Verny History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The illustrious name Verny 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 Verny family

The surname Verny 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 Verny family

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

Verny Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Varney, Verney and others.

Early Notables of the Verny 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 Latimer (1586-1642), an English politician; Greville Verney, 8th Baron Willoughby de Broke and de jure 16th Baron Latimer (ca. 1620-1648), an English peer; Sir Ralph Verney (1613-1696), created 1st Baronet Verney of Middle Claydon in 1661; Greville Verney, 9th Baron Willoughby de Broke and de jure 17th Baron Latimer (1649-1668), an English peer; and...
Another 94 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Verny Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Verny family to Ireland

Some of the Verny 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.

Migration of the Verny family

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Verny or a variant listed above: William Verney, a bonded passenger who came to America in 1773; John Verney, who was on record in the census of Ontario of 1871; E. Varney, who settled in Belfast, Maine, in 1822.

Contemporary Notables of the name Verny (post 1700) +

César Verny, French Brigadier General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 6

The Verny 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)
Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, November 3) CÃ©sar Verny. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html