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Whinery, Whinnery, Whinwray, Whineray Whinerey, Whinerie, Whinnerah, Whinneray, Whinnerey, Whinnerwray, Whinray, Whinry, and a couple McWhinnys.

Armagh (Armagh)

I have been researching this Surname for over 20 years. I have all sorts of information leading back to 1700s and then it all starts to fall apart. My basic question is: I NEED A PATRICK.

"Present Day" Eldon LeRoy Whinery (1900-1991) worked as a miner in Eastern Ohio. He was talented in his ability to understand the lay of the land, surveying and rock formations in order to know where the coal veins were. Records in US state he is from the Patrick Whinery line. Records for his family in the area of Columbiana County Ohio go back to the death of William Whinery 23 Sep 1819. This William Whinery was born 8 Mar. 1751 in Newberry, York, Pennsylvania. And this is where it gets fuzzy. William's father is one of two brothers and a father: Robert: B. 1718 Charlemont, County Armagh Ireland, Patrick Jr.: B. 1716 Charlemont, County Armagh Ireland, and their reported father Patrick Whinery. There are records in Immigration of the Irish Quakers into Pennsylvania 1682-1750 (Albert Cook Myers M.L.) showing Robert Whinery as a weaver from Grange Near Charlemont about 1738. He married out of the Quakers He returned and was removed from the Quakers again in 1754. Others noted are a John and Elinor Whinery in marriage 1702 and Mathew Whinery 1703 in Ballyhagen Meeting. Thomas Whinnery and Katharine Smith Parish of Kilmore County Armath, members of Ballyhagen were married in Ballyhagen meeting house 11 Mo. 23 1706. Signers included Thomas Whinnery and Katharine Whinnery. In 1741, John Whinery and Elinor Whinery are mentioned as signers at Ballyhagen Meeting House. Looking at these records, male names that are repeated are: William, Thomas and Robert. No one is using Patrick. There is a rather obscure entry in Ireland, Betham Genealogical Abstracts 1179-1830 that reads: "Shank Marguis of Donegal to Whinery." Before we leave the emerald Esle, there is a Patrick McWhinny Ballymacbrendan Magheralin, County Down in 1749 and a Robert McWhinny Dumigor, Seagoe County Armagh.

In records dating 1730s, there is a Nathaniel of the city of Dublin who is a stone cutter and a John Whinry of Dublin who is a Lapidary. I wonder about those two because Eldon's work with coal and families working at the same thing sometimes.

US genealogists say that Patrick Sr. "returned to IReland to bring his wife and younger children to the US but he died at sea, leaving wife and children in Ireland." But no one can give me any documentation. They all say, "Its what my gramm said."

Can anyone give me any help?

I have a couple lines of Whinerys in Lancastershire England around 1650-1690-again no Patrick

Thanks for listening,

Amanda Whinery (Eldon's daughter)

jacobsk1@hotmail.com

Amanda

1 reply

MacLysaght’s “The Surnames of Ireland” says that McWhinney is a variant of Mawhinney and is said to be an anglicised version of Mac Shuibhne (MacSweeny). In my opinion probably a quite separate name from Whinnery (etc). I’d not put them top of the list for likely matches to your ancestors.

There are a few McWhinneys in the 1901 census of Armagh and nearly all are Presbyterian, pointing to Scottish origins. Whereas the Whinnerys, being Quakers originally, are most probably of English origins, likely arriving in Ireland in the 1600s.

In the 1901 census of Armagh there were 446 Quakers in the county. Nearly all have either English or Welsh surnames, pointing to those origins. No Whinnerys.

The problem you are up against is that the Quakers kept excellent records from the late 1600s onwards. However few other denominations have any records for the 1600s and 1700s. So unless your ancestors were participating Quakers, there are probably no records to search.  DNA matching might the only way of connecting with other Whinnerys.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

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