Henry Venn was born at Barnes in Surrey, on the 2d of March 1724. [His ancestors were clergymen of the Church of England, in an uninterrupted line, from the period of the Reformation. The first of whom any particular information has been preserved, was William Venn, B.A., Vicar of Otterton, Devonshire, who died in the year 1621. Two sons of this individual afterwards became beneficed clergymen, and were sufferers, during the time of the Commonwealth, for their attachment to the King and established form of worship; namely, Richard Venn, M.A. (the ancestor of Henry Venn), who was presented in 1625 to the vicarage his father had held; and Robert Venn, M. A., Vicar of Thelbridge, Devonshire. Some account of the persecutions these ministers endured is given in Walker's “Sufferings of the Clergy.” Mr. Walker states respecting Richard Venn, that— “he was dispossessed of his living by the Parliamentary Commissioners.—The accusations brought against him, before the Committee, consisted chiefly of matters which had passed some years before, relating to his loyalty, and disaffection to the Parliament.—The witnesses who appeared against him could not but give an attestation to his worth and honesty, and more particularly to his diligence in the discharge of his ministerial function.—After wandering from place to place to avoid persecution, he lived to re-possess his vicarage, after the Restoration.—He was a man of worth and learning, a good Christian and a good preacher, well beloved in his parish, and spoken of with honour amongst them to this very day.”