The Verneys: A True Story of Love, War, and Madness in Seventeenth-Century England

As I finished this book, I turned to the next selection on my summer reading list, Peter Clarke's "The Last Thousand Days of the British Empire." Clarke records a comment by Winston Churchill reflecting his frustration with not being able to meet with President Roosevelt as much as he would have liked, relying on letters instead: "What an ineffectual method of conveying human thought correspondence is." While that is likely true in the abstract, even for one of Churchill's remarkable writing talents, the thought will likely not occur to you as you read "The Verneys." I must say that I bought the book without knowing much about it, willing to take a chance because of my interest in 17th Century England. And then I was a bit distressed to realize that the work is based almost entirely on the correspondence by and among the Verney clan, a formulation that I have seen yield some very dry and much less than compelling historical accounts. I needn't have worried. Tinniswood has done a simply remarkable job of bringing this fascinating family to life. Perhaps this is not that surprising given the fact that letters were the email of the day, and it was not only normal but expected that people wrote letters as we dash off our electronic messages, regularly more than once in a single day, and just as often as we, they were not as careful as they should have been, frequently ruing the products of their haste. Several of the Verneys, intentionally or not, enhanced the historical record by retaining drafts of their letters, so that the modern researcher has the benefit of both ends of many of the communications. But all this is not to detract from Tinniswood's accomplishment. It's one thing to have all these documents available to you, and quite another to be able to weave them into a compelling narrative. My only cavils are that the author assumes on the part of the reader a fairly extensive knowledge of the period's major developments such as the Civil Wars and the Restoration although I'm reasonably certain that a tyro will be able to navigate. The other is the occasional insertion of editorial comments which are all the more bothersome by reason of their unpredictability and inanity. The Verneys were not one of the preeminent English families of the period. But they were sufficiently close to, and involved in, the most significant political and commercial activities and developments of those years to fairly represent the trials and triumphs of their class. Full marks to Author Tinniswood for guiding us into their world in a most entertaining and edifying way.

This is history at its best - it's readable, compelling and thoroughly enjoyable. Tinniswood's book achieves many goals in one - a fascinating social history, meticulous biography, powerful family saga, and not least it is a really good and engaging read. The tale begins with Sir Francis Verney who ran away from his teenage wife in 1608, sold off much of the Verney property, converted to Islam and became one of the most feared pirates on the Barbary Coast. Carry on to read about Bess, who ran off with a clergyman; Cary, a heavy gambler, and Henry who was obsessed with horse racing; not to mention those involved in the English Civil War; Mall, who became pregnant out of marriage, or one of the later relatives who was hanged at Tyburn. A really good and compelling portrait of seventeenth-century England, and especially the Verney family. The history is based predominantly on the extensive records of the Verneys, particularly hundreds of letters kept by Sir Ralph Verney (1613-96) who presided over Claydon House in Buckinghamshire for over 50 years

Last year I read Blood and Roses: One Family's Struggle and Triumph During the Tumultuous Wars of the Roses. In it, the author used a collection of family letters to bring to life a 15th century British family, the Pastons, who struggle to keep their estate and their recently achieved social prominence. This book, The Verneys, interprets a similarly in tact collection of family letters to draw a portrait of a family from the landed class 200 years later. Through these families, we learn about the daily life of the gentry of their respective times. In the 15th century, the Paston's number one son loses his birthright in a dubious deathbed testament. This change in fortune wreaks havoc on him and his nuclear family. For the Varneys of the 17th century, the system of primogeniture plays out to the unhappiness of its presumed beneficiary. Sir Ralph inherits the responsibity of preserving the estate, paying debts and managing a never-ending parade of requests for assistance from most of the other disinherited relatives. In both books, property is a major issue. (Could it be because there are supporting legal documents that survive, or because this is the major preoccupation of the families?) In both times, ownership is vulnerable to the whims of the crown; however, by the 17th century, the rule of law has evolved such that there seems to be a more defined process for claims and no pitched battles of gentry v. gentry to try take land by force. The Verney sons who do not inherit have some options, whereas if John Paston has any, he does not recognize them. Second sons of the 17th century can seek fortune in colonizing Barbados or in trading in the Ottoman Empire and/or seek wealthy brides on their own. The women in either century have no legal options. Considerable time and resources are spent treating them as commodities. As noted at the end, many of Verney women, who seem to support the system, defy it. The issue of the imagery of women, and their actual behavior is certainly worth a wider study. Tinniswood gives more interpretation than Castor and does not quote the original letters to the extent that Castor did to tell or confirm the story. This makes The Verneys a smoother and more pleasurable read for the pleasure reader. Both books will be important for future researchers.

I first got a glimpse at the Verneys when I watched the DVD "A History of Britain" by Simon Schama. Who showed the Family Busts when he covered the English Civil Wars of the 17th Century. This well written book, which is based upon the huge collection of the Verneys papers. (I understand that they were huge pack rats and could not throw away any written note) Which covers the high points of a upper class family that is trying to make its way thru a very troubled world. The Author altogether has written a very compelling book that makes you very interested in a group of some very real characters of the local gentry.(Especially Tom who was a real cad in the full meaning of the word)Not wanting to give too much away, this book is well worth the coin and time for those who are interested in the time and place.

Well I found this a fascinating family and a revealing history of 17th century Britain. The author supplements the family letters with a through explanation of the period and the Verney's close involvement with it especially the English Civil War. Also, the book gives one a personal involvement with this delightful family. I would put the book down then quite soon be drawn back to it wondering what the Verneys were up to now. Can't get better history than this. Kudos to the author!