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Fenner History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Fenner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

Fenner is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Fenner family lived in Sussex. The name, however, derives from the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Veneur, Normandy. Odo Fenarius was listed in Normandy (1180-1195). 1

Early Origins of the Fenner family

The surname Fenner was first found in Sussex where "Fenn Place in the parish of Worth, co. Sussex, had owners for several generations, called from it atte Fenne, but in the time of Henry VI. the name was changed to Fenner, while a Kentish branch wrote themselves Fenour." 2

"The Fenners in past time seem to have been more numerous on the south side of the Thames. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Robert le Venur, Lincolnshire; William Venator, Yorkshire; and Geoffrey le Venour, Salop (Shropshire.) 4

Some of the family were also found in the parish of Horley in Surrey from ancient times. "The church contains the effigy of a man in armour, in a recumbent position, his feet resting on a lion; also an ancient brass effigy, under a pointed arch, to the memory of Joanna Fenner." 5

Early History of the Fenner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fenner research. Another 79 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1558, 1572, 1575, 1576, 1577, 1587, 1590, 1600, 1612, 1618, 1622 and 1640 are included under the topic Early Fenner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fenner Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Fenner are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Fenner include Fenner, Fenour, Feneur, Veneur and others.

Early Notables of the Fenner family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Dudley Fenner (c.1558-1587), an English puritan divine who popularized Ramist logic in the English language, one of the first theologians to use the term "covenant of works" to describe God's relation...
Edward Fenner (d. 1612), was an early English judge, son of John Fenner of Crawley, Sussex, by Ellen, daughter of Sir William Goring of Burton, was called to the bar at the Middle Temple, and was read...
William Fenner (1600-1640), was a Puritan divine, educated at Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he took the degree of B.A. in 1618, and that of M.A. in the following year. In 1622 he was incorporated...

Fenner Ranking

In the United States, the name Fenner is the 3,957^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 6

Fenner migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Fenner, or a variant listed above:

Fenner Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Arthur Fenner, who settled in Providence, Rhode Island in 1630
John Fenner, who settled in Connecticut in 1630
Miss Rabecca Fenner, (b. 1610), aged 25, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Truelove" arriving in Massachusetts Bay in 1635 7
John Fenner, who arrived in New Haven, Connecticut in 1639 8
Arthur Fenner, who landed in Providence, Rhode Island in 1650 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Fenner Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Daniel Fenner, who landed in Virginia in 1715 8
Anna Fenner, who arrived in Carolina in 1738 8
Felix Fenner, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1765 8
Hen rich Fenner, who arrived in New York, NY in 1782 8
William Fenner, who landed in Mississippi in 1799 8

Fenner Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Fenner, aged 62, who arrived in New York in 1812 8
William Fenner, who arrived in New York, NY in 1833 8
Mr. Henry Fenner, aged 34, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Joh. Derhardt"
Thomas Fenner, aged 32, who landed in New York in 1854 8
James Fenner, aged 4, who landed in New York in 1854 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Fenner migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Fenner Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Alfred Fenner, aged 18, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1851 aboard the ship "Catherine" 9
Alfred Fenner, aged 18, a labourer, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Catherine" in 1851 9

Fenner migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Fenner Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Thomas S. Fenner, aged 39, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Forfarshire" in 1873 10
William Albert Fenner, aged 8, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Forfarshire" in 1873 10
Elizabeth Fenner, aged 7, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Forfarshire" in 1873 10

Contemporary Notables of the name Fenner (post 1700) +

Shirley Fenner, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from New Mexico, 1960 11
Seth Fenner, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1868 11
Samuel M. Fenner, American politician, Member of Connecticut State Senate 14th District, 1873-74 11
James Fenner (1771-1846), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Senator from Rhode Island, 1805-07; Governor of Rhode Island, 1807-11, 1824-31, 1843-45; Presidential Elector for Rhode Island, 1816, 1820 11
George H. Fenner, American politician, Member of Michigan State House of Representatives from Sanilac County, 1869-70 11
Clyde V. Fenner (1893-1965), American politician, Representative from Michigan 17th District, 1932; Member of Michigan State Senate 18th District, 1939-40; Defeated in Republican primary, 1940, 1942, 1944 11
Charles E. Fenner, American politician, Justice of Louisiana State Supreme Court, 1889-93 11
Casper Fenner, American Republican politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Tompkins County, 1916-22 11
Bertine Fenner, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Michigan, 1960, 1964, 1972 11
Arnold Fenner, American politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Plainfield, 1838 11
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Fenner family +

HMS Hood

Mr. Henry J Fenner (b. 1921), English Marine serving for the Royal Marine from Ormskirk, Lancashire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 12

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved October 6th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CATHERINE 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Catherine.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 6th November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm