Show ContentsHenrys History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Irish name Henrys was originally written in a Gaelic form as Ó hInneirghe, which is derived from an adjective meaning easily roused early.

Early Origins of the Henrys family

The surname Henrys 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 Henrys family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Henrys 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 Henrys History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Henrys Spelling Variations

Pronunciation, rather than spelling, guided scribes and church officials when recording names during the Middle Ages. This practice often resulted in one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname Henrys are preserved in these old documents. The various spellings of the name that were found include O'Henry, Fitzhenry, MacHenry, MacEnery, MacEniry and others.

Early Notables of the Henrys family

Prominent 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...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Henrys Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Australia Henrys migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Henrys Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Catherine Henrys, English convict from Derby, who was transported aboard the "Arab" on December 14, 1835, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 2


  1. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  2. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Arab voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1835 with 132 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/arab/1835


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