Welcome to the "W" SURNAME GENEALOGY Books

The Family of Samuel W. Wallace - Robert E. Wallace. A product of an extremely hearty family (his father lived to be 87, his grandfather 87, and his great-grandfather 88), Samuel W. Wallace (1795-1886) himself lived to be 91. The genealogy traces 1673 descendants of this singular man, with information on his sibling's families and additional information on the Kirby, Hodges and Davis families. The book is jammed with extracts from documents that support the suppositions, and the author has avoided any questionable data. 1994, rev. ed., 236 pp., 8.5x11, illus., maps, index, paper, $32.00 #ZW048

Our Maryland Heritage, Book Fifteen: Warfield Families - William Neal Hurley. This work is fifteenth in a series about Maryland families. The progenitor of the Warfield line in Maryland is identified as Londoner Richard Warfield (b.1646), an indentured servant who arrived in Annapolis in 1659. The descendents of Richard are traced through the families of two of his sons, John (b.1673) and Richard, Jr. (b. circa 1677). A complete bibliography follows the text as well as a fullname index. An essential resource for researching your Warfield ancestors. 1999, 202 pp., fullname index, paper, $21.50 #ZH873

The Ancestry of NMayor Harold Washington (1922-1987) - Curtis G. Brasfield. 1993, 113 pp, bibl, fullname index, paper $20.00 #B607

The House of Wemyss: A Thousand Year History - Sir John Wemyss-Kessler. This comprehensive genealogical history of the Wemyss/Weems family in Scotland and the United States is the first such book written in the 20th century. Divided into five sections, the book opens with an account of Duncan (c.1001-1040), the famous Scottish king, follows the royal line to Michael of Methil (c.1165-1214), the recognized patriarch of all Wemyss descendants, and continues through David Wemyss of Wemyss (c.1535-1597). The next section continues the Wemyss of Wemyss line, following it from 1600 to the present. The third section records a second Wemyss line, which is known as the Baronetcy because Sir James Wemyss of Bogie, from whom it descends, held the titles of third Baronet of Wemyss and first Baronet of Bogie. It is from this line that most of the Weems families in America can trace their descent. Three of Sir James' children - Williamina, David and James - emigrated from Scotland to Maryland in the 18th century, and many of their descendants now live in Texas, Illinois and elsewhere in America. The fourth section covers yet another line, known as the Earldom, which broke from the Wemyss of Wemyss line after a bitter dispute in the early 18th century. This new line was also known as the Wemyss-Charteris family. The last section is a brief, narrative history of a de Weymes branch of the family that settled in Venice. The author includes a number of simplified genealogical charts which help the reader keep track of all the individuals discussed in the anecdote-filled text. Many other, smaller branches of the family and lines of descent are recognized and discussed. The author strives to give well-reasoned explanations of his conclusions wherever documentary proof is lacking. A bibliography is included. 1996, 164 pp., 8.5x11, bibl., paper, $31.50 #ZW159

Genealogy and Family History of the William Nelson West (1775-1846) Family - Karen West Scott. This book covers the genealogy and family history of William Nelson West (1775-1846) and Asley Rogers (1785-1862). Information spans four generations. Around 100 photos and numerous family narratives are also included to enhance the book. Two appendices are included. The first one is a list of cemeteries and the second is a list of those family members who served in the military. 1998, 433 pp., illus., append., bibl., surname index, paper, $44.50 #S160

CD-ROM - Westmoreland ne Neville, 3rd Revision by Olin V. Mapes. 1999, 389 pp $25.00 #5061

White Families - William Neal Hurley. 1999, 304 pp, bibl, illus, fullname index, paper $28.00 #HW55

A. F. Carl Wiese Descendants - O'Levia Neil Wilson Wiese. 1979 reprint, 122 pp, illus, maps, fullname index, paper $45.50 #WIES

Willett House Collection - Albert J. Willett. 1998, 454 pp, illus. fullname index, cloth #37.00 #W343

The Willis Family of the Northern Neck in Virginia 1669-1737 - Peggy Frances Ruth, 1998, 205 pp, bible, fullname index, paper $19.00 #R873

Winkley Family: English Origin of Capt. Samuel Winkley & Some New England Descendants - William Haslet Jones. Capt. Samuel Winkley, mariner, was the earliest Winkley ancestor to settle in New England. Previous researchers have stated that this man came from Lancashire, England, but have offered no proof. The author has found the 1660 baptism of Samuel Winkley and additional evidence to confirm that Samuel Winkley definitely came from Devon, England. In fact, the name of Winkley in Devon can be traced back as early as 1219. Part One of this work covers the Winkley family in England, 1543 to 1700, and includes information on the related Clarke and Headon families. Appendices include transcripts from parish registers, churchwardens' accounts, county and other records. Part Two of this work covers the Winkley family in New England, 1680 to 1900, for a total of eight generations. A list of unknown Winkley names is included, and appendices provide wills and probate records, and war service records. An index of Winkleys and an index of other names round out the work. 1998, 125 pp., maps, illus., append., bibl., fullname index, paper, $16.50 #ZJ550

Descendants of John Witt, the Virginia Immigrant - Robert W. Witt. John Witt was born circa 1645 in Herefordshire, England. Thirteen generations that are descended from this ancient Virginia family are set forth here in an easily readable style. Contains as much known information as possible: birth, death, spouse, children and sometimes additional material. A fullname index includes Witts and all other names. 1998, 195 pp., fullname index, paper, $18.00 #ZW378

Wittry, Witry, Vitry: A Family History - Eugene J. Wittry. This book traces the known members of a family whose documented origin is in Luxembourg in the late 16th century. The family name originates from a Roman villa named Victoriacus which was located in today's Champagne region of France. By the late 17th century the name Victoriacus had evolved into many variations, including Vitry-sur Orne, the name of a town in northern France. This is the immediate origin for the name Vitry or Witry. From these roots, the name has taken on a variety of spellings due to regional influences, in particular the Wittry spelling common to the United States.

The author begins the family tree with Peter Witry, born in Budange, France, circa 1575, and follows those descendants of Peter Witry who carried the Witry name in one of its various spellings. In all this book includes more than 5,000 people, plus indexes and references such as sequence and generation numbers which help the reader find his or her roots. The book also includes a variety of information about individual family members.

The author also specifically examines the family's United States branch. The first members of the Witry family in the United States were Jacob and Magdalena Wittry, who arrived in New York in 1854. It is from this couple that most of the Wittry families in the United States are descended. Jacob Wittry was a direct descendant of the original Peter Witry. The book includes information about some thirty other Wittrys who came to the United States after Jacob and Magdalena.

For each individual, Mr. Wittry lists as much of the following information as possible: the dates and locations of birth and death, the cause of death, the date and location of marriage, information about the marriage, alias(es), occupation(s), title(s), interesting facts, the village or town in which the person lived, the name or number of the house where the person lived, father's name, mother's name and number of children.

The book also contains three appendices. The first is an index of wives' names, which can assist in locating a specific Wittry or Witry contained within the book. The second is descended from Alfred Vitry, whose origins lie in France, appendix is a study of the Louisiana Vitry family. This family circa 1854, and may or may not be a branch of Peter Witry's family tree. The third appendix is a study of the Kentucky Wittry family. This family is descended from Nicholas-Joseph Wittry, whose origins are believed to be in Alsace-Lorraine circa 1840. The same information is provided for the individual members of this tree as is for those in Mr. Wittry's main text.

Also included is a brief history of Luxembourg and France as the origins of the family, and a description of the life of a typical family in Luxembourg during the 16th through 19th centuries. The book contains as well maps of the region in Luxembourg from which the family originated, including the location of towns important to the family history, plus 20 photos of significant landmarks. 1996, 488 pp., append., bibl., illus., index, maps, paper, $35.50 #ZW377

Descendants of Daniel Wolf, 1732-1807 - Charles C. Wolf. The book covers the ancestry and descendants of Daniel Wolf, the earliest record being his baptism 18 February 1732 in Germany. It traces him to Pennsylvania, then to Maryland where he died in 1807. It is written as a Descending Genealogy, the system used being known as the NGS Quarterly System. It identifies over 3000 descendants in nine generations, with research in depth into the early generations. Source information is well documented for the first four generations. Both male and female lines are included. Information provided for each individual, when known, is date and place of birth, marriage, death and burial, and parents of spouses. 1993, 374 pp., illus., index, paper $31.50 #ZW542

Wright Family Death, Cemetery and Probate Records: Bedford County, Firginia - Robert N. Grant. 1999, 125 pp, fullname indices, paper $24.00 #G607

Wright Family Records: Births in Bedford County, Virginia - Robert N. Grant. 1998, 105 pp, fullname index $20.00 #G605

Wright Family Records: Marriages in Bedford County, Virginia - Robert N. Grant. 1998, 124 pp, fullname index $24.50 #G606

Wright Family Land Records, Bedford County, Virginia - Robert N. Grant. 1999, 168 pp, fullname index, paper $30.50 #G608