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I'm starting to think that we are not Irish at all. The first known Oberry immigrants to the US (John and Rose) came from England around 1636 (possibly on the Globe). The Mormon database shows John born in St. Giles, Cripplegate, London, England in abt. 1608. Rose Strechy (also spelled Strachy) was born 19 April, 1612 also in St. Giles. They may have come on different ships to the US, since they were married abt. 1637 in James Citty County, VA. It is likely that John knew Rose and/or her family back in London. Rose's father was Ralph Strechy (born 1584 in St. Giles) and her mother was Annes Thickens (born 1588 in St. Giles). John subsequently died in America before 1639, meaning he was only married to Rose only about 2 years. Thus he could only have produced one or two kids.
I haven't yet figured out who John's father was, but his older brother was apparently Robert Oberry, born 29 Jan 1597 in St. Bride, Fleet St., London. There was another John Obery born in London in 1596, but this could not have been our John's father, since our John's father would have been born before 1588.
Around the time John left for America, there was a Robart Oberey (also spelled Aubrey) living in Cambridge, along with a host of other Oberys. There were also numerous Oaberys and Owberrys from around Chesire. The point is, the Oberry name was very common in England and its various spelling iterations can easily be traced back to the early 1500s. It seems to me that Aubrey (which is probably a Norman name) must have morphed to Obrey, then Oberey, etc.
My clever 2nd cousin, Barbara Froyland, found that there are some ancient parcels of land called the Oberry Fields at a place called Horton Cum Studley (Google that name if you would like to read the whole tome). From what they say, the Oberry fields must have been in existence since the 1500s. I have no doubt that it would be possible to figure out when they were acquired by Oberrys, and who the Oberrys were. The Oberry fields are in Oxfordshire or Buckinghamshire, which looks like about half way between London and Wales in southern England. In the mid-1500s, there were Oberyes in Shropshire, Surrey, and in the 1600s there were lots of Oberrys in Staffordshire, Surrey.
My clever 2nd cousin also discovered that Henry Smithick, listed as an employee of our John and Rose in Virginia, was actually none other than Henry Smithwick. Henry's family can be traced back in England, and also forward in America, as can Rose's family.
In the past and present, the name Oberry or O'Berry is extremely rare in Ireland, but fairly common in England. Try to find some O'Berrys in the Irish phone book today. In the 1600s, the English regarded the Irish as inferiors, which is why you don't see many Irish arriving in America until the 1800s. They would not have been that welcome. I believe that the Oberrys who lived in America lost track of who they were, and were convinced by others that they must be Irish because the name starts with "O". Therefore, beginning around the late 1800s, they accepted the addition of an apostrophe after the "O". Before that time, it was always Oberry or Obery.
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