Verney History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The illustrious name Verney dates back to before the Norman Conquest when the held lands in "Vernai, a parish in the arrondissement of Bayeux, [France and was later] Latinized in charters, temp. Hen. I., as Vernacum." 1
Many of the family arrived in England after the Conquest but not all as "Wigen de Verigny, or De Verincio, and Walter de Verney [were listed in] Normandy 1180-95 (Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae); also in 1198." 2
This last author continues: "Philippus Vernei 1195. Vernai was near Bayeux, Normandy. Gerelinus de Vernai c. 1080 granted lands to St. Peter Conches (Gall. Christ. xi. 132, Instr.); and Ralph de Vernai about the same time held, jointly with Ralph de Toeni, lands at Bois-Raillate. Walter de Vernai occurs in Cambridge [England in ] 1158." 2
"In our 13th-cent. rolls we find the forms (with prefixed de) Verney, Vernay, and Vernai. Vernay or Verney is naturally not an uncommon place-name in France." 3
Early Origins of the Verney family
The surname Verney was first found in Gloucestershire where Robert de Vernai was listed in the Assize Rolls of 1221. 4
The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included entries for: Lucya de Vernai, Oxfordshire; Simon de Vernay, Northamptonshire; and Ralph de Verney, Oxfordshire. 5
Early History of the Verney family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Verney research. Another 136 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1419, 1465, 1478, 1563, 1584, 1586, 1590, 1599, 1613, 1615, 1616, 1620, 1630, 1640, 1642, 1648, 1649, 1661, 1668, 1696 and 1717 are included under the topic Early Verney History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Verney Spelling Variations
Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Varney, Verney and others.
Early Notables of the Verney family
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was
- Sir Ralph Verney (d. 1478), Lord Mayor of London in 1465; Sir Richard Verney (1563-1630), an English landowner and politician; Greville Verney, 7th Baron Willoughby de Broke and de jure 15th Baron Lat...
- Sir Edmund Verney (1590-1642), was knight-marshal and standard-bearer to Charles I, born in 1590, the second son of Sir Edmund Verney, knt., of Penley, Hertfordshire, and Claydon, Buckinghamshire (d...
- Sir Francis Verney (1584-1615), was an English buccaneer, the eldest son of Sir Edmund Verney of Penley, Hertfordshire, and Claydon, Buckinghamshire. 6
Verney Ranking
In France, the name Verney is the 4,612nd most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 7
Migration of the Verney family to Ireland
Some of the Verney family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Verney migration to the United States +
Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Verney or a variant listed above:
Verney Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Antoney De Verney, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1764 8
- William Verney, a bonded passenger who settled in America in 1773
Verney Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- William Verney, aged 35, who arrived in St Louis, Missouri in 1844 8
- Celestin Verney, aged 33, who landed in St Louis, Missouri in 1847 8
Verney migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Verney Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
- John Verney, who was on record in the census of Ontario of 1871
Contemporary Notables of the name Verney (post 1700) +
- Sir Harry Verney, 2nd baronet
- Sir Ralph Verney,
- Judge Lawrence Verney,
- Sir John Verney, Painter
- Verney Lovett Cameron (1844-1894), English naval officer, explorer and mapper of Africa
The Verney 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: Ung tout seul
Motto Translation: Only one.
Citations +
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- 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)
- Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
- http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
- 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)