Emigrants
Like many European families, economic hardship, religious intolerance, or just the excitement of new horizons and opportunities offered by the outposts of the British Empire, or the open door policy of the USA, persuaded many Mastertons to seek their fortunes in the New Worlds. I have come across emigrants to the Americas, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand from the 19th century onwards.
But it wasn't just the lure of the Empire. Scots have long been willing to travel to do business and there are also some emigrants from Scotland to other European countries in earlier centuries. For example, the Mesterton family of Sweden and Finland originates from James Masterton (1625-89), shipper in Leith, who became Jakob Mesterton and married Kerstin Scrymgeour and later Petronella Schaeij and settled in Sweden. Ossian Mesterton's website has much more information on these Swedish and Finnish Mestertons, including a speculative addition to Victor A Noel Paton's genealogy.
Another early emigrant was Adam Masterton whose son James, born in Dendermont in Flanders in 1610, became professor of law at Leiden University in 1630.
THE MASTERTON DIASPORA
Records of some Masterton emigrants from their home country.
United States of America
| Name | Age | Date | From | Ship | Port of Arrival | Final Destination |
| John Masterton | 33 | 22 4 1870 | 'Iowa' | New York | ||
| Jno Masterton, miner | 31 | 6 5 1870 | 'Australia' | New York | ||
| Mrs Janet Masterton | 32 | 9 6 1871 | 'India' | New York | ||
| Alexander | 10 | 9 6 1871 | 'India' | New York | ||
| Euphemia | 8 | 9 6 1871 | 'India' | New York | ||
| Mary | 6 | 9 6 1871 | 'India' | New York | ||
| Hugh | 3 | 9 6 1871 | 'India' | New York | ||
| Wm Masterton, merchant | 23 | 1 5 1878 | 'Abyssinia' | New York | ||
| D Craig Masterton | 32 | 18 5 1892 | 'Norwegian' | New York | ||
| John Masterton | 20 | 10 7 1893 | 'Furnessia' | New York | ||
| David Masterton | 40 | 6 11 1901 | Liverpool | 'Ivernia' | Boston | Wisconsin |
| Margaret Masterton | 40 | 6 11 1901 | Liverpool | 'Ivernia' | Boston | Wisconsin |
| George Masterton | 27 (?) | 7 5 1903 | 'Ethiopia' | New York | ||
| Walter Henry Masterton | 19 | 5 3 1904 | Glasgow | New York | New York | |
| Arthur Masterton | 16 | 6 1906 | Antwerp | 'Glenclova' | Seattle | |
| David Masterton | 12 9 1908 | Glasgow | 'Hesperian' | Canada | USA | |
| Christina Masterton | 12 9 1908 | Glasgow | 'Hesperian' | Canada | USA | |
| Andrew Masterton | 35 | 6 1909 | 'Furnessia' | New York | ||
| Janet Masterton | 35 | 7 11 1909 | 'Caledonia' | New York | Brooklyn, New York | |
| John | 10 | 7 11 1909 | 'Caledonia' | New York | Brooklyn, New York | |
| Alice | 8 | 7 11 1909 | 'Caledonia' | New York | Brooklyn, New York | |
| George | 1 | 7 11 1909 | 'Caledonia' | New York | Brooklyn, New York | |
| George Masterton | 25 | 22 3 1910 | 'Furnessia' | New York | ||
| Agnes Masterton | 23 | 4 1910 | 'Canada' | Portland, Maine | ||
| Harry Masterton | 23 | 6 4 1912 | 'Parisian' | Boston | ||
| George Masterton | 5 1912 | 'Haverford' | Philadelphia | |||
| John Masterton | 5 1912 | 'Haverford' | Philadelphia | |||
| James Masterton | 33 | 17 2 1913 | 'Caledonia' | New York | ||
| James Masterton | 19 | 15 5 1914 | Glasgow | 'Pretorian' | Boston | |
| William Masterton | 31 | 26 6 1920 | 'Columbia' | New York | ||
| Mary Masterton | 28 | 26 6 1920 | 'Columbia' | New York | ||
| George Masterton | 32 | 30 1 1922 | 'Lapland' | New York | ||
| James Masterton | 39 | Jul 1923 | 'Columbia' | Boston | ||
| George Masterton | 45 | 1 10 1923 | 'Tuscania' | New York | ||
| Agnes Masterton | 35 | 28 4 1925 | 'Tuscania' | New York | Gary, Indiana | |
| Thomas David | 12 | 28 4 1925 | 'Tuscania' | New York | Gary, Indiana | |
| Arthur | 11 | 28 4 1925 | 'Tuscania' | New York | Gary, Indiana | |
| Mary | 9 | 28 4 1925 | 'Tuscania' | New York | Gary, Indiana | |
| Catherine Masterton | 38 | 27 9 1926 | Glasgow | 'California' | New York | |
| Elizabeth | 14 | 27 9 1926 | Glasgow | 'California' | New York | |
| James | 5 | 27 9 1926 | Glasgow | 'California' | New York | |
| Hugh | 18 | 27 9 1926 | Glasgow | 'California' | New York | |
| Thomas | 17 | 27 9 1926 | Glasgow | 'California' | New York | |
| Annie Masterton | 48 | 17 12 1927 | Glasgow | 'Letitia' | Halifax | Chicago, Illinois |
| Andrew | 18 | 17 12 1927 | Glasgow | 'Letitia' | Halifax | Chicago, Illinois |
| Peter | 16 | 17 12 1927 | Glasgow | 'Letitia' | Halifax | Chicago, Illinois |
| George | 12 | 17 12 1927 | Glasgow | 'Letitia' | Halifax | Chicago, Illinois |
| Catherine | 9 | 17 12 1927 | Glasgow | 'Letitia' | Halifax | Chicago, Illinois |
| Jean | 5 | 17 12 1927 | Glasgow | 'Letitia' | Halifax | Chicago, Illinois |
The following link has passenger records for immigrants to USA that travelled through Ellis Island between 1892 and 1925.
Canada
| Name | Age | Date | From | Ship | Port of Arrival | Final Destination |
| Alexander Masterton | 17 | 1814 | Halifax, Nova Scotia | New York, USA | ||
| George Masterton | 22 | May 1912 | Quebec | USA | ||
Australia
Three brothers, two sisters and their families emigrated to Melbourne, Victoria 1853-54:
| David Masterton and Margaret Fisher | William Masterton and Isabella McKay | Fowler Masterton |
| Isabella | David | |
| Julia | Alexander McKay | |
| Frances | Frances King | |
| David | Julia Mitchell | |
| Mary Masterton | Julia Masterton |
David was a master mariner and Captain of 'Ferozepore' 1847-1853. He bought a 127-ton ship 'Elizabeth' and took his sisters Mary and Julia and William's wife and four children to Victoria in 1853/54. David's children and his brothers William and Fowler were already in Victoria in 1852/53.
| Name | Age | Date | From | Ship | Port of Arrival | Final Destination |
New Zealand
| Name | Age | Date | From | Ship | Port of Arrival | Final Destination |
Southern Africa
| Name | Age | Date | From | Ship | Port of Arrival | Final Destination |
Sweden
| Name | Age | Date | From | Ship | Port of Arrival | Final Destination |
Sources for images of ships: 1) Simplon Postcards The Passenger Ship Website
2) Clydebuilt