Corey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

In the 18th and 19th centuries, thousands of Irish families fled an Ireland that was forcibly held through by England through its imperialistic policies. A large portion of these families crossed the Atlantic to the shores of North America. The fate of these families depended on when they immigrated and the political allegiances they showed after they arrived. Settlers that arrived before the American War of Independence may have moved north to Canada at the war's conclusion as United Empire Loyalists. Such Loyalists were granted land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula. Those that fought for the revolution occasionally gained the land that the fleeing Loyalist vacated. After this period, free land and an agrarian lifestyle were not so easy to come by in the East. So when seemingly innumerable Irish immigrants arrived during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s, free land for all was out of the question. These settlers were instead put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. Whenever they came, Irish settlers made an inestimable contribution to the building of the New World. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name Corey or a variant listed above, including:

Corey Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

• Giles Corey who settled in Salem Massachusetts in 1630
• Miss Corey, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1651 3
• William Corey, who arrived in Virginia in 1657 3
• John Corey, who arrived in Virginia in 1663 3

Corey Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

• Richard Corey, who arrived in Mississippi in 1798 3
• Jacob Corey, who arrived in Mississippi in 1798 3

Corey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

• Ebenezer Corey, who settled in Portland Me. in 1820
• Daniel Corey, who arrived in Sandusky Ohio in 1820
• J. D. Michael Corey, who both arrived in New York in 1822
• Michael Corey, aged 42, who landed in America in 1822 3
• Caleb Corey, who settled in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1823
• ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Corey Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

• Mrs. Sarah Corey, (née Griffin) U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1783 4
• Mr. Gideon Corey, "Coree" U.E. born in Rhode Island, New York, USA who settled in Carleton [Saint John City], New Brunswick c. 1783, passenger on the Union Transport from New York 4

Corey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

• Catherine Corey (aged 17), a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Aliquis"
• Jane Corey (aged 24), a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Aliquis"
• Mary Corey (aged 19), a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Aliquis"
• Miss Catherine Corey, (b. 1839), aged 17, Irish servant from Cork, Ireland travelling from Plymouth, Devon, UK aboard the ship "Aliquis" arriving in Adelaide, Australia on 26th August 1856 5
• Miss Jane Corey, (b. 1832), aged 24, Irish servant from Cork, Ireland travelling from Plymouth, Devon, UK aboard the ship "Aliquis" arriving in Adelaide, Australia on 26th August 1856 5
• ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

• Walter Martin 'Walt" Corey (1938-2022), American AFL football linebacker for 7 seasons and NFL coach for 28 seasons
• "Professor" Irwin Corey (1914-2017), American comic, film actor and activist
• Bryan Scott Corey (b. 1973), American Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher
• Wendell Corey (1914-1968), American actor, best known for his roles in Rear Window (1954) and The Rainmaker (1956), President of Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences (1961-1963)
• James Warren "Jim" Corey (1883-1956), American actor, who appeared in over 315 films
• Jeff Corey (1914-2002), born Arthur Zwerling, American stage and screen actor and director; he became a well-respected acting teacher after being blacklisted in the 1950s
• Elias James Corey (b. 1928), American chemist and co-winner of the Wolf Prize in Chemistry (1986), the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1990) and the Priestly Medal (2004)
• Robert Brainard Corey (1897-1971), American biochemist
• John Corey (1700-1731), English actor and dramatist, born in Barnstaple who came of an ancient family in Cornwall 6
• Ronald Corey CM (b. 1938), Canadian businessman and former professional NHL ice hockey executive with the Montreal Canadiens
• ... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

• The American Corys (also the Coreys) by Vernon Corey.
• The Corys (also the Coreys) by Charles E. Corey.