Maybury Scams

Is there a "coat of arms" or a "family crest" for the Maybury/Mayberry/Mabry family?

A number of Mabrys, Mayberrys, etc. have published information about their family, either in a book or on the internet. Sometimes they include a "coat of arms" or "family crest" which is said to belong to the Mabry/Mayberry family. However, these are not authentic and are not related in any way to our family.

The Mayburys were not landed gentry and no branch of the family ever had a "coat of arms" or "family crest". However, that doesn't stop people from trying to make a buck by designing one for you! A number of unethical companies advertise "authentic coats of arms" for various families, including the Mayburys, Mayberrys, Mabrys, etc. on the internet. Most of these have a search engine where you can type in almost any surname and come up with an attractive family crest, coat of arms, or shield. These are usually sold with a "family history" which someone has improvised from easily available sources. And, of course, you are invited to buy numerous products with your "authentic family crest" on them (ash trays, glassware, plaques, belt buckles, etc.) Don't be fooled. It's just another scam.

Don Collins

2016

From the website of the College of Arms, London: Do coats of arms belong to surnames?

A. No. There is no such thing as a 'coat of arms for a surname'. Coats of arms are inherited in the male line and so are surnames. But a coat of arms is granted or confirmed to one person and their descendants in the legitimate male line so only that family group will be entitled to the coat of arms, not everybody of that surname. As such many people of the same surname will often be entitled to completely different coats of arms, and many others of that surname will be entitled to no coat of arms at all. For any person to have a right to a coat of arms they must either have had it granted to them or be descended in the legitimate male line from a person to whom arms were granted or confirmed in the past.

Beware of purchasing generic surname histories.

A number of companies and websites offer books or fact sheets related to your family name. Mostly, these contain information that you could obtain in a day’s searching on the internet for free. Such companies often perpetuate the error that the Maybury families are related to the Mowbray or Marbury families – this alone calls the authenticity of their products into question.

There is a History of Family History Scams

From Don Collins, August 2014

Genealogy is America's most popular hobby. It should come as no surprise that there are unscrupulous companies trying to make a fast buck out of it. Here is one example which relates to the Mabry family:

If your name is MABRY you may have received a flyer from Mabry Family Yearbook with a Denver, Colorado address. The flyer advertises The Year 2005 International Mabry Family Yearbook. The publisher, Morphcorp LLC, is believed to be a re-incarnation of Halberts, Inc. of Bath, Ohio, (see below), which was ordered by the U.S. Postal Service to cease and desist after engaging in similar scams involving hundreds of surnames. The Mabry family was scammed by Halberts at least three times!

In 2005 Morphcorp was sued by Colorado Attorney General, John Suthers. In February 2006 Attorney General Suthers announced a settlement against Morphcorp, Llc, and its President, Maxwell MacMaster, for deceptive advertising of Family Yearbooks.

• The Family Yearbook was nothing more than a photocopy of the same material deceptively sold to thousands of consumers, said Suthers. We are pleased that Morphcorp and MacMaster have agreed to stop making these deceptive claims and pay penalties and fees for misleading consumers.

• Under the terms of the settlement, approved by the Court on February 3, 2006, Morphcorp and MacMaster have paid a $30,000 civil penalty and have agreed to significant changes in the way the Family Yearbooks are marketed. Colorado consumer protection law prohibits the use of false and misleading advertising to sell products to unsuspecting consumers, said Suthers. Our office is committed to enforcing that law by pursuing companies that violate it, as we have done here.

Here are some other family history scams we've previously reported:

• About 1997 an individual sent out flyers advertising "The Maberry Family News". To the best of our knowledge, there is no such newsletter and our letters to the individual doing the advertising were never answered.

• A company called Halbert's operated for many years out of Bath, Ohio, regularly sending out mass mailings to people with a common surname. They promised "a limited Heirloom Edition" book about "your family". This mailing went out to persons named Mabrys at least three times.

The book has some general articles about genealogy, a few pages of commonly available biographies and the names and addresses of Mabrys taken from telephone directories all over the country. In 1995, responding to many complaints, the United States Postal Service ordered Halberts to cease the false representations used in their advertising. Halbert's was also been ordered to display the following disclaimer on advertising for surname-related publications: "No direct genealogical connection to your family or ancestry is implied or intended.".

We heard from a number of persons who report receiving Halbert's mailing to Mabrys in 1998 and 1999, advertising a book called "The New World Book of Mabrys". More recently we have heard that Halberts has changed their name and moved from Ohio to another state.