Whateley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Whateley was brought to England in the wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Whateley family lived in Somerset, at the village of Whatley. Whateley Hall was a stately home in the Warwickshire countryside near Castle Bromwich. Built in the 18th century, the hall and the estate was demolished in the 1930s and the land was sold to build houses.

Early Origins of the Whateley family

The surname Whateley was first found in Somerset in the village and manor of Whatley near Frome, where they are conjecturally believed to be descended from the possessor of those lands, at the taking of the Domesday Survey in 1086, John the Usher, from Glastonbury Abbey. The Wheatley variant can be found throughout England, specifically: Wheatley, Oxfordshire; Wheatley Lane in Lancashire; and North and South Wheatley in Nottinghamshire. The two latter villages are listed in the Domesday Book as Watelei and Wateleie. 1 Literally, Wheately means "clearing where wheat is grown," from the Old English "hwaete" + "leah." 2

Some believe that Anne Whateley was William Shakespeare's first betrothed; whether she even existed is much in debate. A William Shakspeare and Anne Whateley do appear on the same line in a note in the Episcopal register at Worcester, but some claim that there were numerous William Shakespeares in that area at that time and was obviously another person. Others believe that entry was a clerical error. The debate continues.

Early History of the Whateley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Whateley research. Another 129 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1330, 1582, 1583, 1639, 1686, 1742, 1747, 1753, 1768, 1784 and 1801 are included under the topic Early Whateley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Whateley Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Whateley have been found, including Whatley, Whatly, Whately, Wheatley, Whetly, Whettell and many more.

Early Notables of the Whateley family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was William Whately (1583-1639), an English Puritan cleric and author, son of Thomas Whately, twice mayor of Banbury, Oxfordshire. He was born at Banbury, the son of John Wheatly, a tradesman of...
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Whateley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Whateley migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Whateley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. William Whateley, British settler travelling from Liverpool aboard the ship "Tornado" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 26th September 1859 3
P. Whateley, British settler travelling from Liverpool aboard the ship "Tornado" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 26th September 1859 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Whateley (post 1700) +

Mary Whateley (1738-1825), birth name of Mary Darwall, an English poet and playwright, member of the Shenstone Circle of writers
Oliver Whateley (1861-1926), English international footballer, who played as an inside forward for the England National Team in 1883
William Whateley QC (1794-1862), English barrister, born in Birmingham, the second son of William Whateley, a solicitor, a noted supporter of the Conservative Party and the Church of England
Dame Leslie Violet Lucy Evelyn Whateley DBE, TD (b. 1987), née Wood, British Director of the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) during the Second World War
Jason Eric Whateley (b. 1990), Australian gold medalist boxer at the 2011 Arafura Games and silver medalist at the 2018 Commonwealth Games
Gerard Whateley, Australian sports broadcaster and writer in Melbourne, Chief sports caller and host of the Whateley program on the sports radio station SEN1116

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html