Conerny History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsEtymology of ConernyWhat does the name Conerny mean? The Irish name Conerny was originally written in a Gaelic form as Ó hInneirghe, which is derived from an adjective meaning easily roused early. Early Origins of the Conerny familyThe surname Conerny was first found in County Tyrone (Irish:Tír Eoghain), the ancient territory of the O'Neills, now in the Province of Ulster, central Northern Ireland, where they held a family seat at Cullentra. From here, the head of this Irish sept extended his territories into the valley of Glenconkeiny in County Londonderry. Meilor Fitzhenry (d. 1220), was "Justiciar of Ireland, was the son of Henry, the bastard son of King Henry I, by Nesta, the wife of Gerald of Windsor, and the daughter of Rhys ab Tewdwr, king of South Wales. He was thus the first cousin of Henry II, and related to the noblest Norman and native families of South Wales. " 1 Early History of the Conerny familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Conerny research. Another 54 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1753, 1785, 1796, 1800, 1816 and 1845 are included under the topic Early Conerny History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Conerny Spelling VariationsA name was often recorded during the Middle Ages under several different spelling variations during the life of its bearer because literacy was rare there was no real push to clearly define any of the languages found in the British Isles at that time. Variations found of the name Conerny include O'Henry, Fitzhenry, MacHenry, MacEnery, MacEniry and others. Early Notables of the Conerny familyProminent amongst the family at this time was James McHenry (1753-1816), American (Irish-born) patriot in the American Revolution; Secretary of War 1796-1800, and private secretary to... Migration of the Conerny familyIn the 19th century, thousands of Irish left their English-occupied homeland for North America. Like most new world settlers, the Irish initially settled on the eastern shores of the continent but began to move westward with the promise of owning land. The height of this Irish migration came during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. With apparently nothing to lose, Irish people left on ships bound for North America and Australia. Unfortunately a great many of these passengers lost their lives - the only thing many had left - to disease, starvation, and accidents during the long and dangerous journey. Those who did safely arrive in "the land of opportunities" were often used for the hard labor of building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. The Irish were critical to the quick development of the infrastructure of the United States and Canada. Passenger and immigration lists indicate that members of the Conerny family came to North America quite early: Francis McHenry, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1738; James McHenry, who settled in Savannah, Georgia in 1820; Thomas FitzHenry, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1773.
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