Embury History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Embury history begins in Cornwall, a rugged coastal region in southwestern England. Quite distinct from Devon, the adjoining county, Cornwall had its own spoken language until the late 18th century. The Embury history began here. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames were derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. Unlike most Celtic peoples, who favored patronymic names, the Cornish predominantly used local surnames. The Embury family originally lived at the town of Embrough in Devon. The name is also classified as a baptismal name as in the son of Emery.

Early Origins of the Embury family

The surname Embury was first found in Devon where they held a family seat from very early times.

Early History of the Embury family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Embury research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1258, 1300, 1363 and 1379 are included under the topic Early Embury History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Embury Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Embree, Embray, Embury, Embrey and others.

Early Notables of the Embury family

More information is included under the topic Early Embury Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Embury migration to the United States +

Early records show that people bearing the name Embury arrived in North America quite early:

Embury Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Grisell Embury, who arrived in Maryland in 1673 1

Embury migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Embury Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Andrew Embury U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 2
Mr. David Embury U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 2
Mr. David Embury Sr., U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 2
Mr. John Embury U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 2
Mr. John Edward Embury U.E. (b.1756) born in Ballingrane, County Limerick, Ireland who settled in Fredericksburgh [Greater Napanee], Ontario c. 1784 he married Mary Detlor in 1774 they had 7 children he died in 1849 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Embury migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Embury Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

James Embury, aged 35, a sawyer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "British Queen" in 1883 3
Ann Embury, aged 36, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "British Queen" in 1883 3
Minnie Embury, aged 8, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "British Queen" in 1883 3
Frederick Embury, aged 6, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "British Queen" in 1883 3
Martha A. Embury, aged 4 months, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "British Queen" in 1883 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Embury (post 1700) +

Philip Embury (1729-1775), Irish-born, American Methodist preacher, a leader of one of the earliest Methodist congregations in the United States
David Augustus Embury (1886-1960), American attorney and author of The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks (1948)
Aymar Embury II (1880-1966), American architect, best known for commissions from the City of New York from the 1930s through to the 1950s
Emma Catherine Embury (1806-1863), American author and poet
Sheila Barbara Embury (1931-2005), Canadian nurse and politician, MLA Calgary North West (1979-1986)
Timothy Burke "Tim" Embury (b. 1947), Canadian former banker and politician who represented Regina Lakeview, Saskatchewan from 1982 to 1986
Alan Williams Embury (1907-1978), Canadian lawyer, soldier and politician, Active Service Voters' Representative in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan from 1944 to 1948
Shane Embury (b. 1967), British bassist from Broseley, Shropshire
Alexander Thomas Embury (1874-1956), Canadian politician, Conservative member of the Canadian House of Commons for Hastings-Peterborough (1925-1935)

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 12th November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html