Show ContentsWightwick History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Wightwick is a name whose history on English soil dates back to the wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of England of 1066. The Wightwick family lived in Staffordshire, at the manor of Westewike. Today, Wightwick is a part of Tettenhall Wightwick ward in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England. It is so named after an ancient local family the "de Wightwicks". Of note is Wightwick Manor, a Victorian manor house now owned by the National Trust.

Early Origins of the Wightwick family

The surname Wightwick was first found in Staffordshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Westewike, in the Lordship of Tettenhall. The family originated in Wightwick, "a hamlet in Staffordshire, where this ancient family resided. " [1]

The family also anciently had branches in Surrey, Berkshire and Coventry. The first on record was William de Wictewike who lived about in 1260, but the name is recorded in the Domesday Book. [2]

Today Wightwick Manor is a Victorian manor house located in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, built in the 19th century and includes original Morris wallpapers and fabrics, De Morgan tiles, Kempe glass and has beautiful gardens and stables.

Early History of the Wightwick family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wightwick research. Another 90 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1420, 1594, 1659, 1692 and 1829 are included under the topic Early Wightwick History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wightwick Spelling Variations

A 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 Wyghtwiche, Wightwycke, Wightwick, Whitewick, Whytewick, Writewick, Wytewick, Writewyck, Witewyck, Westwick, Westick, Wightick, Westwicke, Westwyck and many more.

Early Notables of the Wightwick family

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


United States Wightwick migration to the United States +

Many 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 Wightwick or a variant listed above:

Wightwick Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Edward Arthur Wightwick, aged 43, who settled in America from Surrey, in 1905
  • Fallon Percy Wightwick, aged 48, who immigrated to the United States from London, in 1906
  • William Jeffery Wightwick, aged 37, who landed in America from England, in 1918
  • John Manning Wightwick, aged 20, who immigrated to the United States from Liverpool, England, in 1921
  • Fred Wightwick, aged 18, who immigrated to America, in 1923
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Wightwick migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Wightwick Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • John Wightwick, English convict from Staffordshire, who was transported aboard the "Arab" on July 3, 1822, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia [3]
  • Mr. Walter Wightwick, (Wrightwick, Whittick, Wittick), (b. 1804), aged 18, English labourer who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for life for burglary, transported aboard the "Caledonia" in 19th June 1822, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1870 [4]

Contemporary Notables of the name Wightwick (post 1700) +

  • Charles Christopher Brooke Wightwick MA, English Headmaster, King's College School, Wimbledon, Wimbledon Common, London, England
  • George Wightwick (1802-1872), Welsh architect who some claim was the first architectural journalist, son of William Wightwick (d. 1811) by his wife Anna Maria (1779–1864) [5]
  • George Wightwick Rendel (1833-1902), British engineer, and naval architect


The Wightwick 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: Aut viam inveniam aut faciam
Motto Translation: I will either find a road or make one.


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Arab voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1822 with 155 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/arab/1822
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/caledonia
  5. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 31 Jan. 2019


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