Wrightington History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Wrightington is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived in Lancashire at Worthington, a parish of Standish, union of Wigan, hundred of Leyland.

Early Origins of the Wrightington family

The surname Wrightington was first found in Lancashire at Worthington. "This place, anciently called Worthinton, was allotted, soon after the Domesday Survey, to Albert Greslet. A family of the local name were resident at the Hall in 1588, and from them proceeded the Worthingtons of Blainscough, of Crawshaw, and of Shevington." 1

The place name literally means "estate associated with a man called Weorth," from the Old English personal name + "-ing" + "tun." 2

It dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was first listed as Werditone. 3

While the village and civil parish in North West Leicestershire is also named Worthington, it is from the former historical county of Lancashire that the family originates. Now part of Greater Manchester, Worthington is a civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan. Wrightington in Lancashire was another ancient family seat. "The lordship was given by Albert de Gresley to Orm, son of Ailward or Edward, progenitor of the Ashtons, of Ashton; and his descendants were called de Wrightington." 1

Early History of the Wrightington family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wrightington research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1549, 1566, 1570, 1618, 1627, 1650, 1671, 1703, 1754 and 1778 are included under the topic Early Wrightington History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wrightington Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Wrightington family name include Worthington, Wrightington and others.

Early Notables of the Wrightington family

Notables of this surname at this time include: The Reverend Father Thomas Worthington, D.D. (1549-1627), an English Catholic priest and third President of Douai College. He was born in 1549 at Blainscough or Blainsco in the parish of Standish, near Wigan, Lancashire, was son of Richard Worthington, by his wife Dorothy, daughter of Thomas Charnock of Charnock in the same county. "His father, who was an occasional conformist, though at heart a firm catholic, sent him about 1566 to Brasenose College, Oxford, where he graduated B.A, on 17 Oct. 1570. " 4 Thomas Worthington (1671-1754), was a Dominican friar and writer. He...
Another 100 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wrightington Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Wrightington family to Ireland

Some of the Wrightington 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.

Migration of the Wrightington family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Wrightington surname or a spelling variation of the name include: Nicholas Worthington settled in Connecticut in 1630; Henry Worthington settled in New England in 1631; M. and R. Worthington arrived in Philadelphia with their two children in 1820..

The Wrightington 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: In opinum sed gratum
Motto Translation: In my opinion, but graciously

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)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print