Show ContentsVenner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Venner family

The surname Venner was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086 where "seven tenants in capite, some of them obviously of Saxon origin-appear under this name in Domesday: Croch Venator in Hampshire; Godric Venator in Wiltshire; Godvinus Venator in Dorsetshire; Ricardus Venator in Warwickshire; Siward Venator in Oxfordshire; Walerannus Venator in Hampshire and Wiltshire; and Wlwi Venator in Surrey. Siward and Waleran are also found among the under-tenants (in Hampshire). These latter add five additional names to this already long list: Gislebertus (also entered as De Venables) Ralph, and Warniund Venator in Cheshire; Robertus Venator in Warwickshire; and Rogerus Venator in Worcestershire and Shropshire. They are all unmistakably Norman." 1 2

Early History of the Venner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Venner research. Another 165 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1106, 1389, 1432, 1510, 1574, 1577, 1600, 1606, 1615, 1637, 1657, 1660 and 1661 are included under the topic Early Venner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Venner 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 Vennor, Venour, Vennour, Venner, Venor, Vener, Vennour, Venore, Fennor, Fennour and many more.

Early Notables of the Venner family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • Tobias Venner (1577-1660), was an English medical writer, was born 'of honest parents' at Petherton, Somerset
  • Over in the New World, Thomas Venner (d. 1661), was an English-born plotter, a cooper by trade, who was admitted a freeman of Massachusetts in March 1637. He returned to England later. "In April 1657...


Venner migration to the United States +

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 Venner or a variant listed above:

Venner Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Thomas Venner, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1637 3
  • William Venner, who landed in Virginia in 1654 3
  • Arthur Venner, who arrived in Rhode Island in 1672 3
  • John Venner, who landed in Maryland in 1675-1680 3
Venner Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Isaac Venner, who arrived in America in 1774
Venner Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Martin Venner, who settled in Indiana in 1854

Venner migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Venner Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • John Lauder Venner, who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1805

Venner migration to Australia +

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

Venner Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • William Venner, aged 21, a miner, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Lady Macdonald" 4
  • Mr. Moses Venner, (b. 1863), aged 22, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "SS Chimborazo" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 5th July 1885 5
  • Mrs. Ann Venner, (b. 1867), aged 18, English settler, from Wiltshire, England, UK travelling aboard the ship "SS Chimborazo" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 5th July 1885 5

Venner 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:

Venner Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • John Venner, aged 41, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Tongariro" in 1888
  • Charlotte Venner, aged 39, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Tongariro" in 1888

Contemporary Notables of the name Venner (post 1700) +

  • Mark E. Venner, American Republican politician, Member of South Dakota State House of Representatives 24th District; Elected 2010 6
  • Stephen Venner DL (b. 1944), English prelate, Bishop of Dover from 1999 until 2009, Bishop for the Falkland Islands from 2007 and Bishop to the Forces from 2009 until his retirement from both posts in 2014
  • Sir Kenneth Dwight Vincent Venner KBE, SLC (1946-2016), British Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank from December 1989 to November 2015, Director of Finance and Planning in the St Lucian Government from 1981 to 1989
  • Dominique Venner (1935-2013), French historian, journalist and essayist, editor of the La Nouvelle Revue d'Histoire, a bimonthly history magazine


  1. 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
  2. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  3. 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)
  4. South Australian Register Monday 9th April 1855. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Lady Macdonald 1855. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/ladymacdonald1855.shtml
  5. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 19). Emigrants to Australia NSW 1860 -88 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/nsw_passenger_lists_1860_88.pdf
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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