Show ContentsWallchar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Wallchar family

The surname Wallchar was first found in Durham where the first record of the name was of William Walcher (died 1080), Bishop of Durham (1070-1080). He was appointed by William the Conqueror to hold that see and was the first non-Englishman to hold the position. The Scottish invasion in 1079 by Malcolm III, plundered Northumberland for about three weeks.

Wallcher with over one hundred retainers for safety tried to resolve the wrongs but the Northumbrians attacked the Norman party. Wallcher led retreat to a nearby church proved fruitless as the party were forced out when the church was set afire. They were all killed when they left the blazing church. This same person is recorded as Walcher de Lorraine in the Domesday Book census of 1086. William de Wallichville was given lands at the conquest in Derbyshire and is son given lordships at Nottinghamshire after the Domesday Book in 1086. 1

Early History of the Wallchar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wallchar research. Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wallchar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wallchar Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Walchar, Walcher, Wallichville, Valecherville, Wallich and many more.

Early Notables of the Wallchar family

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

Migration of the Wallchar family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Wallchar name or one of its variants: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..



  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)


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