Wellhop History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Early Origins of the Wellhop family

The surname Wellhop was first found in Hampshire where "the true and original name of this family is Barton - Peter Barton, lord of West Barton, having married Alice, only daughter and heiress of Sir Robert de Wallop, who died in the eleventh year of Edward I." 1

There can be no doubt as to the authenticity of this quote, but one must question Sir Robert de Wallop's heritage, not Peter Barton. For this, we must look back further where the name "Matthew de Wallop, which was the title of one of it's early members, favours the opinion, that the Wallops were settled at Wallop as Saxon manorial lords anterior to the Conquest of England, and that the family name is derived from that places." In fact, "four brothers are mentioned in [the] Domesday [Book] as possessing Wallop, in Hampshire." 2

Early History of the Wellhop family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wellhop research. Another 106 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1228, 1502, 1540, 1551, 1566, 1568, 1581, 1599, 1601, 1616, 1621, 1642, 1660, 1667, 1690, 1697 and 1762 are included under the topic Early Wellhop History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wellhop Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Wallhope, Wallop, Walopp, Walop, Wallopp, Wallope, Wellhope, Welhopp and many more.

Early Notables of the Wellhop family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir John Wallop (d. 1551), English soldier and diplomatist, the son of Stephen Wallop. "The family of Wallop had, according to a pedigree drawn up by Augustine Vincent, been very long settled in Hampshire. They held various manors there, but John Wallop, who lived in the time of Henry VI and Edward IV, having inherited Farleigh, or, as it was afterwards called, Farleigh-Wallop, from his mother, made that the chief residence of his family. A son of this John Wallop, Richard Wallop, was sheriff of Hampshire in 1502, and seems to have died...
Another 132 words (9 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wellhop Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Wellhop family to Ireland

Some of the Wellhop 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 Wellhop family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Wellhop or a variant listed above were: James Wallop who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1749.

The Wellhop 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: En suivant la verite
Motto Translation: By following the truth.

Citations +

Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Stevens, Joseph, A Parochial History of St. Mary Bourne: With an Account of the Manor of Hurstbourne Priors, Hants. London: Whiting & Company, 1888. Print.