Contents [hide]

Eustace History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Sources

Eustace History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
England

Etymology of Eustace

What does the name Eustace mean?

When the Anglo-Normans began to settle in Ireland, they initially ignored the established Gaelic system for developing of patronymic names, and relied on their own traditional naming practices. Eventually, however, the two differing customs drew upon one another to some degree. The Anglo-Normans, unlike their Gaelic neighbors, frequently used nickname surnames. These Anglo-Norman nicknames were frequently of two types: "oath names" and "imperative names." Oath names often carried blessings or were formed from habitual expressions. Imperative names, formed from a verb added to a noun or an adverb, metaphorically described the bearer's occupations. The nick name surname Eustace is derived from a nickname for a Iustas, indicating a fruitful person. This perhaps refers to someone with many offspring, or with extraordinary agricultural or material wealth. The Latin form Eustachius was originally derived from a Greek word which means fruitful.

While the majority of the family emigrated to England and then many to Ireland, but not all as we found the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae lists William Eustachius in Normandy 1198. 1

"The family, settled in Ireland under Henry II., were of Norman descent." 2

Early Origins of the Eustace family

The surname Eustace was first found in Kildare (Irish:Cill Dara), ancient homeland of the Kildare based Uí Dúnlainge (Kings of Leinster), located in the Province of Leinster, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Eustace (died 1215) was Bishop of Ely, ecclesiastic and statesman. "He secured the confidence of Henry I and of Richard I. He became vice-chancellor and keeper of the royal seal, and ultimately chancellor. He was also Dean of Salisbury. At that period all the chief posts in the church of York and its suffragan sees were, as a rule, employed to provide for royal officials. During the suspension of Geoffrey, Archbishop of York, by the Pope, in 1195, Richard appointed Eustace in 1196, Treasurer of York, on the death of Bouchard de Puiset, and in the same year gave him the enormous and lucrative archdeaconry of Richmond." 3

While the majority of the family are from Ireland, we need to take a moment again to explore the English side of the story. Here the family come from "Fitz Eustace et Eustacy, presumably Eustace. Two great Barons of this name are entered in Domesday ; Eustachius Comes, the Count of Boulogne (see Abbeville), and Eustachius Vicecomes, the Sheriff of Huntingdon, whose 'evil deeds,' according to Freeman, 'stand out clearly in the Survey. In the entries of Eustace's own lands, we find English owners, and also the Countess Judith, complaining of his seizures.' This Eustace, who founded a small Priory at Huntingdon, is called by Camden Eustace de Lovetoft, though he does not appear in the pedigree given by Hunter of the Hallamshire Lovetots." 4

Indeed there is more. For the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 include: Adam filius Eustace, Cambridgeshire; Henry filius Ewstace, Huntingdonshire; and Richard Eustase, Cambridgeshire. 5

Early History of the Eustace family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Eustace research. Another 214 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1014, 1449, 1454, 1480, 1496, 1505, 1535, 1541, 1549, 1578, 1580, 1581, 1585, 1590, 1665 and 1693 are included under the topic Early Eustace History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Eustace Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Eustace, Eustice, Eustes, Eustach, Eustis and others.

Early Notables of the Eustace family

Prominent amongst the family at this time was

Thomas Eustace (c. 1480-1549), 1st Viscount Baltinglass; his son Rowland Eustace (1505-1578), 2nd Viscount Baltinglass; James Eustace 3rd Viscount Baltinglass who defeated Lord Gray in 1580; Sir Mauri...
Roland Fitz Eustace (died 1496), Lord Portlester, was Chancellor and Treasurer in Ireland, was the eldest son of Sir Edward FitzEustace, head of an important Anglo-Norman family which acquired extensi...

Eustace migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Eustace Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Mary Eustace who settled in New England in 1724
Mary Eustace, who settled in America in 1724

Eustace Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Joshua Eustace, who arrived in New York in 1842 6
Edward, Mary, Patrick, Robert and Thomas Eustace who, who arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1865

Eustace Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. James H. Eustace, (b. 1885), aged 20, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "St Louis" arriving at Ellis Island, New York in 1905 en route to Globe, Arizona, USA 7

Eustace migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Eustace Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

John Eustace, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749-1752
John Eustace, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1750
John Eustace, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1752

Eustace Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Edward Eustace, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1832
Roland Eustace, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1840
Roland Eustace, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1843
Mr. James Eustace who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Margaret" departing 29th May 1847 from New Ross, Ireland; the ship arrived on 2nd July 1847 but he died on board 8

Eustace migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Eustace Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Catherine Eustace, (Day, Cook), (b. 1778), aged 31, Irish servant who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Experiment" on 21st January 1809, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
Richard Eustace, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lady Bruce" in 1846 10
Mary Eustace, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Aboukir" in 1847 11
Mr. Henry Eustace, (b. 1829), aged 25, Cornish carpenter departing from Plymouth in May1854 aboard the ship "Geelong" arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 11th August 1854 12
Mrs. Anna Eustace, (b. 1830), aged 24, Cornish settler departing from Plymouth in May1854 aboard the ship "Geelong" arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 11th August 1854 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Eustace migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Eustace Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Richard Eustace, (b. 1806), aged 41, Irish settler born in Kildare arriving as Detachment of the Royal New Zealand Fencibles travelling aboard the ship "Sir Robert Sale" from Gravesend via Cork arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 11th October 1847 13
Mrs. Esther Eustace Née O'Reilly, (b. 1828), aged 19, Irish settler born in Waterford travelling aboard the ship "Sir Robert Sale" from Gravesend via Cork arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 11th October 1847 13
Miss Mary Eustace, (b. 1847), aged Infant, Irish settler born in Carlow travelling aboard the ship "Sir Robert Sale" from Gravesend via Cork arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 11th October 1847 13

Contemporary Notables of the name Eustace (post 1700) +

Paul Eustace, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Massachusetts, 1980 14
John V. Eustace, American Republican politician, Presidential Elector for Illinois, 1864 14
Alexander C. Eustace, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1892 14
John Chetwode Eustace (1762-1815), Anglo-Irish Catholic priest and antiquary who spent most of his life in Italy 15
General Sir William Cornwallis Eustace,
Arthur Richard Paton Eustace QSO (1926-2018), New Zealand bronze medalist sprinter, athletics coach, and national and International track and field administrator
Jean Skey Eustace, French Brigadier General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 16
Peter Eustace (b. 1944), English retired football player and manager
Stuart Malcolm Eustace (b. 1979), English cricketer
Mary Jo Eustace (b. 1962), Canadian actress, singer and sous-chef
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Eustace family +

HMS Repulse

Mr. Sidney Eustace, British Leading Stoker, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 17

The Eustace Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Cur me persequeris?
Motto Translation: Why persecutest thou me?.

Sources +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 74)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 2nd June 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/experiment
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LADY BRUCE 1846. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1846LadyBruce.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ABOUKIR 1847. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1847Aboukir.htm
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_victoria.pdf
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020
Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, March 4) Jean Eustace. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html