The ancestors of the Whildane family brought their name to
England in the wave of migration after the
Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in
Lancashire, at the manor of
Wheelton.Early Origins of the Whildane family
The surname Whildane was first found in
Lancashire at Wheelton, a village and civil parish of the Borough of Chorley which dates back to c. 1160 when it was listed as Weltona. The place name literally means "farmstead with a water-wheel," from the Old English "hweol" + "tun."
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4) The earliste record of the name was fond during the reign of Henry III, or perhaps earlier, where Henry de Quelton granted Sir Adam de Hocton, for the annual rent of one barbed arrow, or four marks, at Michaelmas, all his lands in the town of "Quelton."
[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Early History of the Whildane family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Whildane research.
Another 229 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1787 and 1839 are included under the topic Early Whildane History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Whildane 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 Whildane were recorded, including Whieldon, Wheeldon, Wheelton, Whielton, Weelton, Weeldon, Wieldon, Weildon, Weilton, Wheildon, Whilldon, Whildon, Whilden and many more.
Early Notables of the Whildane family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Whildane Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Whildane family to the New World and Oceana
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 Whildane arrived in North America very early: W. Whilldin, who sailed to New York in 1824.
The Whildane 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: Virtus praestantior auro
Motto Translation: Virtue is more excellent than gold.