Arrival of the Immigrant Ships

The "Royal Albert," from London direct, arrived at the Otago heads on Saturday night of the 5th March 1853. She sailed from London on the 1st November, and from the downs on the 9th. She brings 120 passengers, about 50 of whom are for this place. Owing to some difficulty which we are unable to explain at present, she is still lying off the native village, inside the heads.

The Pioneers

From the Scottish Highlands the Aysons came to New Zealand in two waves - in 1853 Peter and Douglas with James in 1853, Alexander and Joan with Margaret and James Robertson in1856.

Heritage

The Ayson family is originally believed to have come from Ireland as descendants of the Esson/Easson/Asson family (there are many derivations of this name) traceable back to the 14th century. They settled in the Glenshee area of the Highlands of Scotland which is now our so called ancestral home.

Tartan

The clan name is derived from Mac-an-Toich, and means “son of the thane (chief).” The founder of the clan is traditionally said to have been the son of MacDuff, ancestor of the Earls if Fife. The Mackintoshes are one of the clans forming the Clan Chattan Confederation, the chiefship of which devolved on the chiefs of Mackintosh through the marriage in 1291 of Angus, 6th Laird of Mackintosh, to Eva, heiress of Clan Chattan.

Coat of Arms

The Mackintosh Coat of Arms (also named as the Family Crest), was sanctioned by the Chief of Mackintosh in 1954 for adoption by Clan Ayson. There are many versions of the Mackintosh crest with embellishments, but that depicted is the basic crest with the name Ayson added. Most of the symbology and meanings of the crest originated in Ireland.

Badges

There are two Clan badges - the crest badge and the plant badge

Snippets From The Past

Here is history as it happened - glimpses of the life and times and the day-to-day experiences of Ayson family members through the years, starting in the 1850s.

The snippets involve many of the early Aysons. They are drawn mainly from the collection of the late Margaret Gibson, a great-grand-daughter of Alexander.