Generation 1, Alured de Valer, a Norman knight who came over to England
with William the Conqueror, fought at the Battle of Hastings on October 14,
1066, was granted land in England for his military services and whose name
is in The Domesday Book.
Generation 2 and 3, Unknown de Valers.
Statements have appeared in print that Alured de Valer fought with William
the Conqueror in the Battle of Hastings, 14 Oct. 1066; was given land in
England for his military service; that his name is recorded in The Domesday
Book (published in 1086) and that he died in 1183. Now, since there is a
spread of 117 years from the Battle of Hastings to the year 1183, it seems
clear that the same person could not have taken part in that battle and
lived until 1183. It has been decided, at least to our satisfaction, that
two generations of Valers must have existed between the veteran of Hastings
and the recorded death of an Alured in 1183.
Generation 4, Alured de Valer, who died in 1183, was a great grandson of
The Hero of Hastings. He is mentioned on the mural tablet erected by Sir
Jonathan Wathen Waller (b. 1769) at Speldhurst Church, near Tonbridge Wells,
in County Kent. He lived at Newark, Nottinghamshire and married Adelina de
Hockerton.
Generation 5, John de Valer, born about 1165. We would appreciate any
documented information we can get on this individual.
Generation 6, Henry de Valer, born about 1200. We would appreciate any
documented information we can get on this individual.
Generation 7, Vilhelm de Valer, (ca. 1230-1278). We would appreciate any
documented information we can get on this individual.
Generation 8, Valer de Valer, (ca. 1260-1316). We would appreciate any
documented information we can get on this individual.
Generation 9, Henry de Valer (ca. 1295-1371), of Hockerton, who married
Alicia de Mortimer. From this union sprang the Wallers of Groombridge
Hall.
Generation 10, Thomas Waller (1330-1390), oldest son and heir. He married
Christina Chalfunt, daughter of Henry Chalfunt. We do not know when the
family left the estate in Nottinghamshire, given them by William the
Conqueror, but it was this Thomas Waller, of Lamberthurst, who in 1360
purchased from Lord Clinton the estate known as "Groombridge" (also spelled
Gromebridge and Groomsbridge) to begin a 244 year tenure there by the Waller
family.
Records show License of Land, (Title) at Billingston in 1407.
Much earlier in Saxony times Groombridge had been a moated castle.
This was the time of the Renaissance (1300-1550), a time of learning. Thomas
was a contemporary of the great English writer, Geoffry Chaucer (1340-1400).
Modern English was beginning to take shape as Normans began to use more of
the Anglo-Saxon language and Saxons took up some of the Latin. Thomas
changed the spelling of the family name to "Waller" and dropped the
"de".
Generation 11, John Waller (1363-1420), married Margaret Lansdall, daughter
of Thomas Lansdall of County Sussex.
Generation 12, Sir Richard Waller (1395-1462), Hero of Agincourt. Knighted
in the field by King Henry V for capturing Prince Charles, the Duke of
Orleans who was commanding the French forces. Sir Richard married Margaret
Gulby and we have records of two sons.
Generation 13e, Sir William Waller, born around 1420, oldest son and heir,
who inherited Groombridge Castle and the title of Baronet, to become a part
of a line of Baronets which was still going in 1975 in England.
Generation 13a, John Waller (ca.1420-1490), a younger brother of Sir
William Waller, from whom sprang the Wallers of Beaconsfield, most, if not
all, of the Wallers in Virginia and Tennessee, and Edmund Waller, Poet
Laureate of England. John was settled in Leigh, County Kent, when he
purchased Beaconsfield Castle in Buckinghamshire, somewhere around 1450, and
moved his family there to become the first of the Bucks Wallers and to begin
a 200 year tenure for the Waller Family. Beaconsfield is located about 25
miles northeast of London on the main road to Oxford. He married Elizabeth
Farinfold, daughter of William of Leigh, Kent.
Generation 14, Richard Waller of Beaconsfield, who married Anne Symmons,
daughter of Dr. John Symmons of London. We need a documented date of birth
and/or death on Richard. Anne was born ca. 1524.
Generation 15, Robert Waller (1482-1545) Robert married twice, Elizabeth
Fryer and Elizabeth Duncomb, and from each marriage there sprang an
important American lineage.
Generation 16, William Waller (1510-Feb 5, 1557) His mother was Elizabeth
Fryer. William is the ancestor of the Wallers of Stafford and Henry Counties
Virginia, Roane County Tennessee and Fannin County Texas. From this point go
to Stafford County, Virginia to continue the line on William.
Generation 16, Edmund Waller (ca. 1530-1603) His mother was Elizabeth
Duncomb. Edmund married Cicelie Bell in 1555 and sired the lineage of
Edmund Waller, the Poet Laureate of England. There is a great mystery to be
solved regarding the descendants of Edmund the Poet. We will be looking at
that at some time in the future.
We have generation 17 branching at this point. The great majority of
American Wallers have generation 15, Robert Waller and one of his two wives,
in their family tree. To avoid confusion we will be treating Robert's sons,
William and Edmund separately.