The last ancestor we have been able to trace is Alexander Menniffs. Where did he come from? Did he have brothers and sisters? Was he Irish or Scottish? Why did he come south to Barking?
A search of the Mormon IGI reveals the following as close possibilities for the original Alexander:
Sarah Mines 25/12/1784 Born St. Dunstans
Elizabeth Mines 04/06/1775 Born St. Dunstans
James Mines 15/11/1772 Born St. Dunstans
Sarah Mines 22/09/1776 Born St. Dunstans
Susannah Mines 25/11/1770 Born St. Dunstans
John Mines 14/12/1760 Born St. Dunstans
Thomas Mines 20/07/1758 Born St. Dunstans
Ann Mines 23/02/1766 Born St. Dunstans
James Mines 25/06/1769 Born St. Dunstans
Mary Mines 28/10/1764 Born St. Dunstans
Nathanial Mines 09/01/1763 Born St. Dunstans
Susanna Mines 18/10/1767 Born St. Dunstans
John Mines 21/02/1810 Born St. Dunstans
Ann Mines 20/10/1776 Born WhitechapelS
Ann Minnis 22/08/1802 Marries Whitechapel
James Minnis 02/01/1780 Born Stepney
Thomas Minnis 19/10/1777 Born Stepney
Hannah Minnis 13/09/1775 Born Stepney
John Minnis 27/02/1774 Born Stepney
John Menace 16/06/1771 Born Stepney
Margaret Minzies 01/06/1777 Born Stepney
Minness 05/05/1805 Marries Grace Jenking Cornwall
Elizabeth Minness 31/01/1731 Marries Peter Furnell Portsea
William Menniss 30/11/1786 Marries Susan Stret. Stotfold
In it there is a Reference to Sir John Mennes, controller of the navy, 1660-71 and George Mines of Woodcote Park near Epsom. Sir John was controller of the navy and had a statue raised to him. George wrote a book entitled ‘Merrie News from Epsum Wells’, these being the spa waters frequented by both Pepys and Sir Christopher Minnes. George Mines lived up the road at Woodcote House. Were they in any way related?
Minn/Minns/Mynn: Minna 1202 Asobeds, Gostelynus Mynne 1327 Subsidy rolls, Suffolk, John Mynnys 1524.
Minna, a pet form of some woman’s name, perhaps for Ameline, Emeline or from Ismenia (Imyre)
Recorded variously under forms Mennes or Menns (Inner Temple, London), Minnes (Kent and Middlesex). Both arms granted in 1616. See Burkes General Armoury P.690.
Mennis: County Genealogies, Pedigree of the families of Kent, by William Berry, London, 1830, Folio Mennis P.338 & 263
Mennis/Mennes/Menys: history of Sandwhich by W. Boys P.350
Mennis: see Mynne: Harleian sociaety, xlii 107, iii 5, xxi 256, xliii 18 Myn, Mynne, Mynnes.
The genealogoist, I 38, 151
Carthew’s hundred of Launditch Part ii 481-491
Index to Pedigrees of English families, Bridger (Surrey): Mynn (Epsom), ii 612
Before the norman conquest surnames were rare. Names belonged to individuals, not to a family. Where this created confusion the individual’s name was coupled with another - the place where s/he lived, his/her occupation or his/her relationship with someone else. Occasionally a nickname, which was based on physical appearance or abilities, or on characted or behaviour would be used.
A search of the Mormon IGI reveals the following as close possibilities for the original Alexander:
Alexander Minnes 29/10/1760 Born to Alexander & Katherine Brough, at Crieff,
Perthshire
Alexander McInnes 21/05/1758 Marries Catherine Brough Crieff
(This clan name has been recorded as ‘M’Aneiss)
Alexander McJunes 21/05/1758 Marries Catherine Brough Crieff
John Menaies 25/05/1704 Born to Alexander & Muriol Perth
Robert Menes 26/06/1728 Born to Duncan & Isoble Perth
Minnis (male) 20/04/1726 Born to Donald & Barbara Perth
Elizabeth Paterson
Mennes 18/11/1865 Born to Charles & Marion Perth
Margaret Minnes 15/07/1733 Marries Charles Row Perth
Barbara Menyss 25/02/1821 Marries Robert Miller Perth
“MINNIS
is either derived from Menzies or the family owed allegiance to their chief for
some other reason. The name is thought to have been of Norman origin, a
Mesnieres was a district there near Rouen in what is now France. This
originally meant servants, domestics, inhabitants or tenants of a ‘demesne’ or
manor from a place in the Seine-maritime area. The Normans were not of French
origin but Viking. Thorfinn Rollo landed about 940 AD in northern France, laid
siege to Paris, and was granted nothern France by the French King, Chales the
Simple. Rollo became the first Duke of Normandy, married Charles' daughter, and
converted to Christianity. William the Conqueror, who invaded and defeated
England in 1066, was descended from Rollo. One of his army was undoubtedly from
Mesnieres.
Robert
de Mesnieres was Lord High Chamberlain of Scotland in 1249 as many Normans had
been brought north from England to support the Scot monarchy. That name
eventually became Menzies which can be heard in Scotland as "meen-us
", "menzies", and "mengus". The "z" that
appears in the name is a mistranscription of the old Scots (not Gaelic)
"y", which looked like the English "z". The ‘z’ represents
the obsolete letter ‘yogh’. Correctly pronounced ‘Mingis’. The recognized
‘septs’ of the clan are Dewar, Minn, Meine, Mennie, Means, MacMenzies,
MacIndeor, Meyners, Mein, Monzie, MacMonies, MacMinn, Minnus, and Minnis. With
the exceptions of Dewar and MacIndeor, all are clearly variations of the name
Menzies, acquired from branches of Menzies stock or, possibly, from other
origins who, living for generations in the Clan country , adopted the Clan
name. The Dewars and MacIndeors are of the latter category but retained their
ancient names (Clan Menzies Handbook, Menzies Clan Society, 1996). Captain
David Menzies of Menzies, Western Australia, is our chief.
All
like sounding or spelled names of Minnis are welcome and perhaps the
differences can be worked out. Minnis is the 11,014th most popular surname in
the United States in 1996; frequency 0.001%.
From the web site of David Grace. (Please note: This research is inherited from his late father-in-law only.)
“Pre-1770 the movement of emmigrants was limited. However, with the development of steam power from the 1790s, there was a hysterical demand for engines and machines. Blacksmiths, millwrights, mechanics probably came by invitation or some organisaed form of of migration. Until 1820 Dumfrieshire is certainly the most frequently recorded birthplace in the dictionary, with Kircudbrightshire and Wigtownshire well represented.....Those from Aberdeen and Forfarshire went to Newcastle.” “Emigrant Scots were not ususually buried in Anglican churchyards. They are more likely to be found in non-denominational and non-conformist burial grounds. They usually attended Presbyterian Chapels, but where this denomination leaned towards the Uniterians, they favoured the Independents (Congretational).”
The Scots traditionally named their offspring, i.e. the order in which they named the first son after the paternal grandfather etc.
A publication that Philippa saw stated ‘The British have rarely disliked a war more than the American Revolution and have never been less eager to serve in the armed forces of the crown. If it had not been for Scotsmen, who joined the army in considerable numbers, recruiting would have been an even bigger fiasco than it was.’ It goes on to say ‘The Highlands proved good ground for recruiting parties, many clansmen coming forward to get away from grim conditions at home, or to seek glory or both. Lowlanders also came forward, some even refusing bounty, and the families of these who went from certain towns were supported by those who stayed behind. The English, Irish and Welsh showed no such ardour.’
On the subject of recruitment for the war the book states ‘Up until 1778, volunteers received one and a half guineas, but as there were far too few of them, pardoned criminals and deserters were welcomed. Five feet six and a half inches was the required height, though youngsters who looked as if they might grow were enlisted, whereas the lame, the ruptured and those prone to fits were not. After 1778, when Saratoga brought the French in, the recruiting became more urgent. Volunteers got three pounds as in 1775, a discharge in three years or at the end of the war. The age limits were 17 to 45. This scheme too, failed, so in 1779 volunteers got three and a half guineas and the right to set up business wherever they chose, whatever local corporations might say. The wounded were to get similar privileges. The pressed men, meanwhile, could now be as short as five feet four inches and as old as fifty.’
This drive produced the following ‘In 1778 twelve new regiments of foot were raised and seventeen more had been raised by 1780. Four regiments of light dragoons were raised between 1778 and 1781. Old regiments were enlarged, a system the king preferred as he suspected that colonels would place too many relatives in them. Towns too raised regiments e.g. the 80th Royal Edinburgh Volunteers.’
David
is currently seeking the ancestry of Ellen MINNIS of
Reenascreena near Clonakilty (n. mid C19th) who married Denis O'NEILL of Reenroe
(22.4.1847-8.11.1913). She died 11.7.1926. This is currently the only known
family member.
Some
family members in Ireland today may have the name MENNIS, perhaps
also MINNISS, or MINNESS. One
possible origin of the name is from the Ulster family MANNICE.”
From the web site of David Grace. (Please note: This research is inherited from his late father-in-law only.)
MENNIS, Francis Robert (aka MENNISS) b 25 Jan 1890 Douglas KS, m 29 Dec 1917 Hutchenson KS to Hattie Mae Bailey, separated 1928, 1 child: Suzanne F, d ? paul_mcclain@hotmail.com 1198
Paul is an American who is researching the Irish Menniss
Mario Fuller wrote that he received a cheque at his post in Nat. West drawn by a Mr. J. Menniss. He wrote to him and found that he is from County Cork in Ireland and apparently his father and another American researcher have quite a lot of family tree info. He told him that he knows there is a Scottish Military connection.
In 1988 Philippa was joking with a neighbours friend who was on a visit from Australia about whether he knew of any Menniss down under. Surprisingly he said that he had worked with a Brian Menniss for many years and promised to look him up when he got back. Brian Menniss contacted Philippa and said that his family had originally come from Scotland and that he had traced his line back to 1650. He also mentioned an Irish connection as well.
He had not done the research himself but contacted some Mennis in the Irish phone directory. They all seemed to be related and had traced their line back to a “John Mennis who was an English Army Officer and son of a Presbyterian minister, who was in Ireland in the late 1600s so probably went there with Cromwell and got a land grant for his efforts.”
· In another letter to Philippa, Brian wrote “I mentioned in earlier letters that I had found a reference to an Edmund Mennis in a library catalogue. I wrote to him, but got no reply. Mary was in Sydney again a couple of months ago at the University, and found a reference to another Mennis, this time Bernard. He was a professor in a US university, so I wrote him a letter and about two weeks later he rang me and we talked for about 30 minutes.
· There was no obvious connection, and although he had heard of Edmund Mennis, they were no relation. In fact he went to the same college as Edmund, but some years later. Bernard’s origins are from a Russian Jewish family, no connection with Ireland whatsoever. He had queries his family about his name and was assured that the way they spelt it was correct, and it was not bastardised by the emigration in the 1920s.
· He also told me of a letter he received about 15 years ago from a Norwegian who was researching his family. You guessed it - his name was Mennis! He had traced his family back to a farm outside Oslo. However, Norwegians, in the early days, did not use surnames, merely being known by their Christian name. If they needed a second name, they used the name of the Lord of the Manor they belonged to. With the Viking raids on England and Ireland, I guess that it is conceivable that ‘Lord Mennis’ possibly had a boatload of followers. some of whom may have stayed and produced families. In the same manner, it is conceivable that some Vikings, either by design, or bad weather, could have ended up in Russia.’
· The ‘Meneses’ of Spain are a small but well known family in the Iberian peninsular