Whilldand History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Whilldand was carried to England in the enormous movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Whilldand family lived in Lancashire, at the manor of Wheelton. Other records show "Great and Little Weldon are parishes in co. Northampton" 1 and "Weldon, [having] two parishes in the Diocese of Peterborough, Norfolk." 2

Early Origins of the Whilldand family

The surname Whilldand 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." 3

The earliest 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." 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed: Geoffrey de Weldone, Huntingdonshire; Lucas de Weldon, Lincolnshire; and Hugh de Weledon, Lincolnshire. 2

"The Whieldons or Wheeldons of Staffordshire are mostly gathered together in the district of Stoke-on-Trent. Francis Wheeldon, gent., was an opulent farmer of Hounhill, Hanbury, in the latter half of last century. " 5

Early History of the Whilldand family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Whilldand research. Another 134 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1596, 1600, 1787 and 1839 are included under the topic Early Whilldand History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Whilldand Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Whieldon, Wheeldon, Wheelton, Whielton, Weelton, Weeldon, Wieldon, Weildon, Weilton, Wheildon, Whilldon, Whildon, Whilden and many more.

Early Notables of the Whilldand family

More information is included under the topic Early Whilldand Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Whilldand family

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Whilldand or a variant listed above: W. Whilldin, who sailed to New York in 1824.

The Whilldand 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.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.