Merred Veness Genealogy
Contributed by Dana Knowles, dana_knowles@hotmail.com
16 Feb 2005

[Ed's note: The following is Dana Knowles's information on her father's family,
who were related to J. A. Veness of Lewis Co., WA.  She is looking for
information to clarify the relationship between her father's family, and J. A.
Veness.]

1901 Canadian Census, New Brunswick Province, York county, Fredericton
(City/Cité), St. Anne's (Ward/Quartier), e-5

37	239		Veness Henry G.		M	Head	M	Apr 14	1863	37

38	239		Veness Rebecca		F	Wife	M	Nov 20	1866	34

39	239		Veness Harding H.	M	Son		S	Apr 14	1886	14

40	239		Veness George		M	Son		S	Jul 11	1887	13

41	239		Veness Eve			F	Dau.	S	Aug 28	1889	11

42	239		Veness John			M	Son		S	Feb 5	1893	8

43	239		Veness Merred		M	Son		S	Oct 28	1896	4


Merred was my grandfather.  Merred (L) moved to Massachusettes and was recorded
as an immigrant in the 1930's census with his wife Ruby (Jane) Hamilton Veness,
his daughter Mildred, daughter Adelaide, and Son Mered Henry. I feel reasonably
sure that this is accurate due to the consistency of names from generation to
generation and how unusual is the name name Merred, or Mered anyway...? But -
have not ordered birth or death certificates. Henry G. has a Gedcom on the
lds.org web which confirms his birth in New Brunswick. I believe he was actually
recorded as being born in Lower Woodststock, however.

I get confused at this point. I believe that the father: Henry Gibson's father
was George Wellington, but I cannot find my source that confirms my notes. There
are numerous Henry's in England at this time, and one of them was a "purveyor of
cat meat" which is a sort of butcher. Butcher was the chosen field of Henry
Gibson. This was such a common name at the time I feel like I am sleeping in
spaghetti! Maybe you could clarify for me a bit, because I fail to find a
connection with Maine - unless he referred to Maine as the Maine side of New
Brunswick rather than saying he was a Canadian for the sake of being
political...

 My father, Mered Henry Veness was born in Canada and came to Massachusetts when
he was 4. I have no record of his early years but once got a sort of angry email
from someone who claimed he was their father and Mered had abandoned his mother
during her pregnancy and was never heard of again. I do not believe he completed
Military Service, but met my mother, Louise Banks Knowles, in Florida at the end
of WW2. He was working as a bartender at the Copa according to the family story.
My mother became pregnant and continued to live with him until I was born (not
married) while he continued his primary pastime of consuming alcohol
and chasing "wimmin"...

I was placed with my grandparents at 6 months by my mother. She had separated
from Mered, known as "Van" who also conceived another daughter (Lana) that year.
I do not know the name of her mother.  Circa 1960 Van met a woman by the name of
Lorayne and married her. She dried him out and they remained married until 1999
when she died 6 months prior to his own death in May of 1999. I do not believe
he had more children, but do not have clear information on that.

I have 3 children, Naomi Veness de Blanc, John Knowles, and Sally Knowles. John
and Sally are on the LDS church records as am I - under the name I use at this
time - Dana Knowles (Hatton) ---that's another story. Van's wife (my mother)
still lives in Bisbee AZ. Her birth was 24 Jul 1924.

Please let me know if you can confirm and or clarify the relationship between
J.A. and Merred Veness and perhaps clarify a bit of my own personal chaos.