Welldon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Welldon is one of the thousands of new names that the Norman Conquest brought to England in 1066. The Welldon family lived in Northamptonshire, at Weldon.

Early Origins of the Welldon family

The surname Welldon was first found in Northamptonshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Weldon, and are conjecturally descended from Robert de Bucy, a Norman Baron who acquired Weldon, an ancient Roman villa, from Olaf, from King William for his assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

"The Tower, the manorial seat of the ancient family of Welton [in Northumberland], is fast going to decay; there are still remaining in tolerable preservation, two handsome rooms with Oriel windows. The Hall, an ancient mansion which, according to an inscription on the walls, was repaired in 1614, is still occupied." 1

Welton is also a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire which literally means "farmstead by a spring or stream." 2

Early History of the Welldon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Welldon research. Another 30 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1352, 1362, 1583, 1603, 1648, 1649, 1650, 1674, 1676, 1713, 1723 and 1736 are included under the topic Early Welldon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Welldon Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Weldon, Veldon, Velton and others.

Early Notables of the Welldon family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Gilbert Welton (or Gilbert de Wilton), Bishop of Carlisle (1352-1362); Sir Anthony Weldon (1583-1648), an English 17th Century courtier and politician, purported author of "The Court and Character of King James I."; and John Weldon (1676-1736), an English composer.Sir Anthony Weldon (d. 1649?), was an "English historical writer, of Swanscombe, Kent, descended from a younger branch of the family of Weltden of Northumberland. His father, Sir Ralph Weldon, knighted on 24 July 1603, was clerk of the Green Cloth to Queen Elizabeth and James I. His eldest...
Another 95 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Welldon Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Welldon family to Ireland

Some of the Welldon family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 89 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Welldon migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Welldon or a variant listed above:

Welldon Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Welldon, who arrived in Virginia in 1663 3

Welldon Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

George Welldon, who arrived in Mississippi in 1844 3
Thomas Welldon, who landed in Mississippi in 1844 3

The Welldon 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: Bene factum
Motto Translation: Benefits

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)
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)