Origin of the Henneberry Surname

        As with most genealogy searches, disagreements regarding the origin of the surname is common.  Some accounts indicate the family came from Germany to Ireland.  Irish Roots Magazine indicates an emigration of Palatine Germans to the Limerick/Tipperary about 1709.  There is a village in the Palatinate called Henneberg.  Henry Hennebery and his wife Mariah, both from Germany, were living in Franklin County, MO from the 1850 census.     See the Norman invasion of 1169 for De'Alton or D'Alton and others.   Also research the old Gaelic Surnames of Henry.   The surname is also claimed to be De Hindeberg from Denmark in a Germanic form.   After the English occupation of Ireland in the 12th century, many Irish surnames were required to be changed to English names.  In 1465, the English King Edward IV demanded all Irish  take a surname of an English town such as Sutton, London and perhaps Henbury. 

     After the defeat of the Stuart forces by William of Orange during the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, the Irish forces continued to fight the English.  The Irish were defeated at the Battle of Limerick, and The Treaty of Limerick in 1691 gave the Irish army the option to sail to France.  Over twenty thousand Irish soldiers left for France and fought in European armies over the next 200 years.  Several of the soldiers came from the Galbally area of County Limerick.  The "Wild Geese"  often returned to Ireland with European wives.   These Henebrys and others were not German, Spanish or Danes, rather they were Irish returning to their native land. 

Hennebry Photo Shop in Waterford Ireland (June 2001)

    The Viking Origin of the Surname:

    By the early 700's, the Vikings' ship building technology had developed the capability to allow masts and sails on their ships.  This advancement allowed them to travel farther distances, and they begin attacks on Ireland in 795.  The native Irish did not build towns.  It was the Vikings who established Dublin and Limerick and other towns and villages in Ireland.  The Vikings (Norsemen) were often called Danes by the Irish, but the majority were Norwegian.  The land of the Vikings was called "Lochlann". 

    During the 9th century, the Vikings had established strongholds in Ireland.  A village called Cu was located near Galbally in County Limerick and the Cussen surname may be linked to the early Vikings.  Galbally (An Gallbhaile) in Irish, means the foreigner's town.  Although most of the Vikings were from Norway, some  were from Denmark, and they settled near Limerick in the 9th century.  The Gaelic term for the Danes was "Dubh-gall" or dark foreigner, and the term for the Norwegians was "Finn-gall" or fair foreigner.  Galbally: bally = (Townland) and Gall =  (foreigner) = Townland of the Foreigners.  The Vikings (Norseman) settled in Ireland married into Gaelic families and adopted the native language, religion and customs.  These Gaelic-Vikings fought their distant relatives a few hundred years later during the Norman invasion.

    The Normans were Vikings who established settlements in France during the late 9th century.  The consistent attacks on the Franks  in 888 provided opportunities for new settlements in what later became known as Normandy.   The medieval Latin name for Viking is "Northmannus" and the name for Normandy is "Northmannia" (Viking Land).

    William the Conqueror (a Norman duke) defeated the Anglo-Saxon forces at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and assumed the English throne.   The Norman invasion of Ireland started in 1169 and within the next century, they controlled 75% of the country.  The majority of Irish towns were established by the Normans who spoke Norman-French.  The province of Munster became one of the most predominant French (Norman) settlements outside of France.  Galbally is located within Munster.   These Norman-Vikings were probably related to some of the Gaelic-Vikings who had been there for over 200 years.  The Normans, like the Norseman before them, intermarried with the Irish and also adopted the language and customs of the Gaels.  This led to the Statutes of Kilkenny in 1366 which prohibited the families of the Anglo-Normans from intermarriage with the native Irish or the adoption of Irish surnames, language and customs.  The first Irish were neolithic users of flint and then bronze.  About 350, the Gaelic Celts from southern France and Spain conquered Ireland.  The Celtic traditions and culture have held on longer in Ireland than any other country, and the Vikings and Normans became absorbed into the Gaelic world.   Bibliography

    The surname de Hindeberg or de Hynteberge  would seem to have roots from the Viking-Norman-Frank surnames.  This name appears in Ireland by 1204, and when translated to Irish became Henebry/Henneberry.    

 Here is some information about the early Heneberry family in Ireland, taken from "Knights' Fees in Counties Wexford, Carlow and Kilkenny",  Irish Manuscripts Commission, with commentary by Eric St. John Brooks, Dublin Stationery Office, 1950 

The family of Intebergh came from Inkborough, co. Worcester (anciently written Intebergh), which was one of the original Marshal manors and not inherited from Strongbow. In Ireland the name suffered progressive corruption, from such forms as 'David de Inttebergh', represented in a 1247 feodary of 1/8 knight's fee at Rathdouan; to 'once of Nicholas Hyndbruege', represented in the 1324 feodary of 1/8 knight's fee at Rathdonan, to Heneberry, preserved in the townland of Ballyhenebery, co. Kilkenny, where they were settled in the beginning of the 14th century (see: Note to Duiske Charters, no. 2).

The earliest mention of the family is in co. Wexford. Nicholas de Inteberga was a witness circa 1204 to a quit-claim of Adam son of Synath, executed in co. Wexford (see: Ibid., no. 2); and Nicholas and Philip witnessed another charter circa 1226 (see: Ibid., no. 16). Philip was perhaps the ancestor of the Rathdouan family. He owed rents circa 1230 in Rathsalagh in Bantry (unidentified, see: Ibid., no.41), and Bantry would be a likely place for this fee. He is presumably identical with a sheriff of Munster circa 1244 (Cal. Doc. Ire., I. 2661; cf. 2629), and may have been the father of David who witnessed a charter concerning co. Wexford circa 1230 (see: Duiske Charters, no. 39), and the David de Inttebergh who held the 1247 fee at Rathdouan. If so, David must have been succeeded by a brother John, for a Philip was father of John and grandfather of Nicholas de Hyndeberg who released the manor of Rath (Baggotrath, co. Dublin to Robert Bagod circa 1280 (see: Cal. Pat. and Close Rolls, Ireland, 3 b. ; cf. Ball, ii. 43 ; note to Regr. All Hallows, 135). So it may be permissible to identify Nicholas with the Nicholas who held this fee (at Rathdouan) before 1324. The entry in the 1342 feodary suggest that he was dead by then, the [knight's] fee having escheated to the overlord; and this would agree with another record which shows Philip as grandfather of Nicholas de Inteberg, whose son Ludovicus in 1323 sued the descendants of the Worcesters for the dower lands of his great-aunt Alianora, daughter of Philip de Inteberg, who had married firstly Andrew de Bermingham and secondly Ralph son and heir of William, nephew and heir of Philip de Worcester (see: Journal R.S.A.I., 1870-1, p. 633. Alianora was alive in 1295, Ibid., 1907, p.387). Nothing more of hear of this [knight's] fee. It is one of those marked 'decay' in the 1324 feodary, meaning it had been overrun by the Irish. It does not occur in the feodary of circa 1425.

The 1247 feodary (The de Valence Purparty) was taken from "Chancery Miscellanea, P.R.O., London (File 88/4, no. 70), collated with a list in the Calendar Patent Rolls.

The 1324 feodary was printed in the Calendar of Inquisitions post mortem, representing the inquisition on the Irish estate of Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke and taken at Wexford on July 16, 1324.

The early form of the name is found in a number of early records in the Calendar of Ormond Deeds (Vol I, II, III):

Philip de Inteberge was a witness to a grant at Boyacg in the tenement of Grenan circa 1240.
Philip, sheriff of Munster, witnessed a quit-claim of a villate in Balygillduf and Killacheth circa 1244.
Sir Philip and Sir John de Hindeberge were witnesses of a grant in 'le Glyn O Katoft' dated April 21, 1261.
Philip de Inteberge witnessed a grant in the tenement of BalyhymcDowyl and Laynachiston dated June 15, 1325.
Philip de Inteberge witnessed a grant of land in Shanboth, given at Kilkenny in January 1328.
Geoffrey Intebar' was a witness to a barony of Overk, Co, Kilkenny grant dated March 1342.
Geoffrey Hyndebreg is listed in mercy for non-attendance when summoned to various inquisitions at Clonmel in 1359.
Richard son of Paul Hynteberge paid a fine at Clonmel (co. Tipperary) in 1359.
Robert Hyndebruge witnessed a grant at New Ross (co. Wexford) crica 1360.

In the list of Essoins taken at Clonmel, co. Tipperary in January, 1398, is cited "Milo Maydewlell and Ismaya his wife put in his place Theobald Laynagh to win or lose in a suit between them and David Hendebrege."

A David Hynteburg is listed among the those owing fines and amercements of the court of the Liberty of Tipperary from April 1403 through December 1404. The last name is also spelled Hyndebyrge, Hyndebrygg and Hyndebrugg in these citations.

In a county court of the Liberty of Tipperary, 1410, a case is cited of Robert Stanley against David Hynbryge of Rathedrom on a pleas of debt. Pledges named. David attached by one tassum price 2 marks in hands of Ballagh Hynbryge manucaptor.

February 10, 1446 - William Walsch, chaplain, gives and grants to Nicholas son of David Hynberye the manor of Owenyn, the manor of Henberyeston and the manor of Fanyneston, together with all other messuages, lands, rents, etc., which grantor had of the gift and enfeoffment of said Nicholas in the parish of Ownyn and the parish of Fotheron in Overk, to have and to hold to said Nicholas and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten. If he die without male heir, remainder similarly to Philip, Thomas, Richard, John, Walter, all sons of the said Nicholas; then to John son of Patrick Tywe; William son of Philip Hynberye; William son of Richard Hynberye; John Glas son of Richard Gyllegalde Lesagh Walsch; Milo son of the same Richard; Philip son of Philip Cam Lesagh Walsch; Walter son of John Glas Lesagh Walsch; Richard son of James Lesagh Walsch, and Richard son of Patrick Tywe. And if all these die without heir male so begotten, the above manors, etc. shall revert to the right heirs of the above said Nicholas son of David Hynberye and his heirs for ever.

July 20, 1504 - Richard Henebre grants to Peter Butler, knight, Margaret Gerot his wife and James Butler their son and heir, all lands and tenements in Ownynge, Fanyngistoun, Balihennebre and Gortklenrush and all their lands and tenements in Saunderistoun alias Balyhander, Lasloyn, Scarnanystoun in county Kilkenny.
Witnesses: John Wyse, Walter Englishe, chaplain, and many others.
Dorso: Signed "Pers Butler"
 

Submitted by: Dennis Walsh Surname Histories
 

The Anglo-Saxon origin of the surname: Another view.

       The English origin of Henneberry follows below.

        Serious research would indicate the surname, Henneberry, has a well-authenticated Anglo-Saxon origin.  Any European origins would be speculative at best.    The most reasonable answer would appear to be the name of the town as a surname.  See the town of Broadhembury, England.  Examples:  Jack from/of  London - Jack London; William from/of  Atberry - Bill Atteberry.

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