Howery

Posted on by Justin Durand
Hauri Ancient
Ancient Arms of Hauri

The Howerys, Howrys and Howreys in America are all descendants of various immigrants from Switzerland and Germany who anglicized their surname from Hauri or Haury. The two main branches of the family in America are the Pennsylvania branch and the Virginia branch.

The Pennsylvania Howerys and Howrys are descended from Hans Hauri, a wool weaver from Schöftland in the Aargau. He was expelled from Switzerland in 1711 because he was a Mennonite. His sons Hans and Ulrich came to Pennsylvania about 1718, while his son Jacob settled in Bavaria about the same time.

The Virginia Howerys, Howrys and Howreys are descended from another Jacob Hauri (c1655-bef 1755), who came to Pennsylvania about 1737. Although genealogists do not yet agree on his ancestry, I believe he belonged to the Hauris of the Palatinate, who were descendants of a Hauri who came there from Reinach about 1660. About 1784, Jacob’s grandson, yet another Jacob, moved south from Pennsylvania into Virginia, engaged in a bit of land speculation, and founded Howrytown in Botetourt County.

My branch of the family left Virginia about 1845, and migrated west over several generations into Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, and finally into Colorado and Wyoming. My grandfather owned Howery’s Jewelry in Laramie, Wyoming. My father was a rancher and western artist (under the name Ridge Durand) in Laramie. My branch of the family no longer uses the surname Howery.

Lineal Genealogy

Conrad Hauri, Knight of the Order of St. Lazarus, was living 1272 in the order’s house at Gfenn, near Zürich.Conrad Hauri was living 1282 and 1308 at Steffisburg in Bern. He was a tenant of Werner von Steffisburg in 1282. He or another Conrad was a tenant of Werner von Matten and his son-in-law Peter von Wichtrach in 1308.Nicholas Hauri was living 1303 at Steffisburg in Bern. He was a tenant of Walter ab der Matten.Ulrich Hauri was living 1310 at Jegenstorf in Bern. The Hauri property at Jegenstorf was mentioned again in 1323 and 1336.

The connected genealogy of the family begins with:

  1. Ulrich Hauri (c1283-after 1324), mentioned and 1313 and 1324 at Beromünster, Canton Lucerne, Switzerland. If he was the Ulrich who founded the family at Beromünster, then he might have been brought there by a member of the von Krauchtal, von Steffisburg or von Jegenstorf family entering the monastery. Early scholarship on this family erroneously made him the illegitimate son of an unidentified Ulrich, Count von Habsburg. Married c1310, Richenza, who was granted a fief of the cellars of Stift Beromünster in 1313.
  2. Johann Hauri (c1308-?), Burgher at Beromünster.
  3. Arnold Hauri (c1330-after 1404), Burgher at Beromünster. Kinsman of Petermann von Gundoldingen, Mayor of Lucerne, and of Henman VI von Liebegg, Knight. Married circa 1350, Berchta.
  4. Johann Hauri (c1355-c1430), Burgher at Beromünster. 1411 Vogt (Bailiff) of Beromünster as successor to his uncle Johann Weibel; 1412 Baker of Stift Beromünster with Heini von Altwis. He was a brother or cousin of Jakob Hauri, Canon of Beromünster and Prokurator for the church, who was memorialized in the early 15th century Liber Vitae of Stift Beromünster, wherein his arms are displayed with a crest, Azure a dove rising wings elevated and displayed Argent beaked and membered Gules, and for crest, a dove as in the arms.
  5. Wälti Hauri (c1381-after 1470), Burgher at Sursee, Canton Lucerne; 1470 at Reinach, Canton Aargau, where he deposed that his late father was sometime Vogt of Beromünster.
  6. Wälti Hauri (c1446-1487), Burgher at Reinach. 1481 Judge at Reinach.
  7. Heini Hauri (c1476-after 1522), Burgher at Reinach. He was a Miller at Reinach (1501), 1507, 1519, 1522 Judge at Reinach, 1515 Untervogt of Reinach [Deputy Bailiff for Reinach].
  8. Wälti Hauri (c1500-?), Miller at Reinach, 1533/35, 1539, and 1548 Untervogt of Reinach, 1537 Judge at Reinach.
  9. Galli Hauri (c1525-before 1572), Miller at Reinach, Untervogt of Reinach.
  10. Hans Hauri (1556-1625/6), Miller at Reinach, Untervogt of Reinach, 1605 built Schneggen in Reinach. The arms carved above the door are: [Azure] a dove on a trimount [vert] and in chief two mill rinds addorsed [argent]. Crest: a dove as in the arms. Supporters: two bears passant.

*** Not clear whether the later generations connect to the family at Reinach or the family at Schöftland.

  1. Hans Hauri (c1590-?), Farmer at Kirchrued, Aargau, Switzerland. Married Verena Maurer.
  2. Jakob “Joggli” Hauri (1625-?), Farmer at Rued, Aargau, Switzerland. Married 1752 Susanna Bolliger.
  3. Hans Jakob Hauri (c1674-1738), Farmer at Altenheim near Offenburg, Baden, Germany. Married 1694 Anneli Mueller.
  4. Jacob Howry (c1710-1755), Farmer at Conestoga, Pennsylvania. Married c1730, Ursula Schmidt. They came to America about 1737 from Offenburg, Baden, Germany.
  5. Jacob Howry (1734-1809), Planter at Howrytown, Virginia. 1784 removed to Botetourt County, Virginia. 1795 founded the “manor” of Howrytown, requiring a perpetual quit rent of 1 shilling per annum for each lot. Married Christina Barbara. His son Daniel Howry was ancestor of the Howrys of Howry Hundred, near Chevy Chase, Maryland.
  6. Johann Michael Howery (c1762-c1818), Planter at Christiansburg, Virginia. Married 1786, Christine Hartman, 2nd in descent from Hermann Hartman, Farmer at Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
  7. Jacob Howery (c1788-1839), Planter at Christiansburg, Virginia. Murdered by his slaves. Married 1814, Catherine Hess, 9th in descent from Hans Hess, 1536, Farmer at Wald, Canton Zürich, Switzerland.
  8. James Howery (1817-1874), Farmer and Blacksmith at Christiansburg, Virginia, Dane County, Wisconsin, and Marion County, Iowa. Married 1839, Margaret Heidenreich, daughter of Gregory Heidenrieich, Papermaker at Green County, Tennessee.
  9. Charles Hamilton Howery (1847-1918), Farmer in Saunders County, Nebraska. Married 1875, Embrozina Wallace, 4th in descent from Anton Walliser, Farmer at Stone Arabia, Montgomery County, New York; 1760 soldier in the Royal American Regiment; 1786 a Loyalist at Iroquois, Ontario, Canada.
  10. The Rev. Elmer Philip Howery (1882-1922), Farmer and Baptist Minister in Colorado and Nebraska. Family tradition says he acquired the title “Baron de Howery,” apparently in connection with membership in an “Order of Saint John,” but the details are fuzzy. Married 1904, Elizabeth Saphrona Alloway, 5th in descent from John Alloway-Strange, 1767 Planter at Albemarle County, Virginia.
  11. Dudley Hamilton Howery, Senior (1910-1983), Rancher and Jeweler at Laramie, Wyoming. Married 1929, Evelyn Louise Horn, a Cherokee, 3rd in descent from Willson John Horne, Planter at Edgecombe County, North Carolina. D/D brand, Wyoming.
  12. Dudley Hamilton Howery, Junior (1933-2002), Rancher and Artist at Laramie, Wyoming. Also known as Tate Wakpa Wanbli, and as Ridge Earl Durand. Pejuta wicasa (medicine man), member of the Lakota Eagle Medicine Society, and hunkpa (blood brother) of the late Petaga Yuha Mani (Pete Catches), principal Eagle pejuta wicasa of the Lakota. 2/D brand, Colorado.

Some Prominent Howerys

  • James Moorman Howry (1804-1884) was one of the founders and first trustees of the University of Mississippi in 1844. Howry Hall was named for him.
  • James’ son Charles Bowen Howry (1844-1928) was an Assistant U.S. Attorney General (1893-1896) and Associate Justice of the U.S. Court of Claims (1897-1915). Charles’ descendants lived at Howry Hundred, Chevy Chase, Maryland.
  • Edward F. Howrey (1903-1996) came from Iowa. He was a founding partner of Howrey & Simon, an internationally known law firm in Washington, DC.
  • Bobby Dean Howry (1973- ) is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Chicago Cubs.

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