Williston History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Williston family

The surname Williston was first found in Staffordshire, where "the family were lords in early times, and which they sold to the Aston family temp. Richard I. Wollaston is in the parish of Old Swinford. Some of the Wollastons may derive their name from other places so called in cos. Gloucester and Shropshire. " 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Ivo de Wolastone, Staffordshire; William de Wolastone, Salop (Shropshire); and Saer de Wolaveston, Northamptonshire. 2

The Placita de Quo Warranto, temp. Edward I-III list John de Wolaston, Bedfordshire and William de Wolaston, Northamptonshire.

Wollaston is a chapelry, in the parish of Alberbury, union of Atcham, hundred of Ford in Shropshire. The chapelry dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was first listed as Willavestune and literally meant "farmstead or village of a man called Wiglaf," from the Old English personal name + "tun." 3

Wollaston in Northamptonshire also dates back to the Domesday Book, but had a different spelling, Wilavestone, but had a similar meaning. 4

There is also a township of Wollaston in the parish of Old Swinford, union of Stourbridge, Lower division of the hundred of Halfshire, Worcestershire. 5

Early History of the Williston family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Williston research. Another 129 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1616, 1638, 1639, 1643, 1649, 1658, 1659, 1660, 1666, 1674 and 1724 are included under the topic Early Williston History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Williston Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Wollaston, Woolaston, Wolleston, Woollaston, Woolleston, Woolliston and many more.

Early Notables of the Williston family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir John Wollaston (died 1658), an English merchant, Lord Mayor of London in 1643, Sheriff of London (1638-39), Prime Warden of the Goldsmiths Company (1639-40), president of Christ's Hospital (1649.)William Wollaston (1660-1724), was an English moral philosopher, born on 26 March 1659-16660 at Coton-Clanford, Staffordshire, the son of William Wollaston. "The Wollastons were an old Staffordshire family. One, Henry Wollaston (d. 1616), went to London and returned with a fortune made in trade. A dispute between his sons as to the...
Another 89 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Williston Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Williston migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Williston Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. John Bailey Williston U.E. (b. 1757) born in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA who settled in St. Stephen, New Brunswick c. 1784 before relocating to Canterbury Parish, Saint John, New Brunswick, he eventually settled on land in Bay Du Vin, Miramichi River, New Brunswick in 1797 member of the Port Matoon Association, married to Phoebe Stymiest having 12 children, he died in 1833 6

Williston Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Charles Williston, who arrived in Canada in 1830

Contemporary Notables of the name Williston (post 1700) +

George H. Williston (1818-1881), American politician who served in the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature in 1846 and 1848
Samuel Wendell Williston (1851-1918), American educator and paleontologist
Samuel Williston (1861-1963), American lawyer and law professor, private secretary to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Horace Gray (1888-1889)
Edward Williston Frentz (1863-1943), American archer at the 1904 Summer Olympics
Major-General Williston Birkhimer Palmer (1899-1973), American Vice Chief of Staff, US Army (1955-1957) 7
Williston Cox, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Tennessee, 1928 8

The Williston 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: Ne quid falsi
Motto Translation: Nothing false.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2014, March 26) Williston Palmer. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Palmer/Williston_Birkhimer/USA.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html