Wes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The history of the Wes family name begins after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Staffordshire, at Weston-under-Lizard. The name literally means "dweller at the west farm," or "one who lived to the west of the village." 1

"The English gazetteers give about fifty parishes and hamlets of this name, which signifies simply ' the western enclosure,' and corresponds with Easton, Norton, and Sutton. From divers of these, some of the families of Weston have sprung; but the widely-spread Westons of Surrey and Sussex are descended from the house of De Wistoneston, or Wiston, of Wiston, co. Sussex." 2

Early Origins of the Wes family

The surname Wes was first found in Staffordshire where they held a family seat at Weston-under-Lizard, having been granted lands as a tenant in chief by William the Conqueror. Reginald Bailleul was from Bailleul-En-Gouffern at Orne, arrondisement of Argentan, in the canton of Trun, in Normandy. 3

The parish of Kelvedon in Essex was once a family seat. "Felix Hall, the seat of Lord Western, a handsome modern mansion with an elegant portico, is situated on an eminence surrounded by a park." 4

The Domesday Book of 1086 had two early entries for the family: Godwinus de Westuna in Huntingdonshire; and Adestan de Westuna in Cambridgeshire. 5

Early rolls revealed the various spellings used throughout ancient Britain: Elyas de Westone in Lincolnshire c. 1160; Payn de Weston in the Assize Rolls for Somerset in 1268; William Weston in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296; and Alan ate Weston in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1327. 1

In Scotland, "there are places named Weston and Westoun in Lanarkshire, and a Weston near Dolphinston, Peeblesshire. William de Westone of Wyggetone rendered homage in 1296. John of Westone was juror on an inquisition at Peebles, 1304, and John de Westone held a ten-pound land in the tenement of Mertone near Edinburgh before 1315. William of Westone was in the king of England's service in France, 1369." 6

Early History of the Wes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wes research. Another 180 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1140, 1200, 1466, 1511, 1515, 1536, 1540, 1542, 1566, 1567, 1573, 1577, 1582, 1605, 1609, 1611, 1612, 1620, 1628, 1634, 1635, 1639, 1640, 1652, 1656, 1660, 1663, 1665, 1678, 1681, 1688, 1689, 1698 and 1699 are included under the topic Early Wes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wes Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Weston, Atgate and others.

Early Notables of the Wes family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

William Weston, a 15th-century English merchant from Bristol who is believed to have been the first Englishman to lead an expedition to North America
Sir Francis Weston (1511?-1536), was an English courtier, born about 1515, and the only son of Sir Richard Weston (1466?-1542.) Sir Francis was charged with high treason and adultery with the Queen An...
His father, Sir Richard was an English courtier and diplomatist, son of Edmund Weston, an adherent of Henry VII. Sir William Weston (d. 1540) was his brother. 7
Edward Weston (1566-1635), was a Roman Catholic controversialist, son of William Weston of Lincoln College, Oxford. 7
Elizabeth Jane Weston (1582-1612), was a learned lady, born in London on 2 Nov. 1582. "Her father may possibly have been a member of a Surrey family - at least Fuller places Elizabeth Weston among his...
Richard Weston, 1st Earl of Portland, KG (1577-1634), was Chancellor of the Exchequer, Lord Treasurer of England under James I and Charles I and Jerome Weston, 2nd Earl of Portland (1605-1663), was an...
Nicholas Weston (1611-1656), was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1640 and supported the Royalist side in the English Civil War; Charles Weston, 3rd Earl of Portland (1639-1665...

Migration of the Wes family to Ireland

Some of the Wes family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Wes family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Wes or a variant listed above were: Francis and Lucy Weston, who settled in Virginia in 1630; Joe Weston settled in Barbados in 1635; Thomas Weston settled in Maine in 1623; William Weston settled in Virginia in 1623..

Contemporary Notables of the name Wes (post 1700) +

John Wes Townley (1989-2021), American professional stock car racing driver, son of Tony Townley, co-founder of the Zaxby's chain of chicken restaurants
Wes Borg, Canadian comedian and musician
Wes "Scoop" Nisker (1942-2023), American author, radio commentator, comedian, and Buddhist meditation instructor
Wes Wise (1928-2022), American CBS journalist and politician, three-term Mayor of Dallas, Texas (1971-1976)
Wes Freed (1964-2022), American outsider artist, best known for his work that appeared on album covers of Lauren Hoffman and numerous American rock bands, including Cracker and the Drive-By Truckers
Wes Mannion (b. 1970), Australian television personality, best known from the series The Crocodile Hunter as Steve Irwin's best friend and director of Australia Zoo
Wes Avi Littleton (b. 1982), American former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher who played for the Texas Rangers (2006-2008)
Wes Funk (1968-2015), Canadian writer based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Wes Lofts (1942-2014), Australian rules footballer who played for Carlton from 1960 to 1970
Wes Retherford (b. 1984), American politician, Member of the Ohio House of Representatives (2013-)

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print