Montgomery
Origins of the Clan
The name Montgomery (or "Montgomerie") derives from an ancient Norman family who held the Castle St. Foy de Montgomery near Lisieux in France. Clan tradition asserts that the name can be traced to a 9th-century Viking raider called Gomeric who ventured south until he reached Normandy. He was the son of Ingvar Ragnarsson, and his name meant "powerful man." Gomeric settled in the Calvados area and fortified a hilltop on which to live. This place was known as "Mont (mount) Gomeric," and within a few generations it became the family name of Montgomery. Some claim that the name can be traced back even further to a Roman commander called Gomericus.
A later ancestor was Roger de Montgomerie (at the time, spelling variations included "Mont Gommeri" and "Mundegumerie"), who was related to William the Conqueror and was granted lands in England in the 11th century. He later invaded Wales and in time gave his name to a town and an entire county, Montgomeryshire. His son, also named Roger de Montgomerie, was the 1st Earl of Shrewsbury and a personal advisor of William the Conqueror.
The name Montgomery is first recorded in Scotland in the 12th century, when in 1165, Robert Montgomery obtained the lands of Eaglesham in Renfrewshire From Wikipedia.
The earliest records of the family of Montgomery place its origin in the northern part of France in the ninth century, and the name it is suggested, probably had its origin, or is a corruption descent of Mons Gomeris. "Gomer's Mount" the ancient Gauls claiming descent from Gomer, son of Japhet, the family taking their name from the locality or territory over which they ruled as feudal lords." - from "Colonial Families of Philadelphia" by John W. Jordan, 1911
Montgomery Links
Clan Montgomery International
On line copy of the book The Montgomerys and their Descendantsby D.B. MontgomeryB
Montgomery Castle in Montgomeryshire, Wales
The Murder of Lord Eglington
