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Witchard Family Heritage

Family Coat of Arms

Blazon if Arms:

Argent, three passion nails in point distilling drops of blood gules.

Crest:

An eagle displayed sable, armed and membered gules, wounded with

an arrow shot through the body proper.

Motto: Mercy is my desire.

Witchard

Origin: Scottish

First found in Stirlingshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

The first recollection of WITCHARD family history dates back to the time of George Wishart who was the first Bishop of Edinburgh after the Restoration, and private chaplain and biographer to the Marquess of Montrose. The writer of the inscription on his tomb believed his name to mean ' Wise Heart ' and the surname Witchard is derived from the same root, denoting the nickname origin, referring to someone who was "Prudent, Sagacious" The Scots surname Wishart, derived from the Old French 'Guischard or Wischard' had more than thirty three variant spellings including Witchard, which was the first recorded about the year 1490.

William Wischard witnessed a grant of the Mill belonging to the Abbey of Cambuskenneth about the year 1200, and John Wischard, witness in 1245 was present at the perambulation of bounds of Conon and Culloch in 1254. William Wischard was a Culdee of St Andrews in 1250 and Adam Wiscard had a charter of the land of Kenny Murchardyn in 1279. John Wychard of the Miernes rendered homage in 1296, and Andrew Wycchard of Scotland was recorded as a prisoner of war in Hereford Castle in the period of 1305 - 1307. Johnett Wischart from Aberdeen was burned for witchcraft in 1596 and among the Scots Guards in France the name was recorded as Oulchart.

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Patrick Wishart settled in Virginia in 1656; Alexander Wishart settled in the Barbados in 1745; James, Margaret, Mary, Robert, Ruth, Wishart all arrived in Philadelphia between 1750 and 1811.

Anyone that has additional family information, re: heroic deeds, accomplishments, Individual information on people and most of all, photographs,

please send them in to the Web Master by email bear in mind

the photo's sent by email attachment are best sent as a 'jpg' file.

Family Information Submit Form

Our main aim at present is to trace any information on the origins of Charles Witchard of Ozleworth Gloucestershire England who was reported to have been born in the year 1787.

So far most relatives in Australia can only supply a birth year, maybe there is someone amongst us who has some tid bit of information that we can expand on.
Since last updating the web site we have learned from family sources in the UK of the details of the parents of Charles Witchard