Ancestors of Geoffrey Walne

Are you interested in the family name Waln or Walne? The first immigrant Waln was Nicholas and Jane (Turner) Waln, followers of William Penn, who arrived at Philadelphia on the ship "Lamb of Liverpool" in October 1620. I have info on 12 generations of their descendants. Nicholas Waln signed the charter of the first school in Philadelphia, the William Penn Charter School (still in operation as of 2008). Although his descendants spelled the name WALN, he signed his name WALNE. Apart from tracing my lineage back to Nicholas, I would like to discover why his descendants dropped the 'e' from the name.

There are about 40 Walnes and 150 Walns in the U.S. In talking with many of them, I have noticed that there are two pronunciations of the name: Waun (silent 'l') and Wall (one case only).

My goal is to determine the origin of my oldest proven ancestor, Richard Walne who married Patty Phelps on August 20, 1785 in Halifax, VA. From 1785 to 1845 he or his descendants bought and sold several hundred acres of land just north of Halifax, VA, then moved to Canton, MS via the Natchez Trace.

If you'd like info on the descendants of Nicholas and Jane (Turner) Waln, or have info you'd like to share, please drop me a line.

Books

• Book: Ancestors of Geoffrey Butler Walne