McCaul

McCaul
Origin
Meaning"Son of Battle Chief"
Region of originTyrone, Ulster, Ireland.
Other names
Variant form(s)McCawell, McCall

McCaul, also spelt MacCawell is an Irish surname, derived from the Gaelic Mac Cathmhaoil, meaning the "son of Cathmhaol", descendant of being implied. The name Cathmhaoil itself is derived from cath mhaol meaning "battle chief".[1] The Mac Cathmhaoil were the leading family of Cenél Fearadhaigh, of the Uí Néill, and were based around Clogher in modern-day County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.[1] They were one of the seven powerful septs that supported the O'Neills. Mac Cathmhaoil is now rare in Ulster as it has been Anglicised under various different forms such as, Campbell, McCawl, Caulfield,[2][3][4][5] McCall, Alwell, Callwell, McCowell, Cowell, McCuill, Howell, MacHall,[6][7] and McQuade.[8][9][10]

The height of their power was in the 12th century where their territory covered most of modern County Tyrone, and deep into County Fermanagh.[1] By the mid fourteenth century their power in Fermanagh, was broken by the rise of the Maguires.[1] Having controlled the seat of power of the diocese of Clogher, the MacCawells provided many abbots, deans, canons etc. to it and mostly neighbouring dioceses including six bishops and two archbishops.[1] By the end of the sixteenth century there appears to have been a large migration of the sept into the modern counties of Down and Armagh.[1]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Robert Bell (1988). The book of Ulster Surnames. The Black Staff Press. pp. 139–140.
  2. ^ Connor, Bernard. 1808. Dublin. "Clan Cathmhaoil or Caulfield Family"
  3. ^ Colby, Thomas. Larcom, Thomas. 1837. "Ordnance Survey Of The County Of Londonderry, Volume 1"
  4. ^ MacLysaght, Edward. "More Irish Families"
  5. ^ MacLysaght, Edward. "The Surnames Of Ireland"
  6. ^ O'Laughlin, Michael C. (2002). The Book of Irish Families: Great & Small By Michael C. O'Laughlin. Irish Roots Cafe. ISBN 9780940134096. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  7. ^ Rev Patrick Woulfe. "Library Ireland". Library Ireland. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  8. ^ John O'Hart (1892). Irish Pedigrees: Or, The Origin and Stem of the Irish Nation. J. Duffy and Company. pp. 519–.
  9. ^ "Vol. IV, pp. 1667–1670 of Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs, edited by Cuyler Reynolds". Schenectadyhistory.org. 28 April 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  10. ^ Mac Giolla Domhnaigh, Pádraig "Some Ulster Surnames"