Venaple History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Venaple came to England with the ancestors of the Venaple family in the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Venaple family lived in Venables, Normandy, "about thirty miles beyond Rouen, on the road to Paris, between St. Pierre and Vernon, standing in the centre of the neck of a peninsula formed by a bend of the Seine. The high road runs straight through this tract to the centre of the arc of the Seine, which it intersects at a point where the river bends past Pont Andeli, near the famous Château Gaillard." 1

Venables was the barony and ancient seat of the Le Veneurs, so named from their hereditary office of Veneur or Venator (Huntsman) to the Dukes of Normandy.

Early Origins of the Venaple family

The surname Venaple was first found in Cheshire where this distinguished Norman family were descended from Gilbert de Venables, from Venables, in the canton of Gaillon, near Evreu in Normandy. Walter Veneur (ancestor of Gilbert), fought at the Battle of Fords in 960 between the King of France and Richard I Duke of Normandy. 1

"But who so prominent in the group as Gaultier-le-Veneur? All the interest of the battle seemed at one juncture to be concentrated upon the Huntsman, as though he had been the sole object of the conflict. Dragged off his horse, seized by the enemy, rescued and remounted by the ready Duke on the best he had perhaps his own charger: and now, again, for the battle !" 2

"Gilbert de Venables or Gislebertus Venator, as he is entered in the Domesday Book, was one of the Palatinate barons of Hugh Lupus, in Cheshire, and has been called his nephew, although his name does not appear in the pedigree of the son of the Earl's only sister, Ralph de Meschines." 1

"The manor [of Agden] was held by a family of the same name: a moiety of it passed by female heirs to the families of Daniel and Venables; the other moiety, by purchase, to the Savages, who sold it to the family of Venables in 1619. William Venables married the heiress of the Daniels; and in 1727 the heiress of George Venables was married to Sir T. P. Chetwode, Bart., in whose family the property continues." 3

"The house of Venables bore Azure, two bars Argent [as their Coat of Arms] and was first adopted by the fifth Baron about 1253." 1

Early History of the Venaple family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Venaple research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1604, 1613, 1640, 1645, 1648, 1649, 1662, 1669, 1687 and 1762 are included under the topic Early Venaple History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Venaple Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Venables, Venable and others.

Early Notables of the Venaple family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Peter Venables (1604-1669), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1640 and 1669, supporter of the Royalist cause in the English Civil War; and Robert Venables (c. 1613-1687), English soldier, writer and angler, known for his treatise on angling, The Experienced Angler, in 1662. He was the son of Robert Venables of Antrobus, Cheshire, by Ellen, daughter of Richard Simcox of Rudheath, and entered the parliamentary army when the civil war broke out, and served under Sir William Brereton in Cheshire and Lancashire. In 1645 Venables was governor of...
Another 120 words (9 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Venaple Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Venaple family

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Venaple or a variant listed above: William and Elizabeth Venables settled in Philadelphia in 1682 with their two children; Richard Venable settled in Virginia in 1635; Daniel Venables settled in Philadelphia in 1833.

The Venaple Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Venabulis Vinco
Motto Translation: I conquer with hunting-spears.

Citations +

Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
Palgrave, Sir Francis F.R.S., F.S.A. History of the Anglo-Saxons. London: William Tegg, 1871, Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.