Contents [hide]

Willetts History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Willetts History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The surname Willetts is derived from the diminutive form of the Old English personal name "Will" or "William." 1 Thus, the name refers to a "son of Willet." One of the first records was as a forename, specifically Wil(l)ot de Foxwist in the Assize Rolls for Cheshire in 1286. 2

Early Origins of the Willetts family

The surname Willetts was first found in Suffolk where Symon Wylot was listed in the Feet of Fines for 1269. A few years later, Thomas Wilet was found in the Assize Rolls for Somerset in 1277 and William Wyllet, Wyllot was registered in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1327 and 1332. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had only one listing for the family, that of Richard Wylyot in Norfolk in 1273. 3 In Somerset, John Wilot was listed as holding lands 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III.) 4

Early History of the Willetts family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Willetts research. Another 144 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1511, 1562, 1586, 1598, 1605, 1621, 1633, 1650, 1665, 1674, 1678, 1703, 1718, 1719, 1736, 1764 and 1795 are included under the topic Early Willetts History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Willetts Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Willet, Willett, Willhite, Willot, Willitt, Willets and many more.

Early Notables of the Willetts family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Dr. Andrew Willet (1562- 1621), an English clergyman and controversialist. Born at Ely in 1562, he was son of Thomas Willet (1511?-1598), who began his career as a public notary, and officiated as such at the consecration of Archbishop Parker. 5Deborah "Deb" Willet (1650-1678), was a young maid employed by Samuel Pepys (1633-1703) whose extramarital liaisons were chronicled in his famous diary.Thomas Willett (1605-1674), born in Hertfordshire, was an early American merchant, Plymouth Colony trader and sea-captain, Commissioner of New Netherland, magistrate of Plymouth Colony, first Mayor of New York City. He was...
Another 116 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Willetts Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Willetts migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Willetts Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Willetts, aged 25, who landed in New York in 1812 6

Willetts migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Willetts Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Samuel Willetts, English convict from Shropshire, who was transported aboard the "Agamemnon" on April 22, 1820, settling in New South Wales, Australia 7
Mr. Charles Willetts, British convict who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Competitor"18th March 1823, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
Mr. Thomas Willetts, British convict who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Competitor"18th March 1823, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
Mr. Thomas Willetts, English convict who was convicted in Warwick, Warwickshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Chapman" on 6th April 1824, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
Joseph Willetts, English convict from Staffordshire, who was transported aboard the "America" on April 4, 1829, settling in New South Wales, Australia 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Willetts 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:

Willetts Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

James Willetts, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Westminster
Samuel Willetts, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship "Westminster"
William Willetts, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Westminster
William Willetts, aged 34, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Westminster" in 1843
Mary Willetts, aged 30, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Westminster" in 1843
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Willetts (post 1700) +

Isaac E. Willetts (b. 1869), American Republican politician, Member of Massachusetts State House of Representatives Eleventh Bristol District, 1905-06 11
Henry Willetts, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1904 11
Harold Willetts, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from North Carolina, 1972 11
H. L. Willetts, American Republican politician, Chair of Brunswick County Republican Party, 1952 11
A. L. Willetts, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from North Carolina, 1956 11
David Linsay Willetts PC (b. 1956), Baron Willetts, an English Conservative Party politician, Minister of State for Universities and Science (2010-2014)
Duncan Willetts (b. 1983), English cricketer for Herefordshire
Frank Terence "Terry" Willetts (b. 1939), English first-class and list A cricketer for Somerset in the mid-1960s from Birmingham
Helen Sarah Willetts (b. 1972), English meteorologist on the BBC from Chester
Dave Willetts (b. 1952), English singer and actor, known as the lead in the London production of Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, and others
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Willetts family +

HMS Hood

Mr. Tom Willetts (b. 1917), English Sub-Lieutenant serving for the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve from Lytham, Lytham-St. Annes, Lancashire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 12

The Willetts Motto +

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: Dieu et mon devoir
Motto Translation: God and my work.

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Agamemnon voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1820 with 179 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/agamemnon/1820
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/competitor
Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 26th January 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/chapman
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 26) America voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1829 with 176 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/america/1829
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm