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Venables History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Venables History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Venables was brought to England in the wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Venables 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 Venables family

The surname Venables 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 Venables family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Venables 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 Venables History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Venables Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Venables have been found, including Venables, Venable and others.

Early Notables of the Venables 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

Venables migration to the United States +

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Venables were among those contributors:

Venables Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Venables, who landed in Maryland in 1662 4
William Venables, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1682 4
William and Elizabeth Venables, who settled in Philadelphia in 1682 with their two children

Venables Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Daniel Venables, who settled in Philadelphia in 1833
Ben Venables, who settled in Philadelphia in 1844

Venables migration to Australia +

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

Venables Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Richard Venables, a stone-mason, who arrived in New South Wales, Australia sometime between 1825 and 1832
Mr. Thomas Venables, (b. 1796), aged 30, English labourer who was convicted in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England for life for burglary, transported aboard the "England"on 28th April 1826, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1874 5
Mr. George Venables, English convict who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for 14 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 25th June 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
Mr. John Venables, (b. 1802), aged 31, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Aurora" on 3rd November 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1859 7
Mr. John Venables, English convict who was convicted in Hertford, Hertfordshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Charles Kerr" on 6th June 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8

Venables 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:

Venables Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Venables, Australian settler travelling from Sydney aboard the ship "Earl of Lonsdale" arriving in Bay of Islands, North Island, New Zealand on 11th April 1841 9

Contemporary Notables of the name Venables (post 1700) +

Brent Venables (b. 1970), American college football coach
Robert L. Venables Sr., American Democratic Party politician, Elected Delaware State Senate 21st District 1998 10
Anthony Venables (b. 1953), English economist
George Venables -Vernon (1709-1780), 1st Baron Vernon, British politician
Edward Venables -Vernon-Harcourt (1757-1847), British religious leader, Bishop of Carlisle
Stephen Venables (b. 1954), British mountaineer and writer
Archbishop Gregory James Venables (b. 1949), British religious leader, Primate of the Southern Cone
Terry Venables (b. 1943), British football manager
Clare Venables (1943-2003), British theatre director

The Venables 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.
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/england
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/aurora
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 1st February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/charles-kerr
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html