Re: James Damery/Co Cork Ireland to CT
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In reply to:
James Damery/Co Cork Ireland to CT
Cynthia Rice 7/08/00
I'm interested in the Huguenot origins of the Damerys of Cork referred to by Cindy. There were also many Damarys in Cork and it seems likely these are the same family. My grandmother Ada Damary (b1894) was a Londoner but family tradition had it that our Damarys came from France via Ireland sometime back. However, Ada's ancestry traced back through Paddington, Marylebone and Kensington to about 1780 (sometimes spelt Damry or other variants).
Whilst there have been Damarys and Damerys in England since the Norman Conquest, it seems unlikely to me that a family like my grandmother's - painters and decorators - would retain a memory of French origins from that far back. The Huguenot via Ireland version of Damary family history points to more recent French descent and fits in well with what my grandmother was told. In other words, it's more plausible that this would still be remembered in the nineteenth century when my grandmother was born. I've no firm evidence to support this.