This web page is dedicated to the history and genealogy of the McCreery family. The McCreery name is from the Galloway District in southwest Scotland. The family is a branch of the McCririck family that often spelled the name McCrerie. There is a tradition that says the founder of the family was named de Carrick and that he took the name de Rerik when he was given the Barony at Rerrick or Rerwick. Over the years the name had gone through a number of changes going from de Rerik to McRerik to McCrerik to McCrerie to McCrery to McCreery. The McCririck name went through similar changes but kept the "ik" at the end of the name. Other forms of the name include McCreary, McCrery and McCririe. The objective of this page is to demonstrate the above information to be true based on the evidence.
The Surnames of Scotland by Dr. George F. Black. This book lists the various surnames of Scotland, their variations and what he knows about their origin. The Genealogist's Encyclopedia by Leslie Gilbert Pine says contrasted with those of England, Scottish surnames are few in number and it is possible to deal with them in one volume. This is well done in a book by Dr. George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland, Their Origin, Meaning and History, published in 1962 by the New York Public Library. This is a monumental work and it is to be doubted whether any Scots surname has escaped the author's research and erudition.
Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry by Kathleen
B. Croy says, if you are interested in the origin of your surname,
and it is Scottish, I suggest you consult The Surnames of Scotland by Dr.
George F. Black. This is one of the 'bibles' for the genealogist;
it is a most interesting, informative book, and is to be found in most
large libraries.
The Surnames of Scotland by Dr. George F. Black
Cririe. A shortened form of MacCririe. Rev. James Cririe (1752-1835), born at New Abbey, became one of the masters of the Edinburgh High School in succession to William Cruickshank, the friend of Burns, and was author of Scottish scenery: or, Sketches in verse, descriptive of scenes chiefly in the Highlands of Scotland, London, 1803, which contains an address to Burns.
MacCrery. A form of MacCririe. John McCrery in 1526. MacCreery in the north of Ireland.
MacCririe, MacCrire, MacCreirie. An old Galloway surname. From Mac Ruidhri, a dialectal variant of Mac Ruaidhri, 'son of Ruaidhri,' from the Old Norse personal name Hrovekr. Thomas McCrery held half a tenement in Dumfries in 1444. Luke Makririe was a cook in Edinburgh in 1624, and another Lucke McCrerie was in Annand in 1628. John M'Creery, an north of Ireland man of Scottish extraction was one of the publishers of the Works of Robert Burns in 1806. McCreerie and McCrery, 1686; MacCreirie, MacCririe, MakCririe. See MacCririck.
MacCririck, MacCrirrick. Galloway names. Andrew McRerik was in Kirkcudbright in 1457. M'Rerik occurs in Edinburgh in 1462 and Margaret Makrerik was spouse to Stephen Borthwik, burgess (Citizen) of Edinburgh in 1490. Thomas Makrerik was living in Edinburgh in 1523 and Gilbert M'Crurik was in Irvine, Ayrshire in 1536. Patrick M'Crerik lived in Wigtown in 1579. Makrerik and M'Rerik 1490; M'Crerick. The Mac was early dropped: Jo Rerik in Kirkcudbright, 1501. There appears to be early confusion with Riddick. See also MacCririe.
Rerik. A shortened form of MacRerik. John Rerik had an annuity from the Grange of Spottis, Galloway in 1460. Master Gilbert Rerik, Commissioner of the King of Scots, who had a safe conduct to travel to England, 1471, was archdeacon of Glasgow, 1476 and a charter witness, 1487. William Reryk was a charter witness, 1484, and a payment was made to Paul Rerik of Dalbety, 1561. Joannes Rerik was heir in lands of Armegannoch, 1587.
Rerrick. See under Riddick.
Riddick. From the parish and barony of Rerrick or Rerwick in the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright. The place name is pronounced Riddick, i.e. Red Wick, by the common folk. Nicholas de Reraik held a toft and croft (land) in the village of Trequer (Troqueer), Kirkcudbrightshire, ca. 1280. Gilbert de Rerik, Archdeacon of Glasgow, sat in the Scottish Parliament in 1467. His seal is described by Macdonald. George Rodyck was witness in Tungland, 1564, and William Redik of Dalbatye is mentioned in 1577. John Redik was heir to the five merk lands of Barharrow in 1599. James Redick and Hew Redick are mentioned at Steppis of Or (Urr) in 1619. Agnes Readick was married in Edinburgh in 1630 and Barbara Reddik was heir portioner of Paul Reddik of Barscheine or Barschein in 1446. John Reddick or Rodick of Dalbeattie is in the records in 1678 and 1699. George Riddick is in Littleknox in 1586 and Edward Riddick in Maines of Kelton in 1749. There were the Reriks, Reddicks, Rediks, and Redocks of Barnhourie, Dalbeattie, Corbietoun, etc., and the name is still represented in the district.
Dr Black in his book The Surnames of Scotland ties the surnames Cririe, MacCrery, MacCririe, MacCririck and Rerik together and mentions that in the north of Ireland the name is spelled MacCreery. He states that there appears to be early confusion with the name Riddick, however, Gilbert Rerik, who was Archdeacon of Glasgow and sat on the Scottish Parliament is mentioned under both the names Rerik and Riddick. Also the same spelling of the name is mentioned under all three forms of the name MacCririck, Rerik and Riddick.
Dr. Black also states the following under the title "Mac".
Mac (wrongly contracted M', Mc) is a Gaelic prefix occurring in Scottish names of Gaelic origin as Macdonald, Maclean, Macphie, and the like, meaning "son." The word corresponds to son in names of Teutonic origin as Anderson, Johnson, Watson; to the Fitz in Norman-French names, as Fitzgerald, Fitzpatrick; and to Welsh amp (etymologically akin to Mac), shortened to 'ap' or 'p', as in Ap richard, whence Prichard (nearly all Welsh names beginning with P, or its mutation B, incorporates ap). It corresponds partly to Irish O, though this rightly means "descendant."
In Mac c is the dominant sound and tends to thrust itself over on to the beginning of the following syllable, hence mac(k)ay for MacAoidh, Maccaulay for Macaulay, etc. Mac was also assumed by Norsemen and by some Lowland peoples, e.g. MacLeod, MacRerik and dropped again in some instance, e.g. Cloud (from Macleod), Rerick (from MacRerick), etc. In the Middle Ages again the prefix does not in every case prove, where other evidence is wanting, that is the bearer is the son of a Gael, for the word had been taken by, or given to some who were of non-Gaelic origin, as MacThorfin, MacThore, in Cumberland, etc. Noteworthy are the many "Mac" towns in Ayrshire in the Retours, M'Clogstoune, M'Clanochanstoun, M'Ewinstoun, M'Ileristoun, M'Rorriestoun, M'Wilkingstoun, etc., attesting to a strong Gaelic strain in the population.
Dr. Black states under the heading Mac,
that in Mac C is the dominate sound and tends to thrust itself over on
to the beginning of the following syllable, hence MacRerick becomes
MacCrerick.
He points out that the prefix Mac was assumed by Norsemen and by some Lowland
Peoples. He says that the prefix Mac does not prove that the bearer
is the son of a Gael, because the prefix had been taken by some who were
of non-Gaelic origin. This seems to indicate that not every name
that uses the Mac prefix can be traced back to its origin and meaning based
on the use of the Mac. It should also be noted that Dr. Black used
the name Rerick and MacRerick as an example in both the case of Norsemen
and Lowland People using the Mac prefix and on the transfer of the C to
the next syllable.
Folk Lore and Genealogies of Uppermost Nithsdale by William Wilson of Sanquhar.
In this book there is a chapter titled McCriricks of McCririck's Cairn that states the following:
The land in Kirkconnel, which were the property of this family, lie on the west side of the Nith, and included McCririck's Cairn, Upper Cairn, Nether Cairn, Over Cairn and Greenside. They were six square miles in extent. In addition, the family possessed lands in Glenscordale, in the Island of Arran. A list of five tenants there is given in the Register of Deeds, 16th April, 1623, when James McCririck of the Cairn is named as proprietor. The name is sometimes found with the prefix Mc and A and de and sometimes without. The use or omission of the Mc was a common custom in Galloway, as McDowall, Dowall and Dole. Stoddart, in his Scottish Armorial, says the name was taken from the barony of Rerik in Kirkcudbrightshire and there is a tradition that the founder of the family was a de Carrick, that the barony was forfeited for adherence to the cause of Baliol and the English in the wars of Independence in the time of Bruce, and that at this time all of the kin except a widow with an unborn son took the name of Kennedy.
In 1335 Rerico fil: Reircei is named as one of nine knights who found men and arms to assist Edward III in his Scottish Wars.
The ancestor of this family, as also of the Reriks, Rediks, and Riddicks, for 200 years barons of Dalbeattie, and afterwards of Corbieton till 1810.
At the end of the Chapter is the following:
McCririck Arms
The Arms as given by Balfour, and engraved in Stoddart's Scottish Armorial are - Argent, a field charged with three wolves' heads, erased, gules.
One branch of the family, who often spelled
the name McCrerie, used, Per saltier ermine and azure, a crescent
sable, on a chief of the second three mullets argent.
Crest - A beehive, Bees volant, proper.
Motto - Industria (With Industry)
Folk Lore and Genealogies of Uppermost Nithsdale by William Wilson of Sanquhar
The following are chapters from the book Folk Lore and Genealogies of Uppermost Nithsdale that deal with the McCririck family. In the chapter titled McCririck of McCririck's Cairn the tradition concerning the founder of the family named de Carrick is mentioned and at the end of the chapter under the McCririck Arms is mentioned one branch of the family who often spelled the name McCrerie.
McCririck of McCririck's Cairn
Bryce's Loup - An Incident of the '45
Grant to James McRerik by James VI
The Inventor of the Steam Propeller
The prefix de indicates that a name is territorial or from lands the family owns. In Galloway the de was often replaced with the prefix Mc.
Based on the following evidence it becomes apparent that the McCreery family is descended from the Reriks who owned the Barony at Rerrick or Rerwick. If the founder of the family is a de Carrick and was given the barony at Rerrick than he was probably a younger son of the Earl of Carrick and and ancestor of Gilbert, Earl of Carrick the son of Fergus, Lord of Galloway. This would link the the McCreery name to the Carricks and the Kennedys. This may also link the family to the Bruces who married into and took over the Earldom of Carrick. The founder of the family took the name de Rerick when he took over the barony. The forfeiture of the Barony occurred when a war broke out to see who was going to be the next King of Scotland. The McRerik family sided with John Baliol over Robert Bruce. When Robert Bruce won, the barony was taken away from the family and give to the Abbey. Members of the family took the name of Kennedy with the exception of a widow with an unborn son. This would indicated a strong tie to the Carricks and the Kennedys. The Kennedys are descended from the Carricks and they acknowledge that the founder of their family is Duncan de Carrick.
The book states that after the loss of the barony at Rerrick the family held other titles including Barons or Lairds of Dalbeattie, Crobieton and Barharrow. The family than went to Nithsdale where due to a marriage with one of the Crichtons of Sanquhar the family obtained six square miles of country on the west side of the Nith River, known as the Cairn or more commonly McCririck's Cairn. The head of the family took the title Laird of the Cairn.
The book seems to clear up Dr. Black's
statement about the early confusion between the Riddicks and the
MacCriricks.
It also ties together McCrerie, McCririck, Rerrick and the Riddick
names.
The Scottish Nation by William Anderson
This gives the details of what happened
over the period of the late thirteenth century and early fourteenth century
with regard to the McReriks barony at Rerrick being forefeited.
Scottish arms, being a collection of armorial bearings A.D. 1370-1678 by Robert Riddle Stoddart.
Rerik. Balfour makes the heads
erased.
Mr. Gilbert Rerik sat in parliament
1467 and afterward
The surname is taken from a parish ad
barony in Kirkcudbrightshire.
Gentlemans Arms of Charles I's Reign
In the stewartry of Kirkcudbright, of which, in 1618, George Redick was sheriff-deputy, there were Reriks, Riddicks, Rediks, or Redocks of Barnhowrie, Dalbeattie, Corbietoun, &c. The name which appears in the fifteenth century is still represented.
Mr. M'Kerlie in "Lands and their Owners
in Galloway," gives the arms of John Redik of Dalbeattie, from a
stone with the date 1600 - a sinister hand couped between three billets,
one and two.
Fairbairn's Book of crests of the families of Great Britain and Ireland by James Fairbairns.
McRerik. See McCrire
Crierie. See McCrire
Cririe. See McCrire
McCrire, McCririck, McRerik, or Creirie and the Rev. T.W. McCririck of the Hill House, Stockton-on-Tees, originally of McCririck's Cairn, Dumfrieshire. A bee-hive with bees volant.
The Rev. T.W. McCririck is mentioned
in both William Wilson's book Folk Lore and Genealogies of Uppermost
Nithsdale and Fairbairn's Book of Crests. The various
forms of the name are also mentioned as described above. This again
links the names McRerik, McCririck and McCririe. It
also brings up the point that this branch of the McCririck family
bears the coat of arms for the McCririe family again connecting
the two families.
The Scotch-Irish in America by Henry
Jones Ford.
This book has a section that lists family
names from Northern Ireland and where in Scotland these name originated
from.
Appendix X
Families of Scotland
The following is a list of some of the families of Scotland, with the names of the districts and periods in which they appear first to have become established, to have attained distinction, or to have found a place in existing records. The list also contains many of the Scottish titles of the nobles, with the family names of their past and present possessors.
MacCririe - Galloway
MacCrorie - Galloway
MacRorie - Galloway
This would seem to indicated that the Scots
who went to Ireland during the plantation of the early sixteen hundreds
who carried the name MacCririe or one of the variations were from the Galloway
District.
The Macs of Galloway by David Douglas
The number of names of quite different origins, each belonging to different races, with the prefix Mac in the comparatively limited district of Galloway, is very remarkable. This apparently has arisen from the very general custom which seems to have prevailed amongst a large proportion of the immigrants into the district in former times, assuming the prefix when they settled in the country, or by their descendants doing so, either affixing the Mac to the surname or Christian name of the parents. This custom seems to have prevailed much more extensively than elsewhere. The Irish immigrants dropped the O and assumed the Mac, as O'Grady now M'Grady, O'Shane now M'Shane, O'Carrol, now M'Kerl, M'Kerlie; O'Dowd, now M'Dade, and many other instances. Many outside names have the favorite prefix such as Murray, Hutchinson, Day Grimes, Innis, Candish etc. and in Christian names we find the prefix attached to Adam, Andrew, Henry, George, Robert, William, and many others. Even female names have not escaped the additions, as M'Janet or M'Jannet.
In the lists now given of the Galloway Macs, considerable deductions must be made as indicating the original number of names with this prefix. Many names in use now which have one origin, have, during the lapse of time, been so altered by different ways of spelling as to be hardly recognizable. The different way in which the same name was spelt in the old times were innumerable. The method adopted was purely phonetic, and the name was spelt apparently just as it sounds to the person writing it down. The M'Culloch, about the beginning of the sixteenth century, we find from "Pitcairn's Criminal Trials", is spelt Mackculloche (of Mochrame), M'Culloce (of Cardoness), M'Cullocht (of Druideny), also M'Cullocht and M'Kulagh. The original name appears to have been Culuhach, without the prefix. Many other names originating from one source have changed in the course of time from the different ideas of spelling and other causes. One instance of this may suffice. A further reduction must be made in names in which the final letter of the Mac (c) is added to the name - e.g., M'Clurg - M'Lurg, M'Clelland - M'Lelland or M'Lellan, M'Creath - M'Raith etc., also cases by the addition of K as the initial letter of the name - e.g., M'Knacht - M'Nacht, M'Kilvaine - M'Ilvaine, & c. Stille, with all these allowances, there are a remarkable number of different Macs in Galloway.
It would have extended the list beyond all reasonable bounds had all the different way of spelling the same name been given. A sufficient number have been put down to show the very loose idea of orthography which prevailed more particularly in old times, and the way in which names have changed. More scope has been given in this respect in the names in the more recent list as many of the various spellings have come down to recent times, and are now established as different names, and held by quite different families - some are so much altered as to be hardly recognizable as emanating from the same source. The only name of any note which has settled down to one uniform method of spelling appears to be M'Culloch. In early times no name appears in which so many different spellings were used. A few dates are attached to some of the names which appear in the thirteenth century.
He has two lists.
List 1 - Names not found after 1700.
In this list are the names McRerik and McCrerik
List 2 - Names which appear after A.D. 1700.
In this list are the names McCririe and McCreary.
By a computation I have made, it appears the percentage of names commencing with "Mac," "Mc," and "M'" in all Scotland, is about 10.5 percent; in Galloway it is 19.48 percent. (Wigtonshire 23.75 percent, Stewarty, 15.2 percent.) No doubt, taking some of the purely Highland districts, the percentage of names with the prefix "Mac" will be found greater than in Galloway; but no one district containing an equal population to that of Galloway, will, I think, be found to have so great a percentage.
David Douglas points out that the people of Galloway often styled their names with an Mac even though it was not representative a Gaelic son. The book points out that there many names in use now which have one origin, over time have been so altered that they are hardly recognizable. The book list the names McRerik, McCrerik, McCririe and McCreary as examples of names coming from the Galloway District. This being the case you cannot just use the meaning of the name to determine where the name comes from or clan affiliation.
The book the History of Lands and their Owners in Galloway, by P.H. MacKerlie states that many of the surnames in Galloway are peculiar to that district; some again, have an apparent Irish origin; while others are to be found in the Highlands. He gives a list of these names so far as he has been able to collect them. One of the names collected is MacCririe.
Dr. Black in The Surnames of Scotland states that the names of Galloway clans are not those of the Highlands, or in instances where they are the same, it is inconceivable that they were offshoots from, say, clans in Badenoch.
During the Scottish Plantation of the north of Ireland in the early sixteen hundreds it appears that a large number of McCreerys were included in the plantation.
There is a theory that the McCreerys are part of Clan MacDonald this page deals with the evidence concerning that theory.
The Commissariot Record of Glasgow Register of Testaments (1547-1800)
Muster Rolls of County Antrim, Down and
Fermanagh
Census of Ireland, 1659
Subsidy Roll, County Down, 24 August 1663
Farms on the Hamilton Estate in 1681 &
1688 Rent Roll
Index to the Prerogative Wills of Ireland
1536-1810
Indexes to Irish Wills.
County Down, Indexes to Wills, 1648-1858
Gravestone Inscriptions
McCreery's in the Revolutionary War
Ancient Lords of Galloway and Earls of Carrick
Fergus, Lord of Galloway and his son Gilbert, Earl of Carrick
History of Lands and their Owners in Galloway
The lands of Galloway where the McRerik or Rerik family had an estate at Dalbeattie.
History of the McCririck Family in Sanquhar
Scottish Armorial Seals connecting the names of Carrick, Kennedy and Rerik
Christopher Teeling M'Cready, Clk., M.A.,
Editor
29 Molesworth Street; Dublin, Ireland
November, 1868
Trinity College Library, Dublin, Ireland
Genealogical Table of the Family of McCready (McCreery) of County Down
Irish and Scotch-Irish Ancestral Research
Volume II Bibliography and Family
Index by Margaret Dickson Falley, B.S.
McCREADY (McCREERY). McCready (McCreery) family, County Down: Genealogical Table, 1700-1926.
IRISH FAMILIES Their Names, Arms and
Origins
By Edward MacLysaght, D.Litt., M.R.I.A.
Chairman of the Irish Manuscripts Commission
(formerly Chief Herald of Ireland)
McCREADY. McCreery (McCready)
genealogy.
By C.T. McCready, Dublin, 1868.
If you have any questions or comments on this subject please contact me.
Don McCreery
DJMcCreery@aol.com
