CAMPBELL COUNTY, VA - HISTORY - Campbell Chronicles and Family Sketches
			Family  Sketches - Venable
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                   CAMPBELL CHRONICLES and FAMILY SKETCHES

              Embracing the History of CAMPBELL COUNTY, VIRGINIA
                                  1782-1926
                                By R. H. EARLY
                              With Illustrations
                              J. P. BELL COMPANY
                           LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA 1927


Venable

  The Venable name was first spelled with a final s. Abraham Venables emigrated
from England to Virginia in 1685 and married in 1699 Elizabeth, the daughter of
Hugh Lewis, of James City county. Their son, Abraham, Jr., who married Martha,
daughter of Nathaniel and Elizabeth Hughes-Davis, of Amherst, was friend, client
and political supporter of Patrick Henry; was also, for a time,
county-lieutenant of Louisa and for 2O years member of the House of Burgesses
from Louisa. His son, William Venable, nominated Henry in the county meeting as
a candidates for the House of Burgesses in 1765. From this Venable are descended
the Virginia members of the family. His son, John (7th child), married Agnes,
daughter of Charles Moorman of Louisa. He belonged to the Society of Friends and
was among the first to set his slaves free. Abram Venable in 1759 patented 2O65
acres on Falling creek; in 1754 patented 34O and 74O acres on Little Falling creek.

  John Venable was assistant commissioner of provision to Christopher Irvine at
the time he impressed John Hook's steers. This occurred during the time of
distress in the patriot army consequent upon the joint invasion of the enemy's
forces under Cornwallis and Phillips in 1781 when levies were made upon the
citizens for contributions of supplies. John Hook, a Scotchman, was a prosperous
merchant and farmer who was suspected of being unfriendly to the American cause.
The taking of his steers for use of the troops had not been strictly legal and
by advice of William Cowen,  an attorney  of some distinction, in 1783 Hook
brought suit against Venable personally in the district court of New London,
where Patrick Henry appeared for the defendant. The legal record shows the
verdict to have been for the plaintiff "one penny damages," but an appeal
resulted in a command to take John Venable into safe keeping to answer Hook's
plea of trespass, with damage of £4O at the court house in Richmond, April 5,
1783. The case was continued in general court till September, 1789 with issue to
the plaintiff of one penny damages. Costs in court were 5OO lbs. of tobacco.
Hook became the victim in this suit.

  In 1784 the estate of Thomas Faland sold to John Venable 3OO acres of land
which had been conveyed to Faland by Lady Mary Read, on both sides of Seneca
creek. Abraham Venable •was a member of the Virginia Yazoo Company. John Venable
in 1786, with William Martin, Jonathan Rosser, and Griffin Lewis, was appointed
inspector of tobacco at Lynches Ferry.

  Venable moved, with his family, to Georgia, in 1791, but that there were
Venables left in the county is proven by the marriage of Nathaniel Venable to
Nancy Kelly in 1816 as recorded among the bonds in the clerk's office at
Campbell court house.


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