Richard Welere - Surname is incorrect, should be Wheler

John K Marshall PRO

7/23/2023 at 7:00 PM

The reason the family tree ends is because the wrong surname is listed. Not Welere it is actually Wheler, SEE HISTORY BELOW

John Mashall, 18th GG son of Richard Wheler b. 1399

Richard Wheler
Birth 1399
Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England
Marriage Marriage to: Mary Elizabeth Welere (born UNKNOWN)
1435
Cranfield Parish, Bedfordshire, , England
Death 1439
Bedfordshire, Cranfield Parish, England
Burial Bedfordshire, England
Family members
Parents
John Thomas Whelere
1375 - 1420
Elizabeth Mary Whelere (born Phillips)
1377 - 1422
Wife
Mary Elizabeth Welere (born Unknown)
1390 - 1440
Brother
Richard Phillips Welere
1400 - 1440
Children
Henry Wheeler
1433 - 1470
Richard Wheeler
1461 - ?
Sir Thomas Wheeler
1465 - 1546
Benjamin C Cole Wheler
1435 - ?
John Waller
1462 - 1500
Source

Private User

7/23/2023 at 7:40 PM

What is your source for this line?

Private User

7/23/2023 at 7:54 PM

That's from Geni, Anne. :D

Private User

7/24/2023 at 4:03 AM

Got a link?

Private User

7/24/2023 at 5:24 AM

I can only speak for myself, but a simple Descendant report reveals a whole bunch of Wheelers.

https://www.geni.com/list/descendants/6000000001507170902#5

Private User

7/24/2023 at 5:39 AM

Under the "Welere" surname project there is exactly one Welere (the one currently under discussion) that is a valid profile. The four are either "fictional" or completely isolated. So evidently it isn't a standard surname.

A search of People on this website only uncovers one more "Welere / Wheeler" -- this man's wife. Both have "Wheeler" as alternative spelling, so we are right to consider them as Wheelers, apparently.

https://www.geni.com/search?search_type=people&names=welere

https://www.geni.com/surnames/people/welere

One individual and his wife don't make for much of a 'project', lol.

Private User

7/24/2023 at 5:57 AM

All of these spellings are correct. The idea of standard spelling didn’t exist in English until the 18th century. Until then words were simply spelled as they sounded, which could change from area to area and person to person. Proper names continued to be spelled variously down into the early 20th century, at least. The fictional profiles are isolated because they constitute a false genealogy that is widely spread across the web, and even shows up in books — but cannot be true.

If there are legitimate ancestors up at the top of the line we would love to see them! But the line is so very vexed that it’s crucial to have clear evidence.

Private User

7/24/2023 at 6:03 AM

"Wheeler" is likely the Americanized spelling, but "Wheler" is fairly commonly found on National Archives UK in this and really all eras. So "Wheler" probably is correct for this line specifically.

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_q=wheler&_...

A search of "Wheler" produces far better results, 260 individuals, some with the alternative spelling "Wheeler".

https://www.geni.com/search?names=wheler&page=1&search_adva...

Baron of Cranfield interests me because I have some Cranfields in my tree, although their spelling also became Americanized. Americanized spelling is legit of course, for American families. Just makes old world research trickier...Neither Wheler nor any of its variations are found in the following Wikipedia list, I just think it's kind of interesting.

https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Category:English_surnam...

Private User

7/24/2023 at 7:03 AM

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_q=welere

Richard Welere - Surname is incorrect, should be Wheler

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