Shropshire Family Trees
Surname recorded as Wallator, Wallater, Wallader, Walader, Walliter but all confirmed as being the Wallator family.
Wallators were recorded as living in various parts of Shropshire, mainly in and around Wenlock Edge, from Church Stretton to Much Wenlock. However, the main families bearing this name seem to have lived in Hughley and Cardington parishes, although others were recorded at Rushbury, Child's Ercall and Eaton-Under Heywood. It seems most likely that they were all part of the same family. However, the earliest record of a Wallator I have found in Shropshire is about 1770. So where were they before then?
The main branches of the Shropshire Wallators whose members lived in Shropshire between about 1767 and 1946 are described below.
HUGHLEY BRANCH
Richard and Maria Wallator (recorded as Wallettor in the 1841 census, Wallatar in the 1851 census, Walater in the 1861 census) married at Dawley Magna Church in Shropshire on 19/6/1823 (recorded as "Walleter"). Witnesses were Thomas Wallater and Sarah Walleter (presumably the same family despite the different spellings recorded!). They were next recorded as living at Wall when their first two sons were baptised at Rushbury in 1824 and 1826. Richard was then a labourer and his surname was recorded as "Wallader" in the Register of Baptisms.
In about 1835 they settled in Hughley at Lower Hill Farm where they took up a tenancy and raised their family. Sadly, Maria died in 1854 (“apparently of brain disease”). Richard farmed at Lower Hill Farm until his death in 1871 (of “chronic rheumatism“). Richard is recorded as being a farmer of 200 acres in the 1851 and 1861 censuses. Richard and Maria and their son James and his wife Jane are all buried in the churchyard at Hughley church.
Their three sons all remained in England, although John moved to Lancashire, Richard moved to Staffordshire - only James remained in Shropshire and his children were the last to bear the Wallator name in the UK with that particular spelling.
Richard and Maria's grandsons Herbert and Edward emigrated to Alberta, Canada, where their descendants still bear the Wallator name. Their other grandson, Ernest (James' only surviving son), also travelled to Canada in 1905, but at some point he moved to the U.S.A. since he died there at the age of 71 years on 3 May 1943 in Eloise, Wayne County, Michigan, where he is buried. Ernest had no children as far as I have been able to determine.
Richard Wallator
b. abt 1800 at High Ercall, d. 1871 at Presthope
= Maria Webster (b. abt 1802 at Shifnal, d. 1854 at Hughley)
m. at Dawley in Jun 1823
Their 8 children:-
John = ? Widowed by 1881
c. 1/8/1824 at Rushbury, d. Haigh. Lancs.?
[3 children: Mary H. (b. 1871, Ruabon), Elizabeth (b. 1872, Wem), Herbert (b.1874, Haigh, Wigan, Lancs., d. 1922 in Canada - Herbert emigrated to Edmonton, Canada with his wife Elizabeth and their first 3 children in 1910)]
Richard = Ellen Trevor
c. 1826 at Rushbury, d. 1906, Madeley, Shrops. aged 81
[2 children: Maria (b. 1863), Edward (b. 1868, d. 1945 in Canada - Edward emigrated to Canada with his wife Elizabeth Lucy and their first son in 1905)]
Mary = John Rogers (Carpenter)
[2 daughters: Eliza (c. 1846 at Hughley) and Matilda (c. 1849)]
Martha = Thomas Jones (Blacksmith)
[2 sons: Alfred Thomas (c. 1859) and Edward (c. 1861 at Hughley)]
Samuel
b. 1833, d. 1843 at Hughley “killed by an accid.”
James (Farmer) = Jane Perks (b. 1844, d. 3/6/1920, Wolverhampton - House servant)
b. 1835 at Wenlock, d. 1910 at Presthope, Much Wenlock
m. 1861?
[4 or 5 children: Alfred James (1863-1864), Louisa Jane (c. 1864), Ada (b. 1868), Matilda (“Judy” b. 1870), Ernest James Richard (b. 1872, went to Canada in 1905, d. 1943 USA)]
Maria(h) = Richard Bullock (Blacksmith and Farmer, Hughley)
b. 1836 at Hughley
m. 5/7/1864 at Hughley
[3 children: John Richard (c. 1865, Hughley), Edward (c. 1867, Hughley) and Sarah Annie Maria (c. 1869, Hughley)]
Unfortunately the following site with more on Richard Bullock and family appears to have been removed http://www.bullocks.org/ukgen/salop/dat2.htm#1.
Matilda = William John Burroughs (b. 1835 - Rope Manufacturer, Ironbridge)
c. 25/10/1839 at Hughley
m. 8/1/1863 at Hughley
CARDINGTON BRANCH
Thomas and Mary Wallator were recorded as residing in the parish of Cardington. They are probably the couple who married at High Ercall on 9/3/1815, listed as Thomas Walliter of the parish of Eaton and Mary Harper. Witnesses were William Fleeming (returning the favour it appears from when Thomas witnessed his marriage to Mary Walliter (a sister?) in 1812) and Hannah Harper.
Given their respective dates of birth (1797 and 1800) and place of residence, and since a Thomas was a witness at Richard and Maria's wedding, it seems likely that Thomas was Richard's (of Hughley) elder brother - although I have not found definitive proof as yet. Thomas was a farmer at the baptism of their first child in 1824. He is recorded as being formerly a farmer in the 1861 census, then living with his second son, William at Lower Day House, Holt Preen.
Thomas Wallator
b. 1797 at Easely Gate (presumed to be Shropshire, but cannot locate), d. 1866, aged 79 at Holly Bush Hall, Church Stretton.
= Mary (b.1790?, d. 1850, aged 60 at Lower Day House, Holt Preen)
m. about 1823?
Their 5 (possibly 6) children:-
Thomas = Elizabeth (b. 1824)
b. 1821, Shropshire
Thomas and Elizabeth lived and worked in Shropshire and appear in the 1861 (Church Stretton), 1871 (Wellington) censuses.
[9 children: Louisa (b. 1853), William (b. 1854), Richard (b. 1856), Mary Ann (b. 1858), Thomas E (b. 1859), George (b. 1861), Elizabeth (b. 1862), Catharine (b. 1864), Fanny (b. 1871)].
Richard/John = ? either died young or emigrated to USA.
c. 27/3/1824 at Cardington, d. ?
William = Ann (b. Easthope, Shropshire abt 1824)
c. 12/12/1826 at Cardington
William and Ann farmed 78 acres at Lower Day house, Holt Preen in the 1861 census.
[4 children: Richard (c. 18/6/1853 at Cardington), Matilda (b. 1854 Cardington), Andrew (b.1855, Cardington), Ann S. (b. 1858 Cardington).
Anne
c. 19/4/1829 at Cardington - almost certainly the "Ann Wallater" recorded as marrying Charles Preen at Cardington Dec 1848 - see also Susan Laflin's Preen family history site http://www.preen.org.uk/ for information about Charles and the Preen family.
Martha
c. 6/3/1831 at Cardington
Martha married John Carter (born 21 Jan 1827), a blacksmith from Enchmarsh on 31 March 1851 in Pontesbury Methodist Chapel.
[9 children: George (d. 1926), John (b. abt 1862, d. 10 Sep 1914 - see https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29149/page/4200/data.pdf), Charles, Richard (b. Apr 1865, Oswestry, d. 1916), Andrew (b. Jul 1869, Oswestry) and Philip (b. Oct 1871, Oswestry, d. 1933) (who all carried the Wallator name as their middle name)].
- George married Ada Pulsford in Jul 1880 at Yarmouth, Norfolk. They had four children, including Tom Pulsford Wallator Carter who emigrated to New Zealand (via Canada) in the early 1900's and served at Gallipoli in 1915 as an ANZAC soldier (see the links page - although his name is misspelt on that website). He married Enid Charlotte Scott and is recorded as living in Auckland, New Zealand until at least 1954. They had three daughters.
- John married Matilda Parry in Jun 1889 at Ellesmere, Shropshire.
- Richard married Jane ? and had a son, Percy John Wallator Carter (b. 1893, Montgomeryshire).
- Andrew married (Lizzie Price) in Oct 1895 at Oswestry and had a son Price (or Pryce) Wallator Carter (b. Jul 1898, Forden, Montgomeryshire, d. 1971, Denbighshire) who was a long time lecturer in Botany at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth (see links.asp).
[Thanks to Stephen Wilson for the basic information about Martha's history and the origins of the Wallator Carters].
Eaton-Under-Heywood
William and Sarah Walliter are recorded as having several children baptised in this parish.
Ann c. 30/6/1790
Margaret c. 29/3/1793
William c. 8/10/1795 - this William appears to be the same one who is recorded as William Wolleter living in Handsworth, Staffordshire in the 1861 Census, birth place recorded as "Heaton, Shropshire" - but there is no Heaton in Shropshire, so most likely a census enumerator error.
Richard c. 11/11/1798
A William Walletor/Wallitor is also reputed to be the father of one bastard child baptised in this parish:
William Walletor c. 24/10/1784 - mother Elizabeth Fewtrell, pauper
and one baptised earlier in Smethcote parish:
Jane c. 4/2/1784 - mother Elizabeth Hughes of Smethcott Common.
Perhaps the same William Walliter who married Sarah?
OTHERS IN SHROPSHIRE
Thomas Wallator - of Hughley parish, b. abt 1767, d. 1840 and buried at Cardington on 1/7/1840 is a possible father of Thomas and Richard listed at Cardington and Hughley, respectively, above. He could also be a brother of William from Eaton-under-Heywood.
Thomas and Martha Walliter of Marchamley had a daughter, Mary, baptised at Hodnet on 27/2/1791. Could this be the same Thomas (b. abt 1767) mentioned above? The daughter Mary is possibly the sister of Thomas (from Cardington). She married William Fleeming on 1/10/1812 at High Ercall and Thomas was a witness (he would have been 15 years old though, if the same Thomas).
John, the son of a Thomas and Martha Walitor was baptised at Child's Ercall on 20/5/1798 and buried on 5/8/1798 (when the surname was recorded as "Waletor"). Perhaps this is again the same Thomas and Martha of Marchamley.
Further details to be added.
Sources:
- Parish registers (for Hughley, Cardington, Rushbury, Child's Ercall), consulted at Shropshire Family History Library, Shrewsbury.
- UK Censuses 1841 - 1911
- Boyd's Marriage Index - Shropshire
Site Last Updated - 25/02/2025 16:30:59
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