correspondent,* "my family is of French origin; it having flourished in opulence in France, immemorially, to the time of the persecutions. Having escaped the dreadful massacres then and there perpetrated, it found safety in Germany, where, for a century and a half, it remained, and intermarried with the natives. Tradition also affirms, that the celebrated Admiral Coligny, an influential leader of those times, was of our house."

In a subsequent letter he says, "I have found it to be the universal and settled belief in all those families with whom I have had intercourse, as well as with those individuals who, as mere acquaintances of my grandfather (Elias Willard), heard him converse upon such topics, that my progenitor, about whom tradition speaks to us, was verily of French extraction, and fled from home and country before the malignant intolerance of that faith which persecuted unto death. There is a story extant concerning him, how he first saw a Bible in an inn, and was enraptured with its contents; how he desired to purchase it, and, failing, tarried there upon his journey several days and nights, meanwhile poring with rapt interest upon its pages; how, at last, he fell under the suspicion of Popish emissaries, and was marked for destruction; that he was even insnared, yet escaped through the secret assistance of friends, and ultimately found safety in Germany. It is impossible to desig nate the period at which these events transpired; but, from all I have heard, I think it probable that it borders on the era memorized by the massacre of St. Bartholomew" [1572].

Passing by this tradition for the present, a similar one may be mentioned as prevailing to some extent among the descendants of the subject of this Memoir, but never as connected with any circumstance of time or place. It is likely to be the same that is held by the Eastbourne family, and entitled to no more regard.

Dr. James Willard, a highly intelligent gentleman, residing in Jefferson, Frederic County. His grandfather, Elias Willard, was born in Germany in 1734, and died in Maryland in 1819.

The fact that England was peopled by many different tribes may render genealogical inquiries more difficult there than on the continent of Western Europe, where the two races that spread over it have always been distinctly marked and separated. Another difficulty, which is insuperable, arises from the entire absence of surnames until about the time of the Conquest. Some few may be found a little earlier, in the time of Edward the Confessor; but none, I think, before his reign. As the most ancient are local, designating residence, not family name, the inquirer finds himself at once at fault. Families have their surnames from places, not places from families: indeed it has been stated, that there is not a town, village, or hamlet, which has not given a name to some family. "Every person possessed of a local name cannot from thence conclude, that his ancestors were either lords or possessors of such a place; but this he may be certain of, that they were either born there, or came originally from it." *

With this fact in view, all that can be done, in the early period before the Norman invasion of England, is to set down Saxon names of places resembling more or less the name of WILLARD, and Saxon names of persons, at a later point of time, bearing the same resemblance. This will

tend to establish a Teutonic instead of a Keltic origin. A recent writer, Mr. McFarlane, in speaking of the Saxons as" a hardy race of men," adds that they "were the fountain source of at least nine-tenths of the blood that flows in the large and generous vein of the English nation." This, indeed, is a broad statement, considering the various races that have successively occupied England, Kimmerian, Keltic, Belgic, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, Danish, and Norman; but it is substantially true. Saxon blood largely predomi

nates.

* Introduction to the Description of Great Britain, edition of 1720, pp. 58-61. † Pictorial History of England, vol. i. p. 365.

SAXON NAMES OF PLACES.

WYLERDSLEY, “P.ōch. Ec. de Wyldersley," Hereford County; or, WILLERSLEY, parish of, hundred of Stretford, county of Hereford, deanery of Weobly; valuation, £3. 6s. 8d. Living, a discharged rectory (that is, discharged from the payment of first-fruits), in the archdeaconry and diocese of Hereford. Valued in K. B. (King's Books), £8. 16s. 8d. Annual valuation, P. R. (Parlia mentary Returns), £33. Ch. ded. (Church dedicated) to St. Mary Magdalen. Patrons, the representatives of the late John Freeman, Esq. GORTON. The latter, "Willersley," according to Johnston, is the reading at the present day.

WILLERSLEY, County of Gloucester, parish in the upper division, hundred of Kiftsgate. Living, a rectory in the archdeaconry and diocese of Gloucester. — GORTON.

WYLLARSEYE, same as preceding. So spelt in "Inquisitiones Nonarum," p. 413; namely, "P.ōch. Ecc. de Wyllarsey, taxat. 10 marks." WYLLARDSEYE. So spelt in Rudge's "History of Gloucester," art. "Willerseye," vol. i. p. 43. The taxation of Pope Nicholas, of the Church of Wyllardseye, A.D. 1291, was £6. 13s. 4d. Ibid. WILLADESBY, York. Calendar of "Inquisitiones post Mortem," vol. i. p. 191.† WILLARDBY, ibid. p. 74 (10 Edw. I.), was one of the feod., appertaining to the manor of Cotingham, York. In vol. iii. p. 55, it is placed "juxta Cotingham." See also vol. iii. pp. 99, 212, 268. The orthography of this name has been changed in modern times. WILLARDEBY, WILLARDESHAM, and WILLArdestone. Ibid. vol. i. pp. 181, 139, 116.

WILLARSTONE, manor in Oxon and Bucks, 56 Hen. III.. Ibid.

p. 39.

WILLARDESBY. Ibid. vol. ii. p. 353.

* Johnston spells it "Willersey."

This "Inquisitio" was a writ brought to ascertain what lands a tenant in capite died seized of; as a tax or relief was due to the king on the death of the tenant, and to be paid before the heir was entitled to livery of seizin of the inherit

ance.

WILLERBY, East Riding, county of York, parish and township, wapentake of Dickering. GORTON.

WILLERBY, York, East Riding; a township, partly in the parish of Cottingham, and partly in that of Kirk Ella, partly in the county of the town of Kingston upon Hull, and partly in Hunsley Beacon. - GORTON.

These last two localities are the same as Willardby, ante. WYLLARDESHOP, in Northumberland, 1214, 15 John. A royal order was issued to the sheriff of Northumberland to deliver to Hugo de Bolebec, "saisinam de t'ra (terra) sua de Wyllardeshop." - Rotuli Litterarum Clausarum [ Close Rolls], p. 150.

SAXON NAMES OF PERSONS.

WLWARD, MARTIN. In 1199, 1 John, at Westminster. Concord between Martin Wlward, tenant, and "Absolone, fil. Apsolonis, petentem" (demandant). - Finales Concordiæ in Curia Domini Regis, vol. i. p. 280; title, "Cambridgeshire" (fragmentary). WLUUARD, MARTIN, and Marjorie his wife, and Ellota Cholle, tenants, and Emma Cholle, demandant of certain lands in Cambridge, viz., half of a messuage, &c. 1207, 8 John, at Westminster. Ibid. p. 316.

WLUARD, WLUUARD. In Domesday Book many of the name are mentioned as holding lands in the time of Edward the Confessor, and afterwards until the time of the survey by the Conqueror. Some of them were thanes or barons in the time of Edward. See list of names in Index, vol. ii. ‡

The "Fine," derived from the civil law, was an amicable suit for the conveyance or transfer of land. After the suit was in court, the parties entered into a composition or concord, which became a matter of record, and was of equal validity with a judgment of court in passing the title from one party to the other.

† In the counties of Gloucester, Kent, Hants, Hereford, Buckingham, Wilts, Dorset, Lincoln, and Essex. At the time of the survey, the name is found in Cornwall and Somerset.

There occur the names Michael Woolward in the reign of Edward I., and John Woolward in the reign of Edward II. — Parliamentary Writs, vol. i. The name Woolard is found, about the year 1700, in Essex. Morant's History of Essex, vol. ii. pp. 71, 85.

WLUARDUS, WLUUARDUS. These names with the Latin termination are found in "Exon Domesday," in the time of William the Conqueror. This is the record preserved at Exeter, containing a description of the counties of Wilts, Dorset, Somerset, Devon, and Cornwall. Sir Henry Ellis expresses the opinion that it was copied from the same rolls from which the first volume of the great Domesday Book was compiled. WYLLARDBIR, THOS. DE, 1214, 15 John. An order was issued by the king to deliver to Thos. de Wyllardbir a certain ship, "cum toto attilio, &c." [i.e., tackle, furniture, apparel, &c.]. — Rotuli Litterarum Clausarum [ Close Rolls], vol. i. p. 148. WILLARDEB., THOMAS DE, and Robert de Waton, merchants. In the year 1200, they paid a fine to the king for the privilege of bringing a suit to recover certain property. The summons for the defendants was delivered to a constable of Hastings, in Sussex. Fine Rolls, p. 47. This was before the Great Charter of King John, which forbade the sale, denial, or delay of justice or right. WILLARDSEY, ROBERT, in 1424. In Dugdale's "Antiquities of Warwickshire,” pp. 464-6, it appears that St. Nicholas' Church is situate in the city of Warwick, on the south side of the river Avon, hundred of Kineton, and county of Warwick. That church was founded a little before or after the Conquest, and at first had three rectors. In 41 Edw. III., it was served by two priests; but, their salaries not being regularly paid by the Collegiate Church, it became, in 22 Rich. II., united thereto. Tideman, the Bishop of Worcester, 15th June, 1401 (2 and 3 Hen. IV.), “ordained a vicarage there, assigning to it an annual rent of sixteen marks, besides oblations."

Robert Willardsey was the first vicar of St. Nicholas, and was presented by the Dean and Chapter of the Collegiate Church in Warwick. The presentation and institution of Willardsey probably took place the same year (1401). Simon Oldenhale succeeded him in 1425. Among the "monumental inscriptions" in the Church of St. Nicholas is the following, viz., on flat stones, the portraiture of a priest in brass; and, under it, —

"Hic jacet Robert Willardsey, prim. (primus) vicari. (vicarius) isti. (istius) ecclesie (a), qui obiit die mens. (mensis) Martii, anno dni. (Domini) mill. (mille) CCCCXXIIII. cujus anime (a) propicietur Deus. Amen."