The name is believed to have come to England with William the Conqueror, the bearer being one of his soldiers. The family became prolific in Essex, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Norfolk. In the 17th century a member of the Suffolk branch from Wetheringsett travelled to Ireland and the family took root there. Has anyone bearing the name heard of an Irish connection? In all probability some Chinnerys' returned to England over the generations, as well as emigrating to Australia, New Zealand and the USA.

You asked about Chinnerys in Ireland. Yes, my great-great-grandfather John Chinnery was from County Cork. British Chinnerys apparently settled in Ireland - specifically County Cork, but there were some in Limerick - in the 18th century or earlier. They were landed gentry from England and Normandy before that. I have been unable to trace my Chinnerys beyond John, who married my great-great-grandmother in 1849, probably somewhere in Ireland. They went to Wales, where their four children were born, including my great-grandfather Michael Chinnery. John died, and his widow brought her four children to New York City. In my research I have heard of other Chinnerys going to the Caribbean and Australia. There are no longer any Chinnerys in the Ireland telephone directories, so presumably they all emigrated. Do you have any information that would dovetail with mine? I would appreciate it. Thank you. Anne

I have been made aware of a William Chinnery of Wetheringsett, Suffolk who married Alice Smyly c1567. Their son George immigrated to Cork and married Alice a widow of the Leader family. George and Alice had at least three children, one being Marvella Chinnery who went on to marry Thomas Radley. I am connected to the Chinnerys through the Radleys. There is a fine site called the RAdleys of Cork that explains the Chinnery connection and also another link you can follow which shows some of the pedigree: http://www.tonyteague.freeserve.co.uk/Surnames/f2488.htm

I would love to know more about William Chinnery and Chinnerys in the suffolk area

I am doing a tree for rowena whos dad was Herbert Chinnery born 28th April 1930 Married Valerie D Farrow in 1957 and died 12 April 2001
He was fostered by a Joseph and Kate Avis at what we believe was a fairly early age and they lived in Great Cornard in Suffolk where he went to school
We know little else about Herbert Chinnery but would love to hear more if anyone can help us

I am a direct ancestor of the Chinnery family - of which I have a great deal of information up to the time of George Chinnery who before 1642 emigrated to Ireland from England.
I do not yet have unsubstantiated evidence for his father as William Chinnery and mother Alice Smyly but would also like to get more information back in England about this family - so if you have any success in that endeavour please let me know and I will do likewise.

Thanks for the posting. I also do not have any information from England, other than the William Chinnery and Alice Smyly. I connect to the Chinnerys through the Radleys of Cork. Lorraine Egan has a find website, entitled "Radleys of Cork" on this family. As far as I know, she and others researching the Chinnerys have not been able to find much information about the chinnerys in England. I wish I could be of more help to all of us. Check out her site, you may find it interesting. And let me know if I can be of any help to you at all, as I do have some knowledge of the families that were prominant in the Cork area at this time.