Interesting find... Calling all Varneys! My Varney or Verney ancestors likely came from Denmark as Vikings, Norsemen who settled in Normandy around the year 800. After William I conquered England in 1066, Verneys moved from the Norman village of St. Paul du Vernay (vernay is old French for “alder grove)†and settled in Buckinghamshire (county “Bucksâ€) around the village of Middle Claydon. The name is not mentioned in the lists of the original invaders in 1066, but records show Verneys in England at least as early as 1133. In the 1400s, a Verney was an escort to an English princess who went to Scotland and married a Scottish prince. In the early 1500s, one Verney left his wife and family in England and traveled to Brazil, where he lived for about 8 years, siring several children by an Indian woman before leaving that family and returning to England. A Verney was, at some time, Mayor of London and there are 2 street names containing Verney in London. A branch of the family was granted a Lordship in 1700 in Ire (“Barons of Belturbet, Viscounts of Fermaughâ€). That title expired in 1800 due to lack of a male heir. One of the more noted Verneys was Sir Edmund, who was Knight Marshall and standard bearer to Charles I in the English Civil War. Sir Edmund had one son who fought on the king’s side, and another who fought on the side of the Parliamentarians against his father. During the climactic battle of the war, Sir Edmund was killed. His grip on the king’s standard was so tight that his hand had to be cut off his corpse after the battle to take the standard away. His home, Claydon House, near Middle Claydon is a noted tourist draw, and is listed in the English National Trust. Claydon House was a frequent visiting place of Florence Nightingale, sister of a Verney bride in the 1800s. There are several ghost stories associated with the Claydon House.. A fine 18th century house with some of the most perfect rococo decoration in England. A series of great rooms have wood carvings in Chinese and Gothic styles, and tall windows look out over parkland and a lake. One of England’s most extraordinary houses. In continuous occupation by the Verney family for over 350 years, Claydon was originally a Jacobean manor house, but remodeled in the 1750s. The house has relics of the exploits of the Verney family in the English Civil War and also on show is the bedroom of Florence Nightingale, a relative of the Verneys and a regular visitor to this tranquil place. Now part of Britains National Trust for preservation of historic homes. The exterior of Claydon House can be seen in the recent film version of Jane Austins Sense and Sensibility. Some event took the Varneys from whom I descend, from England to Barbados, West Indies, in the 17th century. Whether they were indentured to plantation owners there, or were landowners, we dont know at this time. The evidence is that they were in Barbados for 25 years and came to America in 1649 entering the country at Ipswich, MA. A Thomas Verney attempted a plantation in Barbados about the 1620s so its possible there is a connection. And thus, I continue to investigate. We do know that the children of William and Bridget Varney were all born there, but ended their lives in Massachussetts, in America.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 14:56:37 +0000
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