Withelitch History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsWithelitch is an ancient name dating from the times of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It was a name for a person who was a person with white hair. Looking back further, we find the name Withelitch was derived from the Old English words whit, meaning white and lock, meaning tress or hair. 1 2 Early Origins of the Withelitch familyThe surname Withelitch 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 Withelitch familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Withelitch 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 Withelitch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Withelitch Spelling VariationsUntil the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Withelitch include Whitlock, Whitelock, Witlock and others. Early Notables of the Withelitch 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 Withelitch family to IrelandSome of the Withelitch 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 Withelitch familyThousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Withelitch were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: Thomas and Ann Whitlock, who settled in Virginia in 1638; William Whitelock settled in Barbados in 1776.
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