The name Wilardstum was brought to
England in the wave of migration that followed the
Norman Conquest of 1066. Wilardstum is based on 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 Wilardstum family
The surname Wilardstum 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 Wilardstum family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wilardstum 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 Wilardstum History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Wilardstum 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 Wilardstum were recorded, including Willard, Wilard, Viliard, Villiard, Wielard, Willardby, Willardsey, Willardsham, Willardstone and many more.
Early Notables of the Wilardstum 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 Wilardstum Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Wilardstum 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 Wilardstum arrived in North America very early: 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.