M'Caw, who was also known as James McKay (pronounced McKye) died in 1858. His wife, Elzabeth Barbour died in 1875. In 1890 South Garrochty, including St. Blaine's Chapel on the hill, was purchased by a Sir William McEwan, a prominent brain surgeon from Glascow, for use as his country residence and as a model farm. More recently (1980s) it has been owned by an English Judge : J. Irving Smith, The Garrochty, Kingarth, Isle of Bute, Scotland PA20 9LX (Telephone 070083-667).

As the Isle of Bute is a tiny place, it's 99 land holdings now owned almost exclusively by the current Marquis of Bute, there has long been a tradition of younger sons leaving the Island to seek their fortunes. holdings passed from elder son to elder son. Younger sons made their way to Glascow or Belfast or farther. Large numbers of men from Bute made passage from the nearby Scottish port of Largs to Belfast during the 18th and 19th Centuries. The records in Belfast are spotty. There is, however, an account of a William and a James McCaw arrested for their role in the McKee murders in March 1799 an event arising from the Rebellion of the United Irishmen in 1798 (a protestant-led, middle -class revolt patterned upon the recent French Revolution). William was executed and James was sent as a prisoner to Australia.