Whillans
One-Name Study

Topics

• About the Whillans One-Name Study
• Variants
• Origin of the surname
• Historical occurrences
• Frequency of the name
• Distribution of the name
• Data
• DNA project
• Links
• Contact Details

About the Whillans One-Name Study

The Whillans One-Name Study commenced seriously in 1983 and has concentrated on using parish and census records to link all those surnamed as or descended from Whillans to the family of James Whillans born in Roxburghshire Scotland during 1688 - to date, over 3,370 persons have been identified as his descendants. This research has been founded upon 'The Chronological Table of the Whillans Family of Jedwater, Parish of Southdean Roxburghshire Scotland', compiled over 180 years ago during August 1823 by William Whillans of London Ontario.

In 1997, this study extended to its homonyms. Since then, as one example, five groups of Wealleans (numbering 390, 620, 250, 90, and 280 descendants) have been compiled, and work continues to link these together.

Variants

Several homonyms for the Whillans surname exist, with the principal of these being Wealleans, Whellans, Whillance, Whillas, Willans - it is claimed that these different spellings occur due to different regional and temporal influences on how the name was heard and recorded by ministers. With the considerable support from other genealogists, research on some of these has been well progressed, eg Whillas from Berwickshire, and Wealleans/Wheallens/Whellens from Northumberland. The surname Williams, though a very common misspelling of Whillans, is unconnected. DNA data indicate no connection with Willing nor Whalen surnames. In contrast, there is mounting evidence that Wealleans and Whillans are strongly related.

Origin of the surname

Considerable discussion on the Whillans surname's origin has occurred via the Whillans Rootsweb List, with no definite resolution. One hypothesis has argued that the last part of our surname 'lands' is quite obvious, with the first part arising from the Anglo-Saxon word for spring water 'Quelle'. Therefore the 'spring-lands' emerging near the headwaters of the Liddel River within Castleton parish has led us to the present day surname Whillans. The Whillans were, it is argued, the people who farmed those holdings called the Wheel Lands in the early 1600s.

Another more ancient but not incompatible hypothesis is that the name had originally been of Welsh origin from the Anglo-Saxon Wealleas, but it had moved to Antrim Ireland soon after the Anglo-Norman invasion. The clan lost the greater part of its Irish lands at the close of the 16th century to the MacDonalds/MacDonnells, who scattered our numbers initially to the opposite shores of Argyllshire in Scotland, and eventually south, mostly to Roxburghshire Scotland and Northumberland England.

Historical occurrences

The Whillans surname has been located in written records as early as 1622 in Coldingham Berwickshire Scotland, when a James Quhillans was a witness at a granting of legal possession of feudal property ('Qu' = 'W' in old Scotland).

Whillans forebears:

• Don Desbrow Whillans (English mountaineer): Whillans Hut (UK), Whillans Harness.
• Ken Gilmour Whillans (Brampton Ontario mayor): Ken Whillans Square, Whillans Lake (both in Ontario).
• Ian Morley Whillans (Antarctic glaciologist): Mount Whillans, Whillans Ice Stream, Lake Whillans (all Antarctica).

The earliest Wealleans progenitor from the five groups mentioned above was born during the 1630s. Many of his descendants lived in Flotterton House at Harbottle Peels of Northumberland overseeing their very significant land & stock properties.

Frequency of the name

The surname Whillans originally was most frequent in Roxburghshire, while Whillas was most frequent in Berwickshire (to its north-east), and Wealleans in Northumberland (to its south).

Distribution of the name

Both the use of telephone books in 1983 and the International Genealogical Index placed the main concentration of the Whillans surname within Roxburghshire Scotland, especially in or near Hawick & Jedburgh. After the substantial emigrations during the 19th century, many were to be found in Vancouver British Columbia Canada and Brisbane Queensland Australia.

The Inaugural Whillans Family Reunion, pictured above, was held over 15-16th August 1998 in New South Wales Australia, to celebrate the birthdays of Jessie Putland nee Whillans (95yo, b12aug1903), Eric Whillans (90yo, b14aug1908), and Anne Crockett nee Whillans (60yo, b14aug1938). Jessie Roesler nee Whillans (75yo, b09aug1923), in attendance, remarkably escaped our attention. Mark Augustine Whillans (28yo) met his seventh cousin Mark Alexander Whillans (30yo), and Teresa Whillans (27yo) met her seventh cousin Kylie Whillans (25yo).

Data

Frank Whillans collects all references to the surname and its homonyms up to the present day and maintains his data using Microsoft Word. Extracts can be provided as soft copy to those with a genuine genealogical interest in these surnames. Frank manages both the Whillans/Wealleans Rootsweb List and the Whillans Family Tree DNA Project, and also produces an annual newsletter.

DNA project

A DNA study commenced during 2007 in order to determine whether the names Whillans, Wealleans, and other homonyms (Wealens, Wheallens, Wheelens, Whellens, Whillance, Whillas, Willans), are really the ‘same’ as hypothesised, that is, only differing due to the spellings used by different ministers in different counties.

The study to date shows a very strong match between the limited number of Whillans, Whellens, and Wealleans participants; the results can be viewed via http://www.familytreedna.com/public/Whillans/default.aspx?section=yresults.

These results do not support the literature which indicates that Whillans was once a sept of (and presumably intermarried with) the MacDonald clan. Likewise, testing has so far shown no link with the surname Willing (see http://www.familytreedna.com/public/Willing/default.aspx?section=yresults) nor with the surname Whalen (see http://www.familytreedna.com/public/Whalen/default.aspx?section=yresults).

If you are a male with one of the above homonyms or one very similar, you can greatly assist our project by taking a simple and painless Y-DNA test involving simple swabbing inside your cheek. The Y-DNA37, a 37-marker paternal test, is the test recommended. Because this is a group study (under the auspices of GOONS and Family Tree DNA), the cost (2010) is US$149, excluding the $4 for postage.

• To request a Y-DNA test, look up: http://www.familytreedna.com/surname_join.aspx?code=J25427
• To additionally get the preamble to your request, look up: https://www.familytreedna.com/surname_join.aspx?code=J25427&special=True&projecttype=S

Links

• The archive to the Whillans/Wealleans Rootsweb List may be accessed via http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/whillans/.
• Potential contributors to the Whillans/Wealleans Rootsweb List may subscribe at no cost by sending an email to <whillans-request@rootsweb.com> with the single word 'subscribe' in the title and the text, and no signature. All homonyms are open for discussion.

Contact details

For further information, contact:

Dr Frank Whillans
47 The Righi,
Eaglemont,
Melbourne,
Victoria
3084
Australia
E-mail:

This page last updated 13 April 2010.

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Profiles of other one-name studies registered with the Guild may be found here.