Wesham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Wesham family

The surname Wesham was first found in Lancashire at Medlar with Wesham, a township, in the parish of Kirkham, union of the Fylde, hundred of Amounderness.

"This place is stated to have come to the Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem by the gift of Cicely, daughter of Roger de Gernet; the Lancasters subsequently gave it to the abbey of Cockersand. On the dissolution of monasteries, the land seems to have been granted or sold to the family of Westby; in the reign of Philip and Mary, William Westbye held 'Medlarghe,' 'Wessham,' and other property in this quarter, and his descendants long continued to reside at Mowbrick Hall, now a farmhouse. " 1

Roger de Wesham or Weseham (d. 1257), "Bishop of Lichfield, may have derived his name from Wesham, near Kirkham, in the Fylde, Lancashire, or from Weasenham, near Fakenham in Norfolk. " 2

Early History of the Wesham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wesham research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Wesham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wesham Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Wesham, Wesenham, Wesnham and others.

Early Notables of the Wesham family

the Wesham family of Norfolk

Migration of the Wesham family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..

Sources +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print