Show ContentsMcEnery History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the McEnery family

The surname McEnery was first found in Limerick (Irish: Luimneach) located in Southwestern Ireland, in the province of Munster, where they held a family seat as descendents of Sedna, son of Cairbre Aedbha, descended from Olioll Olum, King of Munster who died 234. The tribe held a family seat on the River Maig to Abbey Feale.

Kennith MacEneiry, King of Conallo, was slain in battle in 1029. Irish history, after the Norman Conquest of England, was strongly influenced by the invasion of Strongbow in 1172, almost equal to the enormous Irish cultural impact on England Scotland, Wales and the whole of Europe before the Norman Conquest from the 1st to 7th centuries.

Many Irish clanns, sept names were intermixed and family groupings became almost indistinguishable. This family name was found later in Casletown McEniry when they clann erected a castle at Kilmoodan. John McEniry, chief of his kin, of Castletown McEniry surrendered his lands but was re-granted them in 1607. Many others were forfeited in the 17th century.

Early History of the McEnery family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McEnery research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1656 is included under the topic Early McEnery History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McEnery Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: McEniry, McEnery, McInergh, McInneirghe, McEnnery, McKynery, Mannery, McEnrigh and many more.

Early Notables of the McEnery family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was

  • the McEnery family of Castletown


McEnery migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McEnery Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Juan McEnery, who arrived in St. Augustine, FL in 1797
  • Jayme McEnery, who arrived in St. Augustine, FL in 1797
McEnery Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Michael McEnery, who settled in Indiana sometime between 1850 and 1852
  • John McEnery, who arrived in Indiana in 1852
  • Timothy McEnery, who arrived in Arkansas in 1872 1
  • Patrick J. McEnery, who settled in Colorado in 1882
  • Joseph McEnery, who landed in Colorado in 1894 1

McEnery migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McEnery Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Margaret McEnery, aged 23, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the barque "Pallas" from Cork, Ireland
  • Robert McEnery, who arrived in Ontario in 1871
  • Ellen McEnery, who settled in Ontario in 1871

Contemporary Notables of the name McEnery (post 1700) +

  • Samuel Douglas McEnery (1837-1910), American Democratic Party politician, Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana, 1879; 1881-88; Justice of Louisiana State Supreme Court, 1888-97;U.S. Senator from Louisiana, 1897-1910
  • Tom McEnery, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 2000
  • John P. McEnery, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1944 (alternate), 1948, 1956, 1960 (alternate)
  • David Largus McEnery (1914-2002), known as Red River Dave McEnery, American artist, musician, and writer of topical songs
  • Samuel Douglas McEnery (1837-1910), American Governor of Louisiana from 1881 until 1888, and a United States Senator from 1897 until 1910
  • John McEnery (b. 1943), British BAFTA nominated actor and writer
  • Peter Robert McEnery (b. 1940), British stage and film actor, brother to John McEnery
  • Tony McEnery, Department of Linguistics and English Language, Lancaster University, England


  1. 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)


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