Wolstanholm History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the Wolstanholm surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived at Woolstencroft in the county of Cheshire. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Old English personal name Wulfstan and the Old English word croft, meaning paddock, farm or enclosure, or holm, meaning area of dry land. The name thus translates as the dweller at Wulfstan's farm.

Early Origins of the Wolstanholm family

The surname Wolstanholm was first found in Lancashire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, before and after the Norman Conquest in 1066, in Wolstenholme, near Warrington, in that shire. Conjecturally they were descended from Woolston in Warwickshire, a pre-Norman Saxon settlement.

Early History of the Wolstanholm family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wolstanholm research. Another 162 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1400, 1562, 1574, 1600, 1609, 1610, 1611, 1622, 1639, 1640, 1649, 1660, 1670, 1676, 1689, 1691, 1700, 1709, 1717, 1724, 1738 and 1762 are included under the topic Early Wolstanholm History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wolstanholm Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Wolstanholm include Woolstenholme, Wolstonholme, Wolstenholme and many more.

Early Notables of the Wolstanholm family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir John Wolstenholme (1562-1639), an English merchant who sponsored the Henry Hudson's last mission in 1610 to find the Northwest Passage, eponym of Cape Wolstenholme, Quebec, Canada. He hailed from "an old Derbyshire family, was the second son of John Wolstenholme, who came to London in the reign of Edward VI and obtained a post in the customs. The son at an early age became one of the richest merchants in London, and during the last half of his life took a prominent part in the extension of English commerce, in colonisation, and...
Another 132 words (9 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wolstanholm Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Wolstanholm family

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: John Wolstenholme arrived in Pennsylvania in 1865.

The Wolstanholm 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: In ardua virtus
Motto Translation: Virtue against difficulties.