Wilardstombe is an ancient Norman name that arrived in
England after the
Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Wilardstombe comes from the Norman given name
Willard. This name is derived from the Germanic roots
will, meaning
desire, and
heard, meaning
strong or hard. [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8) Early Origins of the Wilardstombe family
The surname Wilardstombe was first found in east
Kent and
Sussex where they were Lords of the Manor of Eastbourne. The family were originally named Villiard, or Guillarrt, and were from Caen in
Normandy in pre Conquest times.
[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X) In the
Domesday Book they are recorded variously as Wielardus, Wilardus, and Wlward.
[3]CITATION[CLOSE]
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8) [4]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print. Further speculation on the origin of this distinguished family name of the U.S.A., can be deduced from the Willard Memoir by Joseph Willard published in Boston Mass. in 1858.
[4]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print. Woollard is a small village on the River Chew in the Chew Valley in East
Somerset. Some of the first records of the name include: Wihelardus de Trophil who was listed in the History of
Northumberland in 1168 and Wilard de Pikeeden who was listed in the same source in 1227. The
Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list Emayn Wylard. William Willarde was listed in
Kent in 1602 and Nicholas Willard from
Kent married Jane Coumber at Canterbury in 1690.
[5]CITATION[CLOSE]
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Early History of the Wilardstombe family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wilardstombe research.
Another 223 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1617, 1630, 1634, 1605, 1676, 1634, 1643, 1672, 1692, 1692, 1640, 1707 and 1701 are included under the topic Early Wilardstombe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Wilardstombe 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 Willard, Wilard, Viliard, Villiard, Wielard, Willardby, Willardsey, Willardsham, Willardstone and many more.
Early Notables of the Wilardstombe family (pre 1700)
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Simon Willard (1605-1676), English settler to Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1634, he was one of the thirteen heads of families in Concord that signed Reverend Peter Bulkeley's 1643 petition to Governor John Endecott in support of Ambrose Martin...
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wilardstombe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Wilardstombe family to the New World and Oceana
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 Wilardstombe or a variant listed above: in addition to Simon, aforementioned, Mary his wife; Jo Willard settled in St. Christopher in 1635; George Willard settled in New
England in 1635; Richard Willard in Virginia in 1654.