| ![Show Contents]() Wessington History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of WessingtonWhat does the name Wessington mean? The name Wessington arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Wessington family lived in Lancashire, at Washington. The name of this village derives from the Old English word wassingatun, meaning a settlement of the people of Wassa, a personal name which combines Old English elements meaning hunt and victory. Early Origins of the Wessington familyThe surname Wessington was first found in Durham at Washington, a parish, in the union of Chesterle-Street, E. division of Chester ward. It is said that from this parish rose the stock that George Washington, the American patriot claims descent. 1 2 There is another parish named Washington in Sussex. Early History of the Wessington familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wessington research. Another 120 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1451, 1602, 1631, 1653, 1659, 1677, 1694, 1698 and 1743 are included under the topic Early Wessington History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Wessington Spelling VariationsA multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Washington, Washingtone and others. Early Notables of the Wessington family- John Wessington (d. 1451), Prior of Durham, "was possibly born at, and took his name from, a village in the county of Durham, now known as Washington. " 3
Migration of the Wessington family to IrelandSome of the Wessington 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 Wessington familyMany English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Wessington or a variant listed above: Richard Washington settled in Virginia in 1639; John and Lawrence Washington settled in Boston, Massachusetts in 1657; Thomas Washington settled in Barbados in 1670.
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- 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
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