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![Show Contents]() Westwyck History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
The name Westwyck arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Westwyck family lived in Staffordshire, at the manor of Westewike. Today, Wightwick is a part of Tettenhall Wightwick ward in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England. It is so named after an ancient local family the "de Wightwicks". Of note is Wightwick Manor, a Victorian manor house now owned by the National Trust. Early Origins of the Westwyck familyThe surname Westwyck was first found in Staffordshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Westewike, in the Lordship of Tettenhall. The family originated in Wightwick, "a hamlet in Staffordshire, where this ancient family resided. " 1 The family also anciently had branches in Surrey, Berkshire and Coventry. The first on record was William de Wictewike who lived about in 1260, but the name is recorded in the Domesday Book. 2 Today Wightwick Manor is a Victorian manor house located in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, built in the 19th century and includes original Morris wallpapers and fabrics, De Morgan tiles, Kempe glass and has beautiful gardens and stables. Early History of the Westwyck familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Westwyck research. Another 90 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1420, 1594, 1659, 1692 and 1829 are included under the topic Early Westwyck History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Westwyck Spelling VariationsAnglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Wyghtwiche, Wightwycke, Wightwick, Whitewick, Whytewick, Writewick, Wytewick, Writewyck, Witewyck, Westwick, Westick, Wightick, Westwicke, Westwyck and many more. Early Notables of the Westwyck familyAnother 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Westwyck Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Westwyck familyFor many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Westwyck or a variant listed above were: William Westick who landed in North America in 1702.
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: Aut viam inveniam aut faciam
Motto Translation: I will either find a road or make one.
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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