Witelocke History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe name Witelocke is an ancient Anglo-Saxon name that was given to a person who was a person with white hair. Looking back further, we find the name Witelocke was derived from the Old English words whit, meaning white and lock, meaning tress or hair. 1 2 Early Origins of the Witelocke familyThe surname Witelocke was first found in Devon, but much later "the Whitlocks were best represented in the Halstead [Essex] district." 3 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 has only two listings for the family with very early spellings: Emma filius Witlok, Huntingdonshire; and William Witlohc, Oxfordshire. 4 Kirby's Quest also had two early entries for the family in Somerset: William atte Whytelak and Walter Whytelock. Both were "1 Edward III," in other words entered in the first year of King Edward III's reign. 5 Much further to the north in Scotland, "Th Quhyteloke" was Burgess of Edinburgh in 1403 and Robert Quhytlok was a tenant under the Abbey of Kelso in 1567. 6 Early History of the Witelocke familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Witelocke research. Another 133 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1537, 1564, 1565, 1570, 1584, 1586, 1605, 1608, 1610, 1622, 1624, 1625, 1631, 1632, 1654, 1659, 1675, 1701 and 1709 are included under the topic Early Witelocke History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Witelocke Spelling VariationsOnly recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Witelocke has undergone many spelling variations, including Whitlock, Whitelock, Witlock and others. Early Notables of the Witelocke familyNotables of the family at this time include Edmund Whitelocke (1565-1608), English courtier, born in the parish of St. Gabriel, Fenchurch Street, London, on 10 Feb. 1564, the eldest son of Richard Whitelocke, merchant. His youngest brother, Sir James Whitelocke SL (1570-1632), was an English judge and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1610 and 1622. 7
His son, Sir Bulstrode Whitelocke (1605-1675), was an English lawyer... Migration of the Witelocke family to IrelandSome of the Witelocke 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 Witelocke familyTo escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Witelocke were among those contributors: Thomas and Ann Whitlock, who settled in Virginia in 1638; William Whitelock settled in Barbados in 1776.
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