The origin of the HOUDRY family in Brie takes probably place in the Coulommiers vincinity. It is clearly confirmed by the searches realized into the oldest parish registers. E.g. about 40 HOUDRY people lived in the same time in St-Rémy-de-la-Vanne by the end of the XVIth century.
The work we have realized for the whole XIXth century in 248 towns gives the same conclusion.
The founder of the HOUDRY family should be "Jean dit Odry". He was cited in a handwritten book of Martial Cordier {14,15}. This author was the archivist of the Marquis Montesquiou de Fezenzac, Lord of Coulommiers at the time of the French revolution (XVIIIth century). Jean is introduced as an inhabitant of Pontmolin in 1270. Pontmo(u)lin is always nowadays a hamlet of Coulommiers (see the old map in "Conclusion").
Martial Cordier added in his book that the HOUDRY and HOUDRICHON families should be the same as Jean was their common ancestor. There are nowadays HOUDRICHON families in the same area of Coulommiers / La Ferté-Gaucher.
How was Martial Cordier able to be so sure about the origin of the HOUDRY family? What were the documents used by him? It is indeed now very complicated to find such informations. Where could we find the trace of Jean dit Odry? May be in old deeds? Hard task... but we will have to do it!