Waltham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Early Origins of the Waltham family
The surname Waltham was first found in Leicestershire. "The name Waltham is compounded of the Saxon words Weald and Ham, signifying a residence in or near a wood. The town derived its origin, in the time of Canute the Great, from the facility and inducement for hunting afforded by the neighbourhood, which led Ralph de Toni, standard-bearer to that monarch, to build a few houses. Within the choir [of the local abbey], or eastern chapel, was entombed the body of Harold, who was slain in the battle of Hastings; with the bodies of his brothers Gurth and Leofwin. " 1
The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066, but Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first formally referenced in the year 1119 when John de Waltham held estates in Colchester in Essex. 2
John de Waltham (d. 1395) was Bishop of Salisbury and Treasurer of England, born at Waltham, near Grimsby, Lincolnshire. "He was the son of John and Margaret Waltham, whose tomb still exists in the church of Waltham, bearing an inscription quoted in the 'Archæological Journal' " 3
Early History of the Waltham family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Waltham research. Another 176 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1067, 1094, 1119, 1388, 1395, 1455, 1487, 1660 and 1668 are included under the topic Early Waltham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Waltham Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Waltham, Whaltham, Watham, Whatham, Wotham and many more.
Early Notables of the Waltham family
Distinguished members of the family include
- John Waltham (or John de Waltham), (died 1395) Bishop of Salisbury was Lord High Treasurer and Lord Privy Seal of England (1388-1395)
Waltham migration to the United States +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Waltham Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- John Waltham, aged 21, who landed in America, in 1894
- Miss M. Waltham, aged 24, who immigrated to the United States from Liverpool, England in 1894
- Mrs. E. Waltham, aged 49, who settled in America from Liverpool, England in 1894
Waltham Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- William Waltham, aged 22, who landed in America from Taunton, in 1900
- Elizabeth Waltham, aged 45, who immigrated to the United States, in 1904
- Thomas W. Waltham, aged 23, who landed in America, in 1920
- George R. Waltham, who settled in America from Hull, England, in 1920
- Frank Waltham, aged 16, who landed in America, in 1921
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Waltham migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Waltham Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Mr. James Waltham, British convict who was convicted in Boston, Lincolnshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Calcutta" in February 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4
- William Waltham, English convict from Southampton, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on July 29th, 1823, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 5
- Mr. Henry Waltham, British Convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 12th March 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 6
Contemporary Notables of the name Waltham (post 1700) +
- J. Waltham, American actor who appeared in 25 films between 1909 and 1913
- Martin Waltham Bates (1786-1869), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Delaware State House of Representatives, 1826; Delegate to Delaware State Constitutional Convention, 1852; U.S. Senator from Delaware, 1857-59
Citations +
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/calcutta
- State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1823 with 151 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1823
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th December 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden