WALLIN FAMILY HISTORY

This page is dedicated to the history of the branch of the Wallin family from the area of Thatcham in Berkshire.

The Wallin name is a relatively unusual one, and along with the variant Walling may have a number of separate origins. By 1881 there were concentrations of the name in Northumberland, Devon (mostly Walling), and the Berkshire / Oxfordshire area, and it may be that these each derive from separate Walling based placename elements. Another possibility, particularly for the Home Counties area, is that some branches of the name derived from Wallon, a name recorded in the records of the London Huguenots. 

The Wallin family was established in the area of Berkshire around Newbury and Thatcham by at least the end of the 16th century, and continued to flourish locally until at least the 19th century. Edward Wallin 'of Bucklebury' married Mary Edlin there in 1759, before moving to Midgham where the family lived until the mid-19th century, after which most of the male line migrated to North Yorkshire. Edward's parentage is not established beyond doubt, but it seems likely that he was the son of John Walling (Blacksmith) of Cold Ash in the parish of Thatcham, whose will (dated 21st August 1754) bequeaths £5 to his son Edward. Research to date in the registers of Thatcham and Bucklebury has failed to provide additional evidence for this link, but has also failed to highlight any alternative origins. An outline of John's descendant tree and the connections of related researchers is attached. Most of the male line were blacksmiths.

Anyone interested in further details of this branch of the Wallin family, or who is able to provide additional details relevant to this branch, is invited to contact the coordinator for this page Ian Hall.

This page was last updated 16 May 2007