Wollker History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The name Wollker is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name was taken on by someone who worked as a fuller, whose job it was to scour and thicken raw cloth by beating it and trampling it in water. The surname Wollker is derived from the Old English word wealcere, which means fuller. "In the North of England, fullers' earth is called 'walker's clay,' and a fulling-mill a 'walk-mill.' In Scotland, to walk, still means to full cloth." 1

This occupation has a long history as "cloth before the introduction of the roller had to be trodden underfoot. In Wyckliffe’s version of the Transfiguration he describes Christ’s raiment as shining so as no 'fullers or walkers of cloth' could whiten." 2

Early Origins of the Wollker family

The surname Wollker was first found in Yorkshire, where they were believed to be descended from a very ancient tribe called the Wealceringas, and the name is considered to be one of the oldest in England. Their early records have been obscured but in the 12th century, they were recorded as landholders in Yorkshire.

"This name is mainly characteristic of the midlands and of the north of England. It is comparatively infrequent in the counties between the Wash and the Thames. It is absent or rare in the southern part of England south of a line joining the mouths of the Thames and the Severn. Its great home in the midlands is in the counties of Derby and Nottinghamshire. In the north it is most frequent in Durham and Yorkshire." 3

One of the first records of the family was Richard le Walkere, recorded in Warwickshire c. 1248. The Assize Rolls of 1260 listed Robert le Walker in 1260. 4 Later, Richard le Walker was rector of the church of St. Elphin, Warrington, Lancashire in 1396. 5

Early History of the Wollker family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wollker research. Another 128 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1248, 1260, 1324, 1361, 1563, 1597, 1599, 1611, 1616, 1618, 1640, 1643, 1658, 1661, 1665, 1673, 1676, 1677, 1688, 1699, 1704, 1725, 1744 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Wollker History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wollker Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Wollker include Walker, Walkere and others.

Early Notables of the Wollker family

Distinguished members of the family include Sir Edward Walker (1611-1677), Garter King of Arms in 1676; Robert Walker (c. 1597-1673), an English merchant and politician who sat in the House of Commons of England (1640-1643) and (1661-1673), a strong Royalist during the English Civil War; Robert Walker (1599-1658), an English portrait painter, notable for his portraits of the "Lord...
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wollker Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Wollker family to Ireland

Some of the Wollker family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 135 words (10 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Wollker family

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: John Walker, Roger Walker, and Isabel Walker, who all immigrated to Virginia in 1623; Augustine Walker, who settled in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1630; James Walker, who arrived in St. Christopher in 1635.

The Wollker 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: Honesta Quam Magna
Motto Translation: How Great are Honourable Deeds.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Baring-Gould S., Family Names and their Story. London: Seeley, Service & Co. Limited, 1913. Print
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
'Townships: Scarisbrick', in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3, ed. William Farrer and J Brownbill (London, 1907), pp. 265-276. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol3/pp265-276 [accessed 21 January 2017].