Whitnall History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Early Origins of the Whitnall family

The surname Whitnall was first found in Cheshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Wettenhall. At the time of the taking of the Domesday Book in 1086, Wettenhall was held Gilbert de Venables, a Norman Baron, and conjecturally this family name is descended from that source or a relative. Venables was in the canton of Gaillon, near Evreux. They were hereditary huntsmen to the Dukes of Normandy. Gilbert the Hunter also held the barony of Kinderton in Cheshire from the Earl of Chester, Hugh Lupus, otherwise known as the Wolf.

Withnell is a township, in the parish and hundred of Leyland, union of Chorley, N. division of Lancashire. "The township was a member of Hoghton manor, and part of the inheritance of a co-heiress of the Alansons, who married Roger de Withnil or Wythenall." 1

Originally called Withinhull, c. 1160, it was later listed as Withinhulle in the 1332 Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire, and literally meant "a hill where willow trees grow." 2

Early History of the Whitnall family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Whitnall research. Another 170 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1300 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Whitnall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Whitnall Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Wettenhall, Wetenhall, Wetnall, Whetnall, Whettnall, Whettenhall, Watnall, Wattenhall, Wattenall, Wettenall, Wettenall, Whetonhall, Wetonhall, Whetnell, Wetenall, Whitnall, Wittenhall, Whittenhall, Witnal, Wittnall, Watnoll, Whatnoll, Withnell, Withnall, Wyttnell and many more.

Early Notables of the Whitnall family

More information is included under the topic Early Whitnall Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Whitnall family to Ireland

Some of the Whitnall family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Whitnall 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:

Whitnall Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. John Whitnall, (b. 1858), aged 3 months, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indiana" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 28th November 1858 3
Mrs. Charlotte Whitnall, (b. 1831), aged 27, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indiana" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 28th November 1858 3
Mr. Henry Whitnall, (b. 1831), aged 27, British tanner travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indiana" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 28th November 1858 3
Mr. George Whitnall, (b. 1851), aged 7, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indiana" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 28th November 1858 3
Mr. Henry Whitnall, (b. 1854), aged 4, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indiana" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 28th November 1858 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Whitnall (post 1700) +

Harold O. Whitnall, American Republican politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Madison County, 1927; Chair of Madison County Republican Party, 1942 4
Graeme Whitnall (1952-2021), Australian rules footballer who played with Carlton in the Victorian Football League (VFL) (1974-1979) and (1980-1981)

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 27) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html