Wullworthy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Wullworthy is one of the many names that the Normans brought with them when they conquered England in 1066. The Wullworthy family lived in Surrey, at Walworth, a hamlet, in the parish and union of St. Mary, Newington, two miles from London. 1 Now part of Greater London, Walworth dates back to Saxon times, where in 1001 it was listed as Wealawryth. By the time of the Domesday Book of 1086, it was known as Waleorde. 2 The place name literally means "enclosure of the Britons." 3 But another source claims the name meant "Welshman's farm." 4

Walworth, a township, in the parish of Heighington, union of Darlington in Durham 1 is another possible origin of the family. 5

Early Origins of the Wullworthy family

The surname Wullworthy was first found in Surrey where they were Lords of the manor of Walworth from early times. At the time of the taking of the Domesday Book survey in 1086, Walworth was held by Baynard from the Archbishop of Canterbury, and conjecturally the Walworths are descended from this Baynard a Norman noble. 2

One of the first entries of the family in public rolls was John de Walworth who was listed in London in 1340. Later in Yorkshire, John de Walleworth was found in the Feet of Fines for 1375. Back in London, we found Richard Walleworth in the Assize Rolls of 1400. 5

Sir William Walworth (d. 1385) was Lord May of London and "was descended of good family. A William de Walworth, who may have been his father, was the grantee of land in Darlington in 1314. Sir William himself succeeded a member of the ancient family of Bart, Bard, or Baard, in the tenure of a manor which included the parish of Middleton St. George, near Darlington in Durham." 6

Early History of the Wullworthy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wullworthy research. Another 72 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1373, 1374, 1375, 1380, 1381, 1385, 1592 and 1750 are included under the topic Early Wullworthy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wullworthy Spelling Variations

Anglo-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 Wallworth, Wallworthe, Walworth, Walworthe, Woolworth, Woolworthe, Wolworth, Wolworthe, Walwork, Walworke, Wallwork and many more.

Early Notables of the Wullworthy family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir William Walworth (died 1385), the English nobleman and politician who was twice Lord Mayor of London (1374-1375 and 1380-1381). He is best known for killing Wat Tyler during the Peasants' Revolt in 1381. His family came from Durham. He worked for a time in the Customs House under Geoffrey Chaucer. In his second term of office as Lord Mayor...
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wullworthy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Wullworthy family

Because 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 Wullworthy name or one of its variants: Hugh Walworth, aged 45; who settled in Maryland in 1774; James Walwork settled there in 1755.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print