November 20, 2017
The past several days I’ve been researching the Varney family, a branch of my family tree from Dover, Strafford County, New Hampshire. The patriarch of the Dover Varney line was Humphrey Varney (1636-1714), who moved to Dover from his father’s home in Ipswich as a young man, and began the long line of Varney descendants who live across the United States today.
One of those Dover descendants is Esther C. Varney, whose obituary I discovered while searching for Varney cousins in GenealogyBank’s Recent Obituaries Database.
I was able to locate Esther’s FamilySearch page, which showed me that she and I are both descendants of Humphrey Varney. Humphrey is Esther’s 7th-great-grandfather and my 8th-great-grandfather.
The Varney’s have long been a part of Dover’s history. Humphrey’s son Ebenezer Varney (1664-1753), my 7th-great-grandfather and Esther’s 6th-great-uncle, was the original builder of the “Varney-Ham House” which sat on the west side of Varney Hill in Dover for nearly 300 years.
There is an essay about the Ham Varney House, with a photo, on the Dover Public Library website:
It’s always amazing to find and document our cousins in the family tree.
Genealogy Tip: GenealogyBank’s Recent Obituaries Database can be a great way to find your own cousins whom you may not be aware of, and to learn interesting stories about your common ancestors.
My husband is a direct descendant of Ebenezer Varney, through his son, Nathaniel. We have spent much time in Dover doing Varney research. It’s a town we keep going back to in our genealogy travels.
There are tons of Varney facts and artifacts to be found in Dover, and we’ve made some amazing finds. We also have several different photos of the Varney-Hamm house, and have even spoken on the phone a few times with the son of the last family to own the house before it was torn down.
Though he can’t find his mother’s old pictures of the house when they lived in it, he gave us a wonderful, detailed description of the interior of the house. Apparently, many original features could still be seen when he lived there as a teenager. It really makes you feel closer to the ancestors to get details like that.
Incidentally, I am also a Varney descendant, though in a more roundabout way. Ebenezer’s father, Humphrey, had a brother named Thomas Varney, and I descend through Thomas and his daughter, Mary.
Thank you for telling us about that. If possible – can you write up that description and other details you’ve learned about the family and post them here? Pass it on so we can all learn these details you have discovered about the old family home and the family itself.
Many thanks,
Tom
I am a descendent of the Dover Varneys also. My 2nd great grandmother Celia Spaulding, daughter of Marcus married Charles Varney son of one of multiple Stephen Varneys going back directly to Ebenezer Varney.
Hello Tom – I am seeking help to unravel a bit of a mystery. My husband’s great grandmother, Ella Frances Hayes (1855/1920) was born in Dover NH. Her mother shows up as Hannah Jenkins Varney (1830/1902) also born in Dover NH.
My efforts seem to just circle around the same inadequate information. I have been unable to find her parentage to advance progress forward. Hannah married George Washington Hayes who was also from a long lineage in Dover.
Does the Jenkins and Varney names ring any bells for you? I’m not sure whether to consider Jenkins was used as a middle name for Hannah or whether she was previously married to either a Jenkins or Varney.
Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Hi – I started looking for you … I see what you mean, this isn’t an ‘easy’ one to sort out.
According to the additions & corrections to the published Wentworth genealogy – page 675 – George Washington Hayes did marry Hannah Varney. See: http://bit.ly/2kg7iAR
Notice too that their daughter Ella – named her first daughter Hannah Varney Peabody see: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/9JHP-3VW
Hannah was living in California with them at the end of her life.
All the best in your search.
Tom
The Jenkins and Varney families were active in the Dover Quaker Meeting … Varneys from the early 1660s, the Jenkins a bit later. They show up in my book, Quaking Dover, but I’d still like to know more. As for your Hodsons, you might want to check out my blog, Orphan George.
Thanks for this info, Tom! I’m also a Varney descendant via Ebenezer — he’s my 9th-GG father. I hope to make it to Dover one day and soak in my family’s distant history.
Question for you: Where was Humphrey Varney actually born? I’ve seen some sources claiming he was born in Barbados. Is that even possible?
Thanks —
Lisa
Lisa,
While anything is ‘possible’ given the involvement of early New Englanders with maritime shipping – I have never found proof of where he was born – in England where his family was from or from the Americas. As more and more of these early records are digitized and given the early handwriting, deciphered, we will probably find the answer. Let us know if you hear that his birth/baptism record has been found.
Tom
Hi Lisa,
The idea that William and Bridget’s children were born in Barbados relies on a theory that has since been disproved. Clarence Torrey proposed in 1963 that Bridget was Bridget Parsons. This was most likely based on her will which referenced her “son” Jeffery Parsons. In his youth, Jeffery Parsons lived in Barbados with his parents. The theory is that when his father James died, his mother married William. This would mean that the Varney children were born in Barbados prior to their arrival in Ipswich in 1649. The problem is in 1988 Willis Parsons showed that Bridget was not the widow of James Parsons and that Jeffery was not her biological son. When writing her will she was being fast and loose with relationship titles (as many did in those days) and was simply stating that Jeffrey parsons was “like a son” to her. Without this connection, there is no evidence that the William and Bridget were ever in Barbados.
In 2006, Kathleen Barber and Janet Delorey found a record of William Varney and Bridget Deverell being married at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on Apr 5, 1629. If it is our William and Bridget, in all likelihood their children were born in the surrounding community.
Hello, going through inherited papers (from my husband’s mother). Found a hand written book of the lineal descendants of Humphrey Varney, written by Anne Emlen Bangs in 1909. The book begins with page 1 about Humphrey. It continues page 2 showing Ebenezer Varney and Mary Otis children birthdates and who they married. Page 3 showing Paul Varney and Elizabeth Mussey and children birthdates and who they married. Page 4 James Varney and Sarah Allen and children birth and who they married. page 5 shows Matilda Varney and Cyrus Bangs’ children birthdates and who they married.
Cyrus was the grandfather of the author Anne Bangs. She married David John Brown (my husbands great grandfather. All said that makes Humphrey Varney my husband’s 7x great grandfather. Would be happy to share this if someone wants the info. Email me sailmate@comcast.net.
Hey! I’m also a descendant of Humphrey to Ebenezer Sr. To Ebenezer Jr. to Isaac and on down Paul born in the 1920’s (my grandfather). If you want to swap info or chat let me know!
I too am a direct descendant of Humphrey and Ebenezer through his son Stephen and down through several generations to Moses Varney of Springdale , Iowa , his daughter Anna Varney, her son Louis Varney Phelps, my grandfather (1885 – 1969). Moses was deeply involved in the Underground Railroad from Missouri across southern Iowa before the Civil War. John Brown and his men lived on the Varney farm before the raid on Harper’s Ferry. Moses Varney tried to talk Brown out of his ill-considered plans. Does anyone know how far back the Varneys were Quakers? Were they Quaker when they arrived from England, or did they join later? And were they all Quaker, or just our branch of the family?
The Varneys go back to the founding of Dover Meeting by the early 1660s. They appear in my book Quaking Dover, but I’d love to know more. Springdale, Iowa, was also a Quaker community and now I’m wondering if Moses was among the Dover Friends who relocated to Iowa before the Civil War.
When I was growing up on Dover Point in the 1960’s there was a farm on the hill where Toftree Lane is now that we called Varney’s farm. In fact, there is still a brook there called Varney’s Brook. The last Varney I knew is buried along with others in a little cemetery at the corner of Old Dover Point Road and Gerrish Road nearby. Hope that helps a little.
Another Humphrey Varney descendant here! One thing about the lines is that they often get tangled because Quakers were apt to marry 3rd and higher cousons. Thus I am descended from at least four lines of Varney from Humphrey (Ebenezer, Stephen, Moses, Joseph, Joseph of Wolfeboro) but also from Nicholas Whitehouse, descended from Ebenezer, Thomas, Thomas, Israel. Makes for interesting genealogy.