Carr Coat of Arms, Family Crest and Carr Family History

Carr Family History

The Carr ancient family history was found in the irishsurnames.com archives. The name Carr is often a variant of the Scottish name Kerr. In the list of border chiefs who took 'assurance' of Protector Somerset at Kelso, 1547, the names of all the Border Kerrs are spelled Car. John Kerr of the Forest of Selkirk in 1357, was father of Henry, Sheriff of Roxburgh, whose son, Robert, was father of Andrew of Auldtounburn. This Andrew Kerr had three sons. From the youngest came the Kerrs of Gateshaw, and from the second the Kerrs of Linton. The second son was father of Walter Cessford, who had two sons. From the younger descended the Kerrs of Dolphinstoun, Littledean, and Morriston. The elder, Sir Robert of Caverton, died, leaving two sons. George of Faudonside, and Sir Andrew who succeeded his grandfather in Cessford. Sir Andrew had three sons and from the first are descended the Dukes of Roxburgh. In Ireland the name Carr is often used as a variant anglicized form of the native Gaelic Mac Fhearadhaigh Sept of Oriel who also anglicized their name as Carry. The Gaelic O'Mulcair Sept of County Limerick also anglicized their name as Carr as well as Mulcair. Other variants include MacElhar, Kerrane and even Kerrin. The Carr family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of arms, including Carr descendants.