Researching William West
Research the background of William West using the links below. We hope you find this information useful!
 | Did you know that in the 1881 UK census there were 28833 people with the West surname? In that year West was ranked number 110 for popularity in the UK. |
The name William means "resolute guardian" and is of German origin.
Records of William West on Ancestry
Ancestry is a major source of information if you are filling out the detail of William West in your family tree. With over 30 billion records and 100 million family trees to search, Ancestry is one of the key websites to visit to help you trace your family tree back in time. Free trials are normally available and are a good way to fill out a lot of your tree quickly.
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Ancestry.com Global records search results for William West. |
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Ancestry.com US records search results for William West. |
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Ancestry.co.uk UK records search results for William West. |
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Ancestry.ca Canadian records search results for William West. |
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Ancestry.com.au Australian records search results for William West. |
DNA
Sometimes you can run into a brick wall in your tree and you just don't have enough evidence to make that next step back in time. A DNA test can sometimes help to make a link to a particular family name if you find you share common DNA with people who have the same or similar surnames as each other. If you are lucky then you may get a match within a few generations and discover some West ancestors. Additionally, the modern DNA test can give you a breakdown of your ethnic mix - you may be surprised at the results!
Have you reached a brick wall in your West Tree?
Birth, Death and Marriage Records for William West and the West Genealogy
Birth, Death and Marriage records are often the best method of making the links to the West Genealogy that will form part of your family tree. Although records vary from country to country, they are normally the most formal record of a person's relations. From the sources below you will be able to find a birth record and, from that, a birth certificate can be ordered which lists the names of the mother and father, taking you back another generation in your tree. A marriage certificate may also list the names of the respective fathers of the bride and groom which may then help you to find them earlier in life on a census record enabling you to fill out more detail in the West family tree.
Investigate Parish Records for William West at Find My Past.
Search for the UK registered births, marriages and deaths of William West using the FreeBMD database.
Look at Genealogy Bank for William West records.
Study MyHeritage for William West information.
Investigate the LDS Database for records about William West.
Research the West surname using fold3 Military Archives and view images of original West Military records.
| Did you know that there are currently 37066 people with the West surname in the UK? West is now ranked number 121 for popularity in the UK. |
West Genealogy Databases
Another way to build your tree quickly is to use the research other people have already done. This can help to confirm or refute your own deductions - however, be wary of taking this data at face value as other researchers may not have been as meticulous as you. Always try to back up deductions with some definitive sources rather than relying too heavily on others.
Check out the WikiTree database for user contributed records for William West.
Study MyTrees for information on the West family and people looking to contact living West relations.
Look at One Great Family for West records submitted by people who are already researching the West Family Tree.
Find William West from Ireland on findmypast.ie
West Forums
There are a number of forums which are dedicated to rearching particular surnames. These can be good places to share your findings and also to tap into the knowledge that others may already have. These can sometimes be a good way of finding living relations as these tend not to show up on the other sources of information for privacy reasons.
Research the West surname using Genealogy.com forums .
| Did you know that there are currently 243060 people with the West surname in the USA? West is ranked number 79 for popularity in the USA. |
Miscellaneous West Databases
Investigate the Ellis Island Database for information on William West. This database contains over 25 million immigration records detailing passengers arriving in the United States of America.
Some Famous People called William West
William West (artist)
William West (1801–61) was an English oil painter and watercolourist who was a member of the Bristol School of artists. He was also the builder of the Clifton Observatory at Clifton Down, Bristol.
West arrived in Bristol around 1823. He started exhibiting there in 1823, and from 1824 as well as participating in the sketching activities of the Bristol School he exhibited at the Royal Academy and the British Institution. However, after 1826 he did not exhibit at those two institutions again until 1845. From 1847 he concentrated on Norwegian subjects.
West developed a great interest in optics and engineering. In 1828 he leased a disused windmill on Clifton Down and installed a large telescope in its tower to turn it into an observatory. In 1829 he replaced the telescope with a camera obscura. From 1835 he extended the windmill to create a new observatory, building a large dome to house a rotating telescope. He filled the observatory with a collection of maps, globes and optical instruments. In 1837 he opened a tunnel 61 m (200 ft) in length which he had excavated from the observatory down to St Vincent's Cave on the cliff-face of the Avon Gorge. In 1834 West exhibited The Avon Gorge from the summit of the Observatory, an oil painting from the vantage point that he had built.
Source: William West (artist), Wikipedia, The Free EncyclopediaOther names that sound a bit like West
Family names can get corrupted over time, particularly where literacy was not as good. The following list contains some names that have similar sounds so you may want to also look at one or two of the more likely possibilites.
Wackett Waggatt Waggett Waggitt Waiste Wajda Wasgat Wasgatt Waskett Wasti Wastie Waycot Waycott Weast Wedgewood Wedgwood Weekhoud Weekhout Weicht Weigt Weisguth Wescoat Wescot Wescott Wesgate Westaway Whacket Wickett Wiest Wiget Wiggett Wissett Wistow Wokaty Woodgate Wuest Wycht Wyst
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