| ![Show Contents]() Whetham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England Early Origins of the Whetham familyThe surname Whetham was first found in Lincolnshire at North Witham, a small village in South Kesteven. However, Witham is also a town in the county of Essex. The parish of Witham appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 and the manor of Witham was given to the Knights Templar in 1148. John de Wytham, was 'the king's chaplain' in 1286. 1 Witham Friary is a small village and civil parish located in Somerset. "Ledstone Hall [in Ledstone, in the West Riding of Yorkshire] is a handsome mansion, anciently the seat of the Witham family." 2 Early History of the Whetham familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Whetham research. Another 255 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1420, 1454, 1458, 1460, 1467, 1473, 1489, 1538, 1604, 1624, 1625, 1634, 1654, 1655, 1659, 1668, 1704, 1707, 1725, 1728, 1738, 1752, 1777, 1799 and 1884 are included under the topic Early Whetham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Whetham Spelling VariationsSpelling variations of this family name include: Witham, Withem, Wittam, Witam, Withum, Wittum, Whittam, Whitham, Whittum, Whittem, Wytham, Wyttam, Wyttum, Wythum, Withams, Wittams and many more. Early Notables of the Whetham familyNotables of the family at this time include - Thomas Witham (c.1420-1489), was an English Chancellor of the Exchequer under Kings Henry VI and Edward IV; and Thomas Whetham, was an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons in...
- Nathaniel Whetham (1604-1668), was an English baker and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1654 and 1659
Migration of the Whetham familySome of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Peter Witham who settled in Boston, Massachusetts in 1630; Henry Witham settled in Maryland in 1730; Miss Witham settled in Boston in 1823; George and Joshua arrived in Pennsylvania in 1855.
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Optime merenti
Motto Translation: To the best deserving.
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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