Wadterhouse History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestors of the Wadterhouse family brought their name to England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Lincolnshire, at Waterhouse. This place-name indicates that the original bearer lived in a house located near a body of water. 1 2

Early Origins of the Wadterhouse family

The surname Wadterhouse was first found in Lincolnshire where Guy de Craon held the lands of Kirton from Count Alan at the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066. His successor was known as Ab Aquae Domo or Sir Gilbert Waterhouse. 3

"The source of the name of Waterhouse is a little doubtful. Waterhouses is the name of a place in the neighbouring county of Stafford, and of a village in the county of Durham. De Watenhou was a Nottinghamshire family name in the 13th century. An ancient Lincolnshire family of Waterhouse traced their descent from Sir Gilbert Waterhouse, of Kirton, in the reign of Henry III.. 3 Another ancient family of Waterhouse lived at Halifax in the West Riding; a branch, to which belonged the vicar of Bradford in the middle of the 17th century, was located at Tooting, Surrey, in the time of James I. 4

One of the first records in early rolls was Adam de Waterhous who was listed in Yorkshire in 1308. 5

Early History of the Wadterhouse family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wadterhouse research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1535, 1582, 1588, 1591, 1602, 1619 and 1670 are included under the topic Early Wadterhouse History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wadterhouse Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Wadterhouse were recorded, including Watehouse, Waterhouse and others.

Early Notables of the Wadterhouse family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Edward Waterhouse (1535-1591), Chancellor of the Exchequer in Ireland. He was born at Helmstedbury, Hertfordshire and the youngest son of John Waterhouse of Whitechurch, Buckinghamshire, and Margaret, daughter of Henry Turner of Blunt's Hall in Suffolk. "His father was sometime auditor to Henry VIII, and a family tradition relates that the king, one day visiting him, 'gave a Benjamin's portion of dignation to this Edward, foretelling by his royal augury that he would be the crown of them all, and a man of great honour and wisdom, fit for the service of...
Another 142 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wadterhouse Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Wadterhouse family to Ireland

Some of the Wadterhouse family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Wadterhouse family

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Wadterhouse arrived in North America very early: Joe Waterhouse who settled in Virginia in 1622; Samuel Waterhouse settled in Virginia in 1642; William Waterhouse settled in Virginia in 1654; John Waterhouse settled in Philadelphia in 1820.

The Wadterhouse 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: Veritas vincit omnia
Motto Translation: Truth Conquers All.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)