| ![Show Contents]() Wyvill History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Wyvill was carried to England in the enormous movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Wyvill family lived in Yorkshire, at Wyvill, a parish, in the union of Grantham, wapentake of Loveden. 1 Early Origins of the Wyvill familyThe surname Wyvill was first found in Yorkshire where "this ancient Norman family is said to be descended from Sir Humphry de Wyvill, who lived at the time of the Conquest, and whose descendants were seated at Slingsby in the county." 2 "Sir Humpbrey d'Wyvill, of the family of Vienville of Normandy, was the Norman thus indicated on the Battle Roll. He acquired a fair share of the spoils of conquest, and seated himself in Yorkshire, where his descendants, the Wyvills of Constable Burton, now represented by Marmaduke Wyvill, Esq., remain to this day. A Baronetcy exists in the family, but is not assumed." 3 "This place, at the time of the Conquest, belonged to the Lacy family; and afterwards to the Mowbrays, who had a castle here. The Wyville family, the Knights Templars, and others, held lands under the Mowbrays; and the castle subsequently became the property of the noble family of Hastings, who are supposed to have rebuilt it. William, the great Lord Hastings, was beheaded by Richard III., and was succeeded here by his son Edward, who by will in 1497 directed Slingsby to be sold." 1 Early History of the Wyvill familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wyvill research. Another 106 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1542, 1614, 1617, 1620, 1645, 1648, 1666, 1681, 1684, 1692, 1722, 1740, 1754 and 1774 are included under the topic Early Wyvill History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Wyvill Spelling VariationsMultitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Wyville, Wyfield and others. Early Notables of the Wyvill familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was - the Wyvill Baronetcy, of Constable Burton in the County of York which included: Sir Marmaduke Wyvill, 1st Baronet (c. 1542-1617)
- Sir Marmaduke Wyvill, 2nd Baronet (died c. 1648)
- Sir Christopher Wyvill, 3rd Baronet (1614-1681)
- Sir William Wyvill, 4th Baronet (1645-c. 1684)
- Sir Marmaduke Wyvill, 5th Baronet (c. 1666-1722)
- Sir Marmaduke Wyvill, 6th Baronet (c. 1692-1754)
Migration of the Wyvill family to IrelandSome of the Wyvill family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Wyvill familyBecause of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Wyvill or a variant listed above: Phillip Wiyfield who settled in Virginia in 1660.
| Contemporary Notables of the name Wyvill (post 1700) | + |
- Marmaduke Wyvill (1815-1896), leading English chess master and Liberal Party politician
- Marmaduke Wyvill (1791-1872), English Whig politician, the eldest son of Christopher Wyvill
- Marmaduke D'Arcy Wyvill (1849-1918), British Conservative Party politician
- Shaun Wyvill, Irish former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s
- Rear Admiral Christopher Wyvill (1792-1863), British Naval officer, second son of Christopher Wyvill
- Christopher Wyvill (1740-1822), Scottish advocate of parliamentary reform, born at Edinburgh in 1740, the son of Edward Wyvill (d. 1791), supervisor of excise at Edinburgh
- Geoff Wyvill, Professor of Computer Science at the University of Otago, New Zealand
- Rt. Hon. Wyvill Richard Nicolls "Nick" Raynsford (b. 1945), English politician, Member of the British Parliament for Greenwich from 1992 to 1997
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: Par la volonté de Dieu
Motto Translation: By the will of God.
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
- Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
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