Hennigar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

To escape the religious and political discrimination they experienced primarily at the hands of the English, thousands of Irish left their homeland in the 19th century. These migrants typically settled in communities throughout the East Coast of North America, but also joined the wagon trains moving out to the Midwest. Ironically, when the American War of Independence began, many Irish settlers took the side of England, and at the war's conclusion moved north to Canada. These United Empire Loyalists, were granted land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula. Other Irish immigrants settled in Newfoundland, the Ottawa Valley, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, however, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America and Australia. Many of those numbers, however, did not live through the long sea passage. These Irish settlers to North America were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. Irish settlers made an inestimable contribution to the building of the New World. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name Hennigar or a variant listed above, including:

Hennigar Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

• Mr. Adam Hennigar U.E. born in New York, USA who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 1
• Private. Christian Hennigar U.E., "Henninger, Henager" (b. 1755) born in Hatten, France from Pennsylvania, USA who settled in Douglas Township [Kennetcook], Hants County, Nova Scotia c. 1784 he enlisted 1777 serving in 2nd Battalion Associates and Royal Highlanders Emigrants consisting of the 84th Regiment, 7th Company and 2nd Battalion he died in 1825, married to Mary Ann Cannon they had 10 children 1
• Mr. Christopher Hennigar U.E. born in New York, USA who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 son of Adam Hennigar 1
• Mr. Michael Hennigar U.E. born in New York, USA who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 son of Adam Hennigar 1

Hennigar Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

• John Hennigar, aged 23, a farmer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Madawaska" in 1833
• Mary Hennigar, aged 22, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Madawaska" in 1833
• Eliza Hennigar, aged 3 months, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Madawaska" in 1833

• Rob Hennigar (b. 1983), Canadian professional ice hockey player from Jordan, Ontario
• Karen Hennigar (b. 1953), Canadian two-time gold medalist curler and World Curling Champion (2010) from Halifax, Nova Scotia