Sharey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland

Etymology of Sharey

The original Gaelic form of Sharey was Ó Foghladha, derived from the word "foghladha," which means "plunderer." 1

Early Origins of the Sharey family

Early History of the Sharey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sharey research. Another 131 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1131, 1580, 1617, 1624, 1644, 1651, 1655, 1657, 1659, 1673, 1676, 1677, 1694, 1695, 1699, 1702, 1712 and 1733 are included under the topic Early Sharey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sharey Spelling Variations

People who were accounted for by scribes and church officials often had their name recorded many different ways because pronunciation was the only guide those scribes and church officials had to go by. This resulted in the problem of one person's name being recorded under several different variations, creating the illusion of more than one person. Among the many spelling variations of the surname Sharey that are preserved in archival documents are Foley, MacSharry, Foaley, Foli, Fooley, Sharry, Sharrie, McSharry, MacSharey, McSharey, Foalie, Foolie, Fowlie and many more.

Early Notables of the Sharey family

Notable among the family name at this time was Richard Foley (1580-1657), English ironmaster, best known from the folktale of "Fiddler Foley"; Thomas Foley (1617-1677), an English ironmaster and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1659 and 1677; Robert Foley (1624-1676), of Stourbridge, regarded as the most important ironmaster of his time in the west Midlands; and his son...
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sharey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Sharey family

Irish families left their homeland in astonishing numbers during the 19th century in search of a better life. Although individual reasons vary, most of these Irish families suffered from extreme poverty, lack of work opportunities, and exorbitant rents in their homeland. Many decided to travel to Australia or North America in the hopes of finding greater opportunities and land. The Irish immigrants that came to North America initially settled on the East Coast, often in major centers such as Boston or New York. But like the many other cultures to settle in North America, the Irish traveled to almost any region they felt held greater promise; as a result, many Irish with gold fever moved all the way out to the Pacific coast. Others before that time left for land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula, or the Maritimes as United Empire Loyalists, for many Irish did choose to side with the English during the American War of Independence. The earliest wave of Irish migration, however, occurred during the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s. An examination of early immigration and passenger lists has revealed many people bearing the Sharey name: Bryan Foley who purchased land in Virginia in 1714; followed by James Foley in 1770; the Foleys also settled in Georgia, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.