HISTORY OF THE WILDISH NAME (Source www.surnamedb.com)

This very unusual and interesting Kentish surname is of Anglo-Saxon pre 7th century origins. It is a topographical surname which originally described one who lived in an area of wooded land, but later the complete opposite! Found in the variant forms of Wildish and Wildash, and at various times recorded as Wyldysh, Wyldish and Weildish, the derivation is directly from the Olde English 'wealdisc', an adjective derivative of 'weald', itself similar to the Old High German 'wald'.

After the extensive clearances of forests in England before the Norman Conquest of 1066, the term 'w(e)ald' came to be used to denote open uplands (wolds) and grazing lands not brought into cultivation. Topographical surnames were among the earliest created, (Hill, Field, Hedge, River, etc) since both natural and man-made features in the landscape provided easily recognizable distinguishing names.

Early examples of the surname recording include Robert de Ladyship in the 1317 Feet of Fines roll for the county of Kent, and John Wealdisshe of the same county in the 1327 pipe rolls. Later recordings from the church registers include the marriage of Allen Wildish and Joan Glorish on November 10th 1583 at Cranbrook, Kent, the christening of Elizabeth, daughter of John Wildish, on April 18th 1607 at St. Mary's, Stoke Newington, London; and the marriage of Anthony Wildash to Sarah Parker, at Rochester, Kent, on December 18th 1750.

The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Weldisse, which was dated 1292, of Wildage Farm, Elham, Kent, during the reign of King Edward 1, known as 'The hammer of the Scots', 1272 - 1307. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Our Wildish family including Spindler, Morrison, Lowndes, Selves, Reitmann, Benton, Upton, Williams & Wenzlick Small numbers by a name refer to personal number in listing eg GEORGE THOMAS ^2 WILDISH ~ see 2 I am also recording my Wildish family on Ancestry.com & WikiTree.com

GENERATION ONE :

1. ~ ~ ~ THOMAS (JOHN) WILDISH was born in London, England. He married EMMA SPINDLER on 26 September 1862 in Rye, Sussex, England. Emma was born about 1841 in Brentwood, Essex, England and was the daughter of RICHARD SPINDLER and MARY JONES.

Children of JOHN WILDISH and EMMA SPINDLER were:

GEORGE THOMAS ² WILDISH, born 23 March 1865, Devon, England

WILLIAM HENRY ³ WILDISH, born 1869.

ELIZA ⁴ WILDISH, born 25 June 1870, Bromley, Middlesex, England.

LAURA LOUISE ⁵ WILDISH, born 1874 in Bromley, Middlesex, England.

On the 1871 Census John and Emma and their children were living in Bromley, London. John died in Kent, England and Emma died on 2 February 1877 in South Oamaru, New Zealand.

> Refer to the SPINDLER family for more information about the family of Emma.

GENERATION TWO :

2. ~ ~ ~ GEORGE THOMAS WILDISH (THOMAS) was born on 23 March 1865 in Devonshire, England and was the eldest son of JOHN WILDISH and EMMA SPINDLER. George arrived in New Zealand as a boy with his parents and settled in Oamaru in North Otago, South Island. In 1885, after serving his apprenticeship as a Saddler, he moved to Auckland, and shortly after to Gisborne, Hawkes Bay.

He married JANET GALBRAITH MORRISON on 20 April 1886 in Gisborne. Janet was born on 18 July 1865 in Blantyre, Scotland and was the daughter of WILLIAM MORRISON and CATHERINE LAMB. Janet arrived in New Zealand on 3 March 1873 on the ship Durham with her parents and two older brothers.

Children of GEORGE WILDISH and JANET MORRISON were:

CATHERINE CLARA LOUISA ⁶ WILDISH, born 17 August 1887, Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, NZ.

GEORGE WILLIAM ⁷ WILDISH, born 30 August 1889, Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, NZ.

RALPH JAMES ⁸ WILDISH, born 2 December 1890.

MINNA CARLINA ⁹ WILDISH, , born 19 July 1892.

EDITH MYRA ¹⁰ WILDISH, born 3 January 1895.

WILLIAM MORRISON WILDISH, born 8 January 1897, Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, NZ. William married ETHEL GLADYS ROBERTS. He died 24 July 1960 in Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.

SYDNEY ROY ERIC LOUISA WILDISH, born 21 April 1898. Sydney married NELLIE FLORENCE COLEMAN on 17 February 1921. Nellie died in 1955 aged 52 years. Sydney died on 5 February 1960.

NORA WILDISH, born 15 July 1899 and died 18 June 1900.

For many years George was a member of the Gisborne School Committee, and also served on the Hawkes Bay Education Board. He was a member of the Fire Brigade for 30 years and a prominent athlete.

Janet died on 8 October 1923 in Gisborne and was buried at Taruheru Cemetery (Plot 703). George married (2) ETHEL AGNES GILMORE on 23 March 1925 and from 1927 lived in Auckland. George died suddenly on 7 January 1959 aged 93 years.

> Refer to the MORRISON family for more information about the family of Janet.

3. ~ ~ ~ WILLIAM HENRY WILDISH (THOMAS) was born in 1869 and was the second son of JOHN WILDISH and EMMA SPINDLER. William married ELIZABETH JANE MADDEN in 1890. Elizabeth was born in 1870 in Victoria, Australia.

Children of WILLIAM WILDISH and ELIZBETH MADDEN included:

PHILLIP THOMAS WILDISH, born 1896 (BDM1896/8208) died 1899 aged 2 years.

MABEL NORAH WILDISH, born 1898 Gisborne, Hawkes Bay. Mabel married LESLIE ROBERT MARTIN in 1920. Leslie was born in 1898.

EMILY MAY WILDISH, born December 1899 in Gisborne, Hawkes Bay. Emily married EDWARD KNOX in 1927.

ARTHUR JAMES ¹¹ WILDISH, born December 1899 in Gisborne, Hawkes Bay.

FRANK BAIN ¹² WILDISH, born 1909 in Gisborne, Hawkes Bay.

Elizabeth died on 8 May 1947 in Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. William died on 20 April 1957 also in Gisborne.

4. ~ ~ ~ ELIZA WILDISH (THOMAS) was on born 25 June 1870 in Bromley, Middlesex, England. Eliza was the eldest daughter of JOHN WILDISH and EMMA SPINDER. She married JAMES MORRISON on 28 November 1896 in Grey Street, Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.

James was born on 6 June 1872 in Parkfield Parish, Blantyre, Lanark, Scotland and was the son of WILLIAM MORRISON and CATHERINE LAMBORN. He arrived in New Zealand on 3 March 1873 on the ship Durham.

James died on 5 May 1953 in Gisborne, and Eliza died on 3 March 1954 in Gisborne. She was buried at Makaraka Cemetery in Gisborne (Plot 418)

> Refer to the MORRISON family for more information about the family of James and children of Eliza and John.

5. ~ ~ ~ LAURA LOUISA WILDISH (THOMAS) was born in 1874 in Bromley, Kent, England and was the second daughter of JOHN WILDISH and EMMA SPINDLER. Laura married FRANK FORBES LOWNDES in 1895 in Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.

Children of LAURA WILDISH and FRANK LOWNDES were:

o NOBLE FRANK LOWNDES, born 1896 in Gisborne, NZ; died 1972 Jersey, Channel Islands, United Kingdom. Noble married (1) MAISIE HENNESSY and (2) JANE HOSE and they had two children.

o LEONARD HILTON LOWNDES, born 1898 in Gisborne, NZ; died around 1977 in Napier, NZ. Leonard married EVA (surname unknown) and they had two children.

o SYDNEY JAMES LOWNDES, born around 1901 in Gisborne, NZ; died mid-1960s in Auckland, NZ. Sydney married DORIS (surname unknown) and had four children.

o EDWARD JAMES NEIL LOWNDES, born 1906 in Gisborne, NZ; died mid-1990s in Adelaide, Australia.

o COLIN RAYMOND LOWNDES, born 1909 in Gisborne, NZ; died 1990 in London, England. Colin married (1) ZELDA (surname unknown) and (2) PHYLLIS FANTHORPE with whom he had one child.

o ROY LUCAS LOWNDES, born 14 September 1911 in Gisborne, NZ; died 19 August 1997 in Auckland, NZ. Roy married BETTY MADELINE PARKIN on 26 September 1951 in London, England and they had four children.

Frank died in London, England in 1934 and Laura also died in London in 1959.

GENERATION THREE :

6. ~ ~ ~ CATHERINE CLARA LOUISA WILDISH (THOMAS > GEORGE THOMAS) was born on 17 August 1887, Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand and was the eldest daughter of GEORGE WILDISH and JANET MORRISON. Catherine married FRANCIS WALTER SELVES in 1907.

Children of CATHERINE WILDISH and FRANCIS SELVES were:

o FRANCIS WALTER SELVES, born 19 October 1908; died 21 October 1963. Francis married WINIFRED EDITH COLLISON on 6 January 1943 and they had a son, ALEXANDER SELVES born in December 1944 (died 1988)

o JANET MARY SELVES, born 28 September 1911; died 29 June 1972 in Gisborne. Janet married ALBERT HENRY WILLIAMS on 25 March 1940. Albert was born in England on 26 April 1909.

o EDITH LORRAINE SELVES, born 3 January 1917; died 6 November 1967 in Gisborne. Edith married CHARLES LESLIE NORMAN in March 1944.

o IAN GEORGE EVENDEN SELVES, born 14 October 1919. Ian married MARGARET ANN ROSS in October 1946.

o STANLEY WILLIAM SELVES, born 27 September 1921. Stanley served with the NZ Infantry during World War Two and died on 7 January 1943 in New Caledonia. He was buried at Bourail New Zealand War Cemetery. (Refer to my Roll of Honour for more information)

o WILLIAM EVENDEN SELVES, born 11 July 1926; died 2 August 1959. William married AUDREY HILDA MAY COOMBES on 22 December 1951.

Catherine died on 7 December 1957 in Gisborne.

7. ~ ~ ~ GEORGE WILLIAM WILDISH (THOMAS > GEORGE THOMAS) was born on 30 August 1899 in Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand and was the eldest son of GEORGE WILDISH and JANET MORRISON. George was a Tailor. He married (1) BERTHA ISABELLA REITMANN on 31 December 1911 in St Andrews Presbyterian Church, Auckland. Bertha was the daughter of WILHELM (William) REITMANN and SARAH SUSANNAH HEARD and was born on 17 June 1891 in Thames.

Children of GEORGE WILDISH and BERTHA REITMANN were:

AILSA ELOISE ¹³ WILDISH born 19 September 1912; died around 1964.

JOYCE YVONNE ¹⁴ WILDISH born 23 November 1914, Thames; died 17 June 1999.

Bertha divorced George when the children were young. Joyce and Ailsa were brought up by their Grandmother, Sarah Susannah (Sissie) Reitmann off Karaka Road, Thames. Bertha moved to Auckland and eventually settled in Sydney, Australia where she changed her names. She died on 28 November 1968 was buried 18 December 1968, in Sydney, Australia.

> Refer to the REITMANN family for more information about the family of Bertha.

George married (2) MARY ELIZABETH MCKAY in 1929 in Masterton, New Zealand. Mary was born 19 January 1889. George died suddenly on 12 December 1962 in Auckland. Mary died on 14 July 1977 and was buried with George at Waikumete Cemetery in Auckland (Protestant Lawn C, Row 5 Plot 19)

8. ~ ~ ~ RALPH JAMES WILDISH (THOMAS > GEORGE THOMAS) was born on 2 December 1890 and was the second son of GEORGE WILDISH and JANET MORRISON. Ralph married (1) MYRTLE BLANCHE CHURCH in 1913.

Child of RALPH WILDISH and MYRTLE CHURCH was:

ALLAN MORRISON WILDISH, died 1943 aged 29 years.

Ralph married (2) ETHEL MAY HOLLOWAY on 22 December 1926.

Child of RALPH WILDISH and ETHEL MAY HOLLOWAY was:

LORNA MAE WILDISH, who married KEVIN MICHAEL LYONS.

Ethel died on 4 April 1971 in Auckland, New Zealand.

9.~ ~ ~ MINNA CARLINA WILDISH (THOMAS > GEORGE THOMAS) was on born 19 July 1892 and was the second daughter of GEORGE WILDISH and JANET MORRISON. Minna married HAROLD WARREN BENTON on 15 October 1913. Harold was born in Auckland in 1891.

Children of MINNA WILDISH and HAROLD BENTON are:

o MARJORIE CARLINA BENTON, who married HERBERT ARTHUR RICHIE.

o NORMAN HAROLD BENTON, born 22 November 1915. Norman married LUCY CRAIG in 1940. Norman was a Flying Officer with the Royal NZ Air Force during World War Two. He died in New Caledonia 9 June 1945. (Refer to my Roll of Honour for more information)

Minna died in Auckland on 21 October 1944, and Harold died in 1961, also in Auckland.

10. ~ ~ ~ EDITH MYRA WILDISH (THOMAS > GEORGE THOMAS) was born on 3 January 1895 and was the third daughter of GEORGE WILDISH and JANET MORRISON. Edith married ERIC CLOTWORTHY O'CARROLL UPTON on 15 August 1916. Eric was born about 1890.

Children of EDITH WILDISH and ERIC UPTON are:

o JOAN IRENE UPTON, who married ROBERT JOHN PEDDLE.

o ROY ERIC UPTON, who married SHIRLEY LOUISA LOWNDES (his second cousin). Shirley was born in 1923 in Gisborne, Hawkes Bay and died in 2002 in Sydney.

o LORNA SYBIL UPTON, who married KELVIN SYDNEY GEORGE RUTLAND.

o JANET ROSA UPTON, who married THOMAS FREDERICK WHEELER.

o LORNA SYBIL UPTON, who married KELVIN SYDNEY GEORGE RUTLAND.

o JANET ROSA UPTON, who married THOMAS FREDERICK WHEELER.

o BRIAN OCARROL UPTON.

o BERYLL EDITH UPTON (married name PRESTON)

o MURRAY OCARROLL UPTON, who married NOLA WINIFRED CHAPMAN.

Edith died on 16 May 1940 in Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. Eric died 14 January 1958.

11.~ ~ ~ ARTHUR JAMES WILDISH (THOMAS > WILLIAM) was born in December 1899 in Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand on was the third son of GEORGE WILDISH and JANET MORRISON. Arthur married VERA GRACE ROE in 1923. Grace was born in 1901.

Children of ARTHUR WILDISH and GRACE (WILDISH) are:

JOAN EMILY WILDISH

ELIZABETH WILDISH

12.~ ~ ~ FRANK BAIN WILDISH (THOMAS > WILLIAM) was born 1909 in Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand and was the forth son of GEORGE WILDISH and JANET GALBRAITH. Frank married ANNABELLA POOLE in 1930 in Gisborne.

Child of FRANK WILDISH and ANNABELLA POOLE is:

KENNETH WILDISH

Frank died on 16 September 1970 in Gisborne. Annabella died on 12 September 1969 also in Gisborne.

GENERATION FOUR :

13.~ ~ ~ AILSA ELOISE WILDISH (THOMAS > GEORGE THOMAS > GEORGE WILLIAM) was born 19 September 1912 and was the eldest daughter of GEORGE WILDISH and BERTHA REITMANN. Ailsa married FREDERICK ERNEST WILLIAMS on 8 June 1934. Frederick was born on 8 December 1912 and was a Blacksmith. After their marriage, Ailsa and Fred settled in Paeroa, then Ngatea and in later life at Red Beach, Auckland.

Children of AILSA WILDISH and FREDERICK WILLIAMS are:

o KEITH ERNEST WILLIAMS, who married CLAIRE DALGETY.

o VALERIE MARCH (SALLY) WILLIAMS, born 1 March 1939. Sally married JIM CAMPBELL. Sally died in December 1998 and was buried at Maramarua Cemetery, Waikato.

o DENNIS FREDERICK WILLIAMS, who married MYRTLE MATTHEWS.

o KERRY LEONARD WILLIAMS, born 16 April 1946. He married LINDA JOY HYDE. Kerry died on 6 March 1987.

14. ~ ~ ~ JOYCE YVONNE WILDISH (THOMAS > GEORGE THOMAS > GEORGE WILLIAM) was born on 23 November 1914 in Thames and was the second daughter of GEORGE WILDISH and BERTA REITMANN.

Joyce married GREGORY ALEXANDER WENZLICK on 2 March 1932 at the home of her grandmother Mrs Sissie Reitmann in Thames. Gregory was the son of GREGORY WENZLICK and EMMA BATTEN and was born 29 October 1908 in Auckland. Greg died on 28 March 1988 at Middlemore Hospital, Otahuhu. Vonnie died on 17 June 1999 at The Booms Rest Home in Thames. Her ashes are interred in the Memorial Garden at Totara Cemetery, Thames with those of Greg.

> Refer to the page for Gregory Joseph WENZLICK for more information about the family of Gregory and children of Joyce and Gregory.

Please note that in keeping to genealogy publishing protocol I have not included information about later generations including living persons.

If you have a family connection please contact me for further information.

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