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![Show Contents]() Wichington History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Wichington reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Wichington family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Wichington 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 Wichington familyThe surname Wichington 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 Wichington familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wichington 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 Wichington History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Wichington Spelling VariationsAnglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Washington, Washingtone and others. Early Notables of the Wichington familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was 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
Reverend Lawrence Washington (1602-1653), was an English rector, and the great-great-grandfather of George Washington.
John Washington (c. 1631-1677), an English Virginia planter and politician from...
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wichington Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Wichington family to Ireland
Some of the Wichington 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 Wichington familyBecause of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Wichington name or one of its variants: 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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England
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