Origin of the Name Snodgrass
The
Snodgrass family history was found in the allfamilycrests.com archives. Snodgrass is a Scottish surname from Ayrshire, of local origin, derived from the twenty-schilling lands of old extent of Snodgers or Snodgrasse in the parish of Irvine and bailliary of Cunningham. This name is found in many ancient manuscripts in Scotland. Examples of such are an Adam Snodgrasse who was recorded as Bailie of Ayr in 1372. A Patrick Snodgrass was admitted Burgess Freeman of Glasgow in the year 1578. A John Snodgrass appears in records as a maltman and Burgess of Glasgow in 1621. Names were recorded in these ancient documents to make it easier for the overlords to collect taxes and to keep records of the population at any given time. When the overlords acquired lands by either force or as gifts from their rulers, they created charters of ownership for themselves and their vassals. In Ireland this name was introduced into Ulster Province by settlers, especially during the seventeenth century.
The Snodgrass coat of arms came into existence centuries ago. The process of creating coats of arms (also often called family crests) began in the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this. The new art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own coat of arms, including all Snodgrass descendants.