Wildon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the bearers of the Wildon family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in one of the places called Wilton in Cumberland, Herefordshire, Norfolk, Somerset, Wiltshire, or the East and North Ridings of Yorkshire. Wilton, Wiltshire was originally called Ellandune. "This town, which derives its name from the river Wily, is of great antiquity, and is supposed by Baxter to have been the Caer-Guilo, or capital of the British prince, Caroilius, and subsequently a seat of the West Saxon kings. It was a place of importance for several centuries preceding the Norman Conquest, possessing an eminent religious establishment, and giving name to the county; the town had also a mint. Wilton is stated by Camden and other writers to have been originally called Ellandune, and to have been the scene of a sanguinary battle fought between Egbert, king of the West Saxons, and Beorwolf, the Mercian king, in which the latter was defeated. " 1

Early Origins of the Wildon family

The surname Wildon was first found in Essex where they held a family seat at Snaresbrook. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had two listings, both with early spellings of the family: Margery de Wiliton, Berkshire; and Ralph de Wylyton, Wiltshire. 2

Kirby's Quest noted "Simon de Wiltone, Somerset, 1 Edward III, [(registered during the first year's reign of King Edward III.)]". 3

One of the first records of the family was William de Wilton (d. 1264), an early English judge "who had fines levied before him in 1247, acted as justice itinerant in 1248, 1249, and 1250, again in 1253, 1255, and 1259-61. He was probably chief justice of the king's bench. He can be traced in the execution of the functions of the office till November 1263. According to Rishanger, he was slain at the battle of Lewes on the king's side (14 May 1264). " 4

Early History of the Wildon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wildon research. Another 153 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1150, 1211, 1239, 1296, 1373, 1376 and 1454 are included under the topic Early Wildon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wildon Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Wildon include Wilton, Wiltone, Willton, Willtone and others.

Early Notables of the Wildon family

Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wildon Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wildon migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Wildon or a variant listed above:

Wildon Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Wildon, who arrived in Virginia in 1650 5

Wildon Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Albert Wildon, aged 22, originally from Leeds, who arrived in New York in 1906 aboard the ship "Carmania" from Liverpool, England 6
Margaret Wildon, aged 31, who arrived in New York in 1907 aboard the ship "President Grant" from Cuxhaven, Germany 6
Bertha Wildon, aged 29, originally from Leeds, England, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Mauretania" from Southampton via Cherbourg 6
Eva Wildon, aged 32, originally from West Hartlepool, England, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Mauretania" from Southampton via Cherbourg 6
Hannah Wildon, originally from Bingley, England, who arrived in New York in 1921 aboard the ship "Aquitania" from Southampton, England 6

Wildon migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Wildon Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr.James Wildon, (Weldon), (b. 1797), aged 22, Irish farm labourer who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for felony, transported aboard the "Bencoolen" on 24th April 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia before being transferred to Tasmania via the "Admiral Cockburn" 7

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, 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)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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)
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bencoolen