Barry Family History

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Summary

This Barry research page contains the accumulated history of the Barry family name made up of user-contributed content from users like you. Barry family history has a rich and complex origin whose details have been accumulated over the years by Barry family members. The last name Barry is an old family line that has migrated all across the world over the centuries, and as the Barry family has migrated, it has evolved making its etymology difficult to uncover.

Barry History

The Barry family (Irish: de Barra) is a family of Cambro-Norman origins which once had extensive land holdings in Wales and County Cork,Ireland. The founder of the family was a Norman knight, Odo de Barri who assisted in the Norman Conquest during the 11th century. As reward for his military services, Odo was granted estates in Pembrokeshire and around Barry, including Barry Island just off the coast and named after the 6th century Saint Baruc.

Odo’de Barri grandson, Gerald of Wales, a 12th century scholar, gives the origin of his family's name, de Barry, in his Itinerarium Cambriae (1191): "Not far from Caerdyf is a small island situated near the shore of the Severn, called Barri, from St. Baroc … . From hence a noble family, of the maritime parts of South Wales, who owned this island and the adjoining estates, received the name of de Barri."

Many family members later assisted in the Norman invasion of Ireland. For the family's services, King John of England awarded Philip's son, William de Barry, extensive baronies in the Kingdom of South Munster, specifically the defunct Uí Liatháin kingdom (O'Lethan and Imokilly) with its late seat at Castlelyons.

Odo de Barry was the grantee of the immense manor of Manorbierin Pembrokeshire, which included the manors of Jameston and Manorbier Newton, as well as the manors of Begelly and Penally. He built the first motte-and-bailey at Manorbier. His son, William FitzOdo de Barry, is the common ancestor of the Barry family in Ireland. He rebuilt Manorbier Castle in stone and the family retained the lordship of Manorbier until the 15th century.

Issue of William FitzOdo de Barry

He had sons: Robert, Philip, Walter and Gerald (better known as Giraldus Cambrensis) by Angharad (also known as Hangharad) daughter of Gerald de Windsor (died 1135) andNest ferch Rhys (died after 1136). After Gerald's death, Nest's sons married her to Stephen, her husband's constable of Cardigan Castle, by whom she had another two sons; the eldest was Robert Fitz-Stephen.

  • Robert de Barry accompanied his half-uncle Robert Fitz-Stephen in the Norman invasion of Ireland. He took part in the Siege of Wexford and was killed at the battle of Lismore in 1185.
  • Philip de Barry came to Ireland in 1185 to assist his half-uncle Robert Fitz-Stephen, and his first cousin Raymond FitzGerald (also known as Raymond Le Gros), in their efforts to recover lands in the modern county Cork - the cantreds of Killede, Olethan and Muscarydonegan.

The latter cantred, variously called Muscry-donnegan or "O'Donegan's country" or "Múscraighe Tri Maighe", was a rural deanery in the Diocese of Cloyne.[1] It is now identified as the barony of Orrery and Kilmore.[2] The name "Olethan" (or "Oliehan") is an anglicisation of the Gaelic Uí Liatháin which refers to the early medieval kingdom of the Uí Liatháin. Thispetty kingdom encompassed most of the present Barony of Barrymore and the neighbouring barony of Kinnatalloon. The name Killyde survives in "Killeady Hills", the name of the hill country south of the city of Cork.[3][4] These cantreds or baronies had been expropriated by another (half) first cousin, Ralph Fitz-Stephen (died 1182), the grandson of Nesta by Stephen, Constable of Cardigan. Robert Fitz-Stephen eventually ceded these territories to Philip de Barry, his half-nephew. On 24 February 1206, King John I of England confirmedWilliam de Barry, Philip's son, in the possession of these territories and, by letters patent, conferred on him the Lordships of Castlelyons, Buttevant and Barry's Court in East Cork[1]. The family would eventually acquire the honours of Viscount Buttevant and Earl of Barrymore.

Barryscourt Castle near Carrigtwohill was the seat of the Barry family from the 12th century until 1617 when they removed to Barrymore Castle in Castlelyons. In 1771, the 7th Earl saw Barrymore Castle burn to the ground.[5] The family fortunes were subsequently dissipatated by his issue, the 7th and 8th Earls.

The name of the town of Buttevant is believed to derive from the family's battle cry - Boutez-en-Avant, roughly translating as "Kick your way through".

 

Barry country of origin

The  Barry family  ( Irish :  de Barra ) is a family of  Cambro-Norman  origins (Normandy,France) which once had extensive land holdings in Wales and  County Cork , Ireland . The founder of the family was a  Norman  knight, Odo, who assisted in the  Norman Conquest  during the 11th century. As reward for his military services, Odo was granted estates in  Pembrokeshire  and around  Barry , including  Barry Island  just off the coast and named after the 6th century Saint  Baruc .

Meaning of the last name Barry

 Gerald of Wales, a 12th century scholar, gives the origin of his family's name, de Barry, in his Itinerarium Cambriae (1191): "Not far from Caerdyf is a small island situated near the shore of the Severn, called Barri, from St. Baroc … . From hence a noble family, of the maritime parts of South Wales, who owned this island and the adjoining estates, received the name of de Barri."

Barry Genealogy

Barry Family Tree

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Famous people named Barry

Nationality and Ethnicity of Barry

 

The Barry surname comes from de Barri, a French Norman name which may have been derived from a small village in Normandy known as La Barre. family of Cambro-Norman origins (Normandy,France) which once had extensive land holdings in Wales and County Cork,Ireland. The founder of the family was a Norman knight, Odo, who assisted in the Norman Conquest during the 11th century. As reward for his military services, Odo was granted estates in Pembrokeshire and around Barry, including Barry Island just off the coast and named after the 6th century Saint Baruc.

More about the name Barry

Fun facts about the Barry family

Notes on Barry Genealogy in England and Wales by John Wolfe Barry

The last earls of Barrymore, 1769-1824 ...by John Robert Robinson

Barrymore; Records of the Barrys of County Cork from the Earliest to the Present Time, with Pedigrees by E. Barry

The Story of Commodore John Barry, Father of the American Navy (1908)                           by Martin I. J. Griffin

Barry spelling variations

Barry,Di Barri,De Barri,Di Barre,Barrymore

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