Empey Family History: I Trace My Ancestry and Heritage Story
My Empey family history research spans nearly fifty years, uncovering layers of Empey ancestry that mine and earlier generations never knew existed.
My Empey story begins long before Canada, stretching back through Germany, England, America, and finally Australia.
For my generation, and for my dad’s and my grandfather’s, there was no awareness at all that was passed down through the generations that we had German ancestry. Whatever knowledge or traditions once existed in earlier branches simply didn’t make it down to mine. The German part of my story was completely unknown until I uncovered it through decades of research.
Empey Family History: My Ongoing Research and Discoveries
This Empey family story is a living piece of heritage, shaped by nearly fifty years of my own research. As new records surface, archives are digitised, or fresh information comes to light, I continue updating and refining these details. My plan is to bring everything together into a proper document with sources so each part of the story can be checked, corrected, or expanded as my understanding grows.
This is an overview of my family’s journey.
My Empey Family History Story
My Early Research Journey: Searching Across Continents
Nearly thirty‑eight years ago, during the early decades of my research, I wrote aerograms to both Canada and America. At that time, I had no clear direction.
The children’s birth certificates I had purchased only showed “British America.” Arthur Guy Empey’s WWI books and films made us think we might be American. Some in the family even guessed French Canadian.
I reached out to both countries, hoping someone might hold a missing piece of the story. It wasn’t until I purchased all the birth certificates and found “Williamsburgh” on one of them that the Canadian connection finally became clear.
A German Beginning: Emichen of the Rhine
It was through deeper research that I uncovered my Palatine German roots, something my generation, my dad, and my grandfather had no idea about. The Emichen to Empey surname origins reveal how the name shifted across records, with Empie / Empey surname variations appearing in different regions and time periods.
My Empey surname began as Emichen, a German family living near Worms, in the Rhine region. Through Y‑DNA testing, my dad Empey, discovered that my paternal line reaches all the way back to the Lichtenstein Caves in Germany, deep into the Bronze Age.
By 1709, my Emichen ancestors joined the great Palatine migration, leaving Germany for England and eventually being placed on ships bound for the American colonies. The Empey migration history stretches from Germany to America, through the Loyalist Empey line in Canada, and eventually to Australia.
The Reconstructed 1710 Arrival: Johann Ernst Emichen and the Fame
Although the original ship manifests for the 1710 Palatine fleet did not survive, historians have reconstructed the arrival groups using Hunter Lists, church records, and land petitions.
My ancestor Johann Ernst Emichen appears in the same reconstructed arrival cohort as Johann Valentin Bressler (Preslar/Presley)—Elvis Presley’s ancestor—both associated with the ship Fame, which arrived in New York in 1710. This is the family group from which my Empey line descends.
The Surname Split: Emichen → Empey / Empie
Once in colonial New York, the surname gradually shifted from Emichen into Empey/Empie. But the defining moment came during the American War of Independence.
My ancestors were Loyalists. When the colonies rebelled, they fled north to Canada. That’s when the surname settled into the spelling Empey.
Those who stayed in America kept the spelling Empie.
The Revolution didn’t just divide families politically—it divided the surname itself.
Canadian Loyalists in South Dundas
My Loyalist Empey ancestors settled in Williamsburg Township, which today is part of South Dundas, Ontario. Their names appear in early Loyalist land petitions and community records.
It was here, in Williamsburg, now known as South Dundas, that my great‑great‑grandfather William Empey was born.
The Gold Rush Journey to Australia
In the 1850s, the Victorian gold rush drew people from across the world, including Canada.
My great‑great‑grandfather, William Empey, left Williamsburg and travelled to Australia, joining thousands of hopeful miners seeking fortune in the goldfields.
Family History FAQs: Key Questions About My Empey Ancestry Research
1. Why did earlier generations not know about my German roots?
Knowledge of my Palatine German origins faded over time. My generation, my dad’s, and my grandfather’s had no idea.
2. Where does my Empey family history information come from?
My research comes from historical records, DNA evidence, and earlier Empey studies from America and Canada. Those works did not include the Australian branch; connecting my line to the Emichen and Loyalist families is the result of my own research.
3. How did the Emichen to Empey surname change occur?
The surname evolved through migration, record‑keeping differences, and the political divide of the American Revolution, resulting in both Empey and Empie spellings.
4. Will this Empey family story continue to be updated?
Yes. As new records and DNA sources appear, I continue checking and refining the details of my Empey ancestry. Earlier research didn’t include the Australian branch, so part of my ongoing work is verifying how my line connects to the wider Empey story.
My Empey Family History: A Heritage Woven Across Centuries
When I look at my Empey surname today, I see:
- Bronze Age roots in the Lichtenstein Caves, Germany
- Rhine‑region ancestors living near Worms
- Palatine migrants leaving Germany in 1709
- The reconstructed Emichen family group arriving in New York in 1710
- Colonial settlers in New York
- Loyalists fleeing to Canada
- Williamsburg beginnings
- Gold rush pioneer arriving in Victoria
These discoveries finally uncovered the origins that had been hidden from our Australian branch. The Empey descendants who remained in Canada knew their German roots. It was my line that lost the story over time.
My Empey family story is a tapestry woven across continents and centuries. And I’m proud to carry it forward.
This Empey family history remains a work in progress. As digitised records, new DNA matches, changing DNA estimates, and fresh scientific discoveries appear, I continue checking and updating each part of my story. Every development helps strengthen how my Australian line connects to the wider Empey heritage.
If you enjoy following my Empey research and heritage discoveries, you’re welcome to join my email list. I share more family‑history stories, behind‑the‑scenes research notes, and updates as new pieces of the puzzle fall into place.
