!ORIGIN OF NAME FORTUNE

Family name history:

"The origin of the Irish surname Fortune and its variants O"'Fortune, Fortin and Forty are of English origin, having been brought to Ireland by English settlers

Here the name is of nickname origin, derived from the Latin "fortuna", meaning "chance, fate, fortune" and indicating "a fortunate or lucky person".

The name is however, also found in Scotland, and introduced into Ireland during the Plantation period of the 17th century. The name is an anglicized form of the Gaelic "O Fairtcheirn" and of patronymic origin, derived from a personal name meaning "overlord".

This surname was brought to America by Irish immigrants in the 19th century. *This information was obtained from Grace Fortune Melton.

!COAT of ARMS

FORTUNE

Blazon of arms:

A fess embattled azure between three mullets gules.

Crest: Orn a ducal coronet a mullet between two branches of laurel in orle all proper.

The Fortune coat of arms seems to come in 2 or 3 styles.

The most common one seems to be a stag upon a yellow wheel, surrounded by eight penzants.

The motto is 'Fortuna fungacior undis', meaning 'Fortune is more transient than the waves'.

Heraldic vocabulary:

fess: sash as insignia

gules: red

stag or deer

orle or ornamental fringe, border

azzure: light blue

coronet: small crown embattled as in a battle position

mullet: kind of fish

all proper: natural-coloured

!ORIGIN OF NAME

Information from Ruth Armstrong:

In an article entitled SOME RESEARCH INTO THE FAMILY NAME OF FORTUNE by George Fortune which appeared in 'THE SCOTTISH GENEALOGIST', Quarterly Journal of the SCOTTISH GENEALOGY SOCIETY, March 1972, pp. 10-14,

The author describes the surname Fortune as a place name in The Lothians such as an ancient fortification - three lands adjacent to the fort bear names:

West Fortune, East Fortune and Fortunebank - the lands from which supplies of farm produce were obtained for the army that manned the fort - Fort-toun.

A more recent mapmaker (late 1770's) frequently changed "East Forton" into "East Fortune".

So, if the surname Fortune is really a place name, it appears that there was no early common ancestor and therefore no early blood relatives.

• Ruth Arnstrong is the great-granddaughter of James and Harriet (Royce) Fortune, oldest son of John and Catherine (Younger) Fortune of Scotland and Essex Co. NYH.

!ORIGIN:

JOHN FORTUNE born 1773-died abt. 1855 in England

He married Katherine (Kate) Young (Younger). Kate was born 1780 in Fishwick Mains, Hutton Parish, Berwickshire, Scotland and was christened 6 Aug 1780 in Hutton Parish, Berwickshire, Scotland.

John and Kate had nine sons. James, born in England, Archibald, John, Chirnside Parish, Berwickshire, George, Thomas, Alexander, Robert, William, Carr?, David, were born and baptized in Buncle & Preston Parish, Berwickshire.

I have no record of a Carr b. June 16, 1819, who shows up in several genealogy charts. The family came to America in 1788 and lived in the Essex-Westport area of New York State from 1818/19 until about 1841. During this time apparently Kate died. They moved to Nicholville, St., Lawrence County, New York, and according to the 1850 census, John was believed to have died between 1854-/56

There is no cemetery record in Nicholville for him, even though others in the family are buried there.