Our History

MENARY HISTORY

St. Jacques-Alexandre Menuret was martyred at this Church.

(For more information, see "HUGUENOT and

FRENCH CONNECTIONS"

at right)

The Church of St. Joseph des Carmes, a Carmelite nunnery in Paris, France. Is St. Jacques Menuret buried here? (click on image to enlarge).

The priests' skulls at the Ossuary at the Church of St. Joseph des Carmes (click on image to enlarge).

Who We Are

The Battle of the Boyne

Weavers by Trade

Saint Jacques-Alexandre Menuret

Huguenot and French Connections

St Menuret ~ The Paris Skulls

Finding Out More

Map of Dauphin Region of France 1712

WHO WE ARE

When the Menary Rootsweb surname list was formed in 1999, descendents from around the world began to share the stories of their ancestors. From the United Kingdom to the United States and Canada, from Australia to New Zealand and France, the legend was the same:

". . .there were two or three Menary brothers; descendants of French Huguenots, weavers by trade, that were given land in Northern Ireland by William of Orange around 1690."

Our surname had many spellings but they all led back to Northern Ireland and this story that had been handed down to many of us.

return to top

THE BATTLE OF THE BOYNE

In the 1600's, political events were shaping up that had a great influence on our ancestors' lives. James II became the King of England in 1685 and began to restore the power of the Catholic Church.

During this time, the Whigs and the Tories invited William of Orange, a Protestant from Holland, to be King of England. In 1688, William landed in England with an army of 14,000, some of whom may have been our ancestors. England and Scotland rallied to his support and William and Mary were crowned joint sovereigns.

Meanwhile, James II fled to the safety of Ireland. In 1690, William and his troops, among them the Huguenot Menuret brothers from Montelimar, France, invaded Ireland and met James at the Boyne River on July 1. There the famous Battle of the Boyne was fought and James II and his army were defeated. James fled once more, this time to France, and Ireland was now ruled by a Protestant monarchy.

The men who fought with William were given generous rewards for their military service and bravery in an area know as the "seven towns" on the border of Counties Armagh and Monaghan in what is now Northern Ireland. Documentation of payment from the Army in 1690 to Ensign De Menery was found among the records in Dublin.

"Army Revenue and Payment Books. 1690-91 (T689/1): Officers of Col. Belmoni's Regiment, lately commanded by Col. Calimote, deceased, "for 14 days pay upon account pursuant to his matters warrant dated 5th August 1690 as by the said warrant and acquittances appears..." Ensign De Menery, £1 8s 0d, 9th Sept 1690, Ensign De Menery, £1 8s 0d, 3rd Nov 1690, (name gone)." From Dr. Brian Leese report.

return to top

WEAVERS BY TRADE

Throughout our research on the early Menary families in Northern Ireland, we have found that most of them were weavers by trade, while some were small farmers. Even those Menary's who had immigrated to other parts of the world listed their occupations as weavers and farmers.

After 1690, Ireland experienced much political unrest and adverse economic conditions, including a series of potato famines in the 1800s. Ireland’s population began to migrate in huge numbers to other parts of the world and the Menarys were part of this movement. We have found descendants all over the world including many still living in the "seven hills" area of Northern Ireland.

Many service records have been found identifying Menary men as war heroes from the French Revolution (see Saint Jacques-Alexandre Menuret and side panel and below for more information) to the Napoleonic War (where Sir William Wallace Meneray was knighted for his bravery) and on to many that were killed in World War II and other major conflicts. It is also to their honor that we dedicate this web site.

return to top

HUGUENOT and FRENCH CONNECTIONS

It had been reported that the Menary brothers were French Huguenots, the common name for Calvinist Protestants from the mid-1500's. The dates in question do concur with the period when many Huguenots were leaving France by the thousands to many places including Ireland.

Records were found in the French Church Of Golblac Lane (Huguenot), in Dublin, Ireland that sustained this theory as well. Several birth, marriage and death records alternatively spelling the name Menery, Menuret and Menary were located with Alexandre Menuret from Montelimar in Southern France being the family head.

Jacques-Alexandre Menuret was murdered in Paris during the French Revolution in 1792. He was a priest from Montelimar (southern France near the Italian border) that hid in a Carmelite nunnery with 190 other priests as they would not denounce their faith in favor of the government. They were pushed out the back door of the Church into the garden and butchered as they descended the stairs. See photos at: St Menuret ~ The Paris Skulls

In 1926 the Pope declared the priests martyred and they were canonized. Their deaths are remembered September 2nd and 3rd. Their skulls and bones remain in a crypt beneath the Church of Saint Joseph Des Carmes (the nunnery) in the center of Paris.

We have subsequently dubbed the first original Menary brother in Ireland as Alexandre Menuret. According to the Church records, he married Marie Henry in Dublin in 1705 and his family grew. By working backwards, we were able to identify Alexandre's family of origin and offspring. While not all of the sources have been verified there is some evidence for the following family connections.

1 Zacharie Menary b: Abt. 1590 Montelimar en Dauphine, Province de France

.. +Madelaine De Chambaud b: Abt. 1600 m: Abt. 1619 Montelimar, Drome, France

...... 2 Zacharie Menary b: Abt. 1620 Montelimar en Dauphine, France d: 1685 Cevennes, France

.......... +Jeanne Reynaud b: Abt. 1624 m: October 25, 1650 Montelimar, Drome, France

............... 3 Jean John Menary b: Abt. 1662 Montelimar en Dauphine, Province de France d: N. IRELAND?

............... 3 Alexander Menary b: 1664 Montelimar, France d: October 10, 1722 Dublin, IR

................+Marie Henry m: May 13, 1705 French Church Of Golblac Lane (Huguenot), Dublin, IR

........................ 4 Anne Menary b: Apr 23,1707 French Church Of Golblac Ln (Huguenot), Dublin IR

........................ 4 Alexander Menary b: 1710 Montelimar, France

............................ +Mary Magdalene (Menary) b: Abt. 1710

........................ 4 Esther Menary b: May 06, 1718 Dublin, IR

For more source information go to the French Connection. Thanks to Barbara MacPherson for contributing to this history section.

return to top

FINDING OUT MORE

Around the world this family has spread and it is our intentions to document their history through written and biological sources. We invite all of you to share your Menary histories no matter how you spell your name. We have lots to share with you too.

Please join us by clicking below for more information on our email list and web sites:

Look for more links to us at GENEALOGY LINKS. Read about how DNA for genealogy has been an invaluable resource to us in proving family connections at MENARY DNA PROJECT. Help us in our quest by going to Research Fund where contributions are being accepted towards hiring genealogists in Ireland and running DNA samples for those who can't afford it.

return to top