The English surname Venn is toponymic in origin, belonging to that group of surnames derived from the place where the original bearer once dwelt or where he once held land. In this case the surname is derived from the Old English word "fenn" meaning a "fen" or "marsh". The original bearer of the surname would thus have resided "by the fen" or perhaps on an island in a marsh. Such a spot was a favored location for a medieval dwelling-place as it afforded natural protection from both human enemies and animal predators. The form Venn is particular to the West Country, and is an obvious dialectic form. Elsewhere in England the surname is more commonly found in the form Fenn or Fenne. There are a number of villages in Denon and Cornwall of the name Venn, so it is also possible that the bearer was "one who dwelt at Venn". The principal villages of this name are those in Brixton and Teignmouth, and Venn Ottery near Ottery St. Mary.
The surname Venn has been documented since the Twelfth Century, when one Godwin de la Fenna is recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Devonshire in the in the year 1176. In 1185 one Thomas atte Fenne appears in the records of the Templars in Warwickshire while in 1190 in the Pipe Rolls we note one Ralph de Fenne of Lincolnshire. In the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327 we find a reference to one John atte Venne while in the same sources we note on Walter en la Fenne of Worcestershire in 1340. In 1594 one John Ven, a draper of London, was married, and in 1619 one Richard Venne of Devon was registered as a freshman at the University of Oxford.

Source: The Historical Research Center

Descendants of Thomas VENN

FIRST GENERATION

1.  Thomas VENN was born about 1760.
He was married to Sarah TILL in 1781 in Awliscombe, Devon, England.  
Thomas VENN and Sarah TILL had the following children:

             2    i.     Christopher VENN was born in 1784.
          + 3    ii.     John VENN.

  William HAKE was born abt 1739.
  He was married to Joan UNK abt 1771 in Staple Fitzpaine, Somerset England.
  William HAKE and Joan had the following children:
               i.      John HAKE was born abt 1772
              ii.      Mary HAKE was born abt 1774
             iii.      Betty HAKE was born abt 1775
              iv.      William HAKE was born abt 1778
               v.      Joan HAKE was born abt 1782


SECOND GENERATION

3.  John VENN was born about 1790 in Pitminster, Somerset, England.  He died on 
10 Dec 1863 in Corfe, Somerset, England.
He was married to Sarah COLMAN on 27 Mar 1817 in Corfe, Somerset, England.  Sarah COLMAN was 
born about 1795.  She died in Jul 1832 in Corfe, Somerset, England.  
John VENN and Sarah COLMAN had the following children:

       +4	i.	John VENN.
	5	ii.	Elizabeth VENN was born on 30 Apr 1821 in Pitminster, Somerset, England.  
She was baptized on 27 May 1821 in Pitminster, Somerset, England.
	6	iii.	Charles VENN was born on 22 Sep 1825 in Pitminster, Somerset, England.  
He was baptized on 3 Oct 1825 in Pitminster, Somerset, England.
	7	iv.	Mary Ann VENN was born on 6 Dec 1827 in Pitminster, Somerset, England.  
She was baptized on 6 Jan 1828 in Pitminster, Somerset, England.
	8	v.	William VENN was born on 27 May 1830 in Pitminster, Somerset, England.  
He was baptized on 27 Jun 1830 in Pitminster, Somerset, England.


  John HAKE was born on 5 Mar 1772 in Staple Fitzpaine, Somerset, England.
  John HAKE married Mary ROWLAND on 5 Nov 1794 in Staple Fitzpaine, Somerset, England.
  John HAKE and Mary ROWLAND had the following children:
               i.        John HAKE 
              ii.        Jane HAKE
             iii.        William HAKE
              iv.        Daniel HAKE
               v.        Alexander HAKE
              vi.        James HAKE
             vii.        Mary HAKE
            viii.        Elizabeth HAKE
               x.     Harriet HAKE was born abt 1820 in Staple Fitzpaine, Somerset, England.

THIRD GENERATION

4.  John VENN was born on 1 Nov 1817 in Corfe, Somerset, England.  He was baptized on 22 Nov 1817 
in Pitminster, Somerset, England.  He died on 1 Mar 1898 in Buckland St. Mary, Somerset, England. 
He was married to Harriet HAKE (daughter of John HAKE and Mary ROWLAND) on 7 Jun 1840 
in Corfe, Somerset, England.  Harriet HAKE was born about 1820 in Staple Fitzpaine, Somerset, England.  
She was baptized on 3 Dec 1820 in Staple Fitzpaine, Somerset, England.  She died on 26 Nov 1899 in 
Buckland St. Mary, Somerset, England.  
John VENN and Harriet HAKE had the following children:

             +9        i.            Henry VENN.
	10	ii.	James VENN was born about 1846 in Corfe, Somerset, England.
	11	iii.	Charles VENN was born about 1850 in Corfe, Somerset, England.
	12	iv.	Mary Ann VENN was born on 29 Jul 1852 in Corfe, Somerset, England.
	13	v.	Emily VENN was born on 7 May 1854 in Corfe, Somerset, England.
	14	vi.	John VENN was born on 12 Dec 1859 in Corfe, Somerset, England.
       +15	vii.	Elizabeth VENN.
	16	viii.	Jenny(?) VENN was born on 9 Aug 1863 in Corfe, Somerset, England.
	17	ix.	Janet VENN was born on 12 Nov 1865 in Corfe, Somerset, England.
	18	x.	Harry(?) VENN was born on 14 Jan 1872 in Corfe, Somerset, England.


FOURTH GENERATION

9.  Henry VENN was baptized in 1844 in Curland, Somerset, England.  He was born on 
21 Jul 1844 in Curland, Somerset, England.  He died on 27 Jul 1927 in Forest Grove, Washington, Oregon. 
He was married to Ellen COZENS (daughter of Jesse COZENS and Martha COX) on 14 May 1888 in 
Galveston, Galveston, Texas.  Ellen COZENS was born on 4 Dec 1851 in Roke Marsh, Berkshire, England.  
She was baptized on 29 Feb 1852 in Roke Marsh, Berkshire, England.  She died on 26 Dec 1925 in Galveston,
 Galveston, Texas.  
Henry VENN and Ellen COZENS had the following children:

       +19	i.	 John Henry VENN.
	20	ii.	Charles Gordon VENN was born on 20 Oct 1890 in Galveston, Galveston, Texas.  
He died on 4 Jun 1891 in Galveston, Galveston, Texas. 
	21	iii.	Lizzie Letts VENN was born on 20 Feb 1895 in Galveston, Galveston, Texas.  
She died on 7 Aug 1895 in Galveston, Galveston, Texas.

15.  Elizabeth VENN was born on 8 Jul 1860 in Corfe, Somerset, England.  She died in 
Sep 1947 in Bridgewater, Somerset, England.
She was married to George JEFFERY on 24 Aug 1879 in Taunton, Somerset, England.  
George JEFFERY was born about 1859.


FIFTH GENERATION

19.  John Henry VENN was born on 30 Jul 1889 in Galveston, Galveston, Texas.  
He died on __*__. 
He was married to Della Antonette HOWARD (daughter of William Foster HOWARD and 
Adele Henrietta CRANZ) on 11 Mar 1914 in Texas.  Della Antonette HOWARD was born on 4 Jan 1894 in 
Galveston, Galveston, Texas.  She died on __*__.   
John Henry VENN and Della Antonette HOWARD had the following children:

	+22	i.	Harriet Antonette VENN.
	+23	ii.	John Howard VENN.  He died on __*__.

__*__ = Private Information.