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Show ContentsVenn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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The ancient roots of the Venn family name are in the Anglo-Saxon culture. The name Venn comes from when the family lived near a marsh or swamp. Another name for wetlands is fen, in the Old English fenn, from which this name is derived. 1 There are two place-names that may serve as sources for the name as well: Fen, in Lincolnshire, and Venn, in Devon.

Early Origins of the Venn family

The surname Venn was first found in Devon, where the family held a family seat from early times. The origins of the name make it likely that several branches of the Venn family emerged independently in different areas during the Middle Ages. The earliest known bearer of the name was Godwin de la Fenna, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of 1176. 2

From this first record, records of the family were scattered. Thomas attefenne was a Templar Knight in Warwickshire in 1185, Ralph de Fenne was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1190, Herveus del Fen was listed in Suffolk in 1190, John atte Venne was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327, and Walter en la Fenne was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1340. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 has two listings: Isabella ate Fenne, Oxfordshire; and Robert de la Fenne, Somerset. 3 In Norfolk, John atte Fen was Bailiff of Yarmouth in 1377 and Thomas Fenn, was similarly bailiff of Yarmouth. 4

The Close Rolls, like many early rolls listed entries in the relation to the year of the king's reign where the first number is the year, followed by the king's name. By example, John atte Fene, Close Rolls, 14 Edward III, denoted the entry was made in the fourteenth year of Edward III's reign. From this example, the reader can better understand the entries: Walter atte Fenne, Close Rolls, 1 Edward II; Thomas de Fenne, Close Rolls, 2 Edward I; and Roger atte Fenne, Somerset, 1 Edward III. 3

Early History of the Venn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Venn research. Another 169 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1176, 1185, 1190, 1199, 1297, 1580, 1586, 1594, 1615, 1619, 1637, 1639, 1641, 1650, 1657, 1687, 1691, 1723, 1740 and 1987 are included under the topic Early Venn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Venn Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Venn has appeared include Fenn, Fenne, Fennoy, Fann, Fan, Venn, Fen and others.

Early Notables of the Venn family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

  • John Venn (1586-1650), English regicide, second son of Simon Venn of Lydiard St. Lawrence, Somerset; Sir Richard Venn or Fenn (died 1639), an English merchant and politician, Lord Mayor of London in 1...
  • Richard Venn (1691-1740), was an English divine, born at Holbeton, Devonshire, the eldest and only surviving son of Dennis Venn, vicar of Holbeton. 5
  • John Venn D.D. (died 1687), was an English academic administrator at the University of Oxford; John Venn (1586-1650), Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, Member of Parliament for City of London (164...

United States Venn migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Venn arrived in North America very early:

Venn Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Venn, who landed in Maryland in 1674 6
Venn Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Ferdinand Venn, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1850 6

Australia Venn migration to Australia +

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

Venn Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. James Venn, (b. 1814), aged 21, English convict who was convicted in Somerset, England for 14 years for house breaking, transported aboard the "Bardaster" on 7th September 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
  • Ann Venn, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Hooghly" in 1846 8
  • Mr. James Venn, (b. 1828), aged 21, English labourer who was convicted in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England for 14 years for highway robbery, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 12th December 1849, arriving in Norfolk Island and Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1908 9

New Zealand Venn 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:

Venn Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Catherine Venn, aged 17, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Wairoa" in 1877
  • Mrs. Venn, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Tongariro" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 13th August 1887 10

West Indies Venn migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 11
Venn Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Venn, (b. 1608), aged 27, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Matthew" arriving in St Christopher (Saint Kitts) in 1635 12

Contemporary Notables of the name Venn (post 1700) +

  • Albert H. Venn (1867-1908), American silver medalist lacrosse player at the 1904 Summer Olympics
  • William H. Venn, American politician, Prohibition Candidate for U.S. Representative from Michigan 1st District, 1894 13
  • Charles "Chucky" Venn (b. 1973), born Charles Venice, an English actor, known for his roles as footballers
  • Henry Venn (1725-1797), English evangelical minister and one of the founders of the Clapham Sect
  • John Venn (1759-1813), English clergyman, Rector of Little Dunham, Norfolk (1783-1792)
  • Henry Venn (1796-1873), English clergyman, honorary secretary of the Church Missionary Society from 1841 to 1873, campaigner of the Clapham Sect
  • John Archibald Venn CMG FSA JP (1883-1958), British economist, President of Queens' College, Cambridge, Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University, 1941–1943, son of John Venn
  • Kathleen Joan "Kath" Venn (b. 1926), former Australian politician from Tasmania
  • Harry Whittall Venn (1844-1908), Australian politician, Commissioner of Railways and Minister of Works from 1890 to 1896
  • Blair Venn, Australian actor, best known for his role on the television series Head Start
  • ... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
RMS Lusitania
  • Mr. Harold Stanley Venn, American 2nd Class passenger from San Francisco, California, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 14
  1. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
  5. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  6. 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)
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bardaster
  8. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) HOOGHLY 1846. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1846Hooghly.htm
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
  10. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  12. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's (Retrieved October 4th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  13. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  14. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
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