Wilson Coat of Arms, Family Crest and Wilson Family History

Wilson Family History

The Wilson ancient family history was found in the irishsurnames.com archives. Wilson is a baptismal name meaning 'son of William', a very old Norman personal name. Variations include Willson and Wilsone. This name is of Anglo-Saxon descent spreading to the Celtic countries of Ireland, Scotland and Wales in early times and is found in many mediaeval manuscripts throughout the above islands. Examples of such are a Adam Wyllson, and a Thomas Willson, who were recorded in the 'Poll Tax' of the West Riding of Yorkshire, England, in the year 1379 and an Edward Wilson who was registered in the University of Oxford in the year 1604. John Wilson was a merchant in the service of Mountgomery, Scotland, in the year 1405 and a John Wilson was Burgess of Berwick, Scotland in the year 1467. The majority of Irish Wilsons are from the Province of Ulster, having been introduced from England and Scotland with the Plantation.The Wilson family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of arms, including Wilson descendants.