Recorded in a range of spellings including: Embry, Embury, Hembry, Hembrie, Hembery, Hembury, and Hemburrow, this is an English surname of ancient British origins. It is locational from a place in Devonshire called Hembury Fort. Recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Henberia", and in the Charter Rolls of 1227 as "Hembiri", the village has now virtually disappeared, although the fort can easily be traced. The translation of the placename, and hence the later surnames is the "High Fort", which is totally logical as the earthwork is situated some nine hundred feet above sea level, and overlooking the town of Honiton. Examples of the early surname recordings include: Margery Embry, christened at St Giles Cripplegate, in the city of London, on March 16th 1614, whilst Thomas Hembery was christened on May 27th 1656 at Clyst St. George, in Devon. Other early recordings include Robert Hemburrow of Huntsham, Tiverton, Devon, on October 17th 1717, and Thomas Embury, who married Elizabeth Rickman at St Georges Chapel, Westminster, on July 22nd 1751. The first recorded spelling of the family name is believed to be that of John de Hembure. This was dated 1273, in the rolls of Somerset known as 'Kirby's Quest', during the reign of King Edward 1st of England, 1272 - 1307. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop", often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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