Huguenot or not Huguenot

[Walksfarman]

Hello, 
Help needed!, I have just joined, and have begun researching my family history which has been a mystery and I have hit brickwalls almost every where I go, my surname is MENERE and I was informed that this is a variation of a French Huguenot name, the family, so I am told, fled France mid to late 17th Century due to the religious persecution on the Continent, especially the Edict of Nantes by Louis X1V.
Name variations are: MENER, MENNEAR, MENIER, MENURE, MENEYER, MENEER, MENEAR, MANHARE, MANHIRE etc. I am having a hard time trying to connect these names with MENERE, and have not been at all successful finding out where the family fled to, be it England (strongest possibility), Ireland or America, and what ship they just happened to be on.
My GGG Grandfather Joseph MENERE b abt 1770 place unknown believed to be France, was listed as being in the navy AND the army at the same time! which country? I have no idea, spouse name was Sarah (surname unknown), Joseph and Sarah had 3 children born in England.
If a very kind and helpful person may be able to help me here or point me in the right direction, pleeeaaaase! I will be forever greatful!
Kindest regards,
Ozzyal

[avm228]

Hello OzzyAl and a warm welcome to Rootschat

You'll find people very helpful here.  In order to help Rootschatters to help you, do give all the information you have, especially on an intriguing mystery like this!

So, for starters:

In what document(s) was Joseph MENERE listed as being in the navy and the army.  What were the dates of those documents?

What is the source of your approximate birthdate for Joseph of 1770 and belief that his birthplace was France?

Who were the three children born to Joseph and Sarah in England - full names and dates if you have them?

Did those children go on to marry and have children in England?

I'm guessing there was a further emigration from England at some time - perhaps to Australia (?).  Who emigrated, and when?


I'm sure more detail on some of the above will get the ball rolling for you

Anna

[PrueM]

Hi OzzyAl 
Welcome to Rootschat from me, too!

I recently traced a friend's family tree which contained a number of French families said to be Huguenot (all the family tree was English).  I found that all the French families were very reliable when christening/baptising their children, and all did so at named or known Huguenot churches in the eastern part of London, right across the 18th and 19th centuries.  Birth dates were recorded along with baptisms, all of which I found on the IGI, and baptism almost without exception was carried out within one month of the birth.

If you start searching for your family on the IGI (International Genealogical Index - if you need to know where to find this just holler!) and they were in or around London, I think you'll be able to find out pretty quickly if they were Huguenot or not!

Good luck!

Prue

[PrueM]

P.S.  Something which you may have already seen:

http://www.surnamedb.com/surname.aspx?name=Menere

[harewoodhouse]

  I dont know if you have seen
http://www.huguenot.netnation.com/ancestor/lookup.php?a

[Arranroots]

Hi Guys

Ozzyal has posted more info on another thread (which I have locked to prevent duplication)

I am researching the name MENERE,
variations are:MENER, MENEAR, MENNEAR, MENIER, MENURE, MENEER, MENEYER, MANHIRE, MENHIRE and a few more. Believed to have fled France in the 1700's
Christian names: Joseph b abt 1770 in France?, William James b5/8/1908/12 London, Sarah b1815 London?, Edward Joseph b1822 London, Henri William b24/5/1844 Louth Ireland, Elizabeth Mary b1847 Louth Ireland, George Edward b1847/48 Louth Ireland, Fanny Matilda b1849 Louth Ireland, Louisa Sarah b1850 Dublin Ireland, Evelyn Emma b1851/52 At sea, Frank Charles b1855 Australia, Marion Frances b1858 Australia, Edward George b17/7/1878, Albert Henri b1880(grandfather) Australia, Ellen Emma b1881 Australia, Eveline b1882 Australia. + a lot more.
I have scant details to date, no immigration details etc either, is there anyone out there who can help?
Kind regards,
Ozzyal

Hope this helps!

Hi Ozzyal - best to keep all the info in one place to start with - good luck with your search!

kind regards, Arranroots 

[Elizabeth Revel]

On Family Search site there are a number of references to a family with this name, with a submitter's name and address.

I have sent a p.m. to let you know.

Beth

[Walksfarman]

Hi everyone, I am super impressed with the immediate responses! Thank you so very much!
Firstly to ANNA, I do not possess any documents re Joseph MENERE, only that I was informed by a gentleman in the usa of this (say no more), and some people here also have informed me to which I asked for proof and of course they could not deliver!
As for Joseph MENERE I found it on the LDS site.
  Joseph MENERE babt 1770 d30/5/1847 Marylebone London Eng, and Sarah?b abt1779 Chalfont St Peter Bucks Eng. d9/3/1877 Chalfont St Peter Bucks Eng.
 Children are:
William James b5/8/1812 London d13/9/1861 Australia, spouse Matilda Frances MEAD b1821 Bath Somerset d7/3/1890 Australia, m 25/3/1843 Cheltenham Gloucestershire Eng,  had 8 children.
Sarah b1815 St Georges hanover Sqr Middlesex d23/12/1894 Chalfont St Peter Bucks Eng, spouse John BALLARD b1814  Chalfont St Peter Bucks Eng, m13/7/1846 St Marylebone Middlesex, had 1 child Ann b 1850?,  Edward Joseph b1822 Place London? not sure d1867 Uxbridge Middlesex Eng, spouse Hannah BROOKS (nothing known) m 23/5/1841 London, 2 children Edward & Martha.

Sources: 1851(30th March) Brislington & 1861 England Census, Eng & Wales Free BDM 1837-1983 Records,
International Genealogical Index/British Isles shows 21 MENERE's which I have not looked into as yet, the 1881 Eng Census record shows a Hannah MENERE , boarder b abt 1819 Boingstoke again not researched to date. most, not all, lead to a blind alleys, for me anyway.
Also MENERE's listed in Polruan Cornwall,  but do not know if they are related.

                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Prue, thankyou muchly for the web sites, will check them out shortly.
I have looked at the French huguenot church in Threadneedle St sight for England, but didn't do much research.

[PrueM]

Hello OzzyAl,

St George Hanover Square (AKA St George Mayfair) hasn't been transcribed onto the IGI yet for the period you're interested in (1770 onwards).  You'd have to go in to London to view the registers at the City of Westminster Archives Centre:

http://www.stgeorgeshanoversquare.org/Churcharchives.htm

That at least would confirm for you the dates of baptism of the children, and maybe Joseph and Sarah's marriage.  (By the way, I found a baptism for William on the IGI, giving the date as 1809    - that's the trouble with user-submitted records, you never know whether they're right or not, as you don't know what their sources are!)

St George Hanover Square is a Church of England, which might preclude your family being Huguenot (unless they were well and truly Anglicised by then).

Prue