About the Study

Research into the Whillans family commenced seriously in 1983 and concentrated on using parish and census records to link all those surnamed as or descended from Whillans to the family of James Whillans born in Roxburghshire Scotland during 1688.  Currently, some 4,320 descendants have been named.

In 1997, this study extended to its homonyms. Since then two groups of Wealleans (numbering 1,110 and 1,190 descendants) and one Whillis group numbering 1,960 descendants have been compiled, and work continues in the attempt to link Whillans with Wealleans & Whillis and its other homonyms.

Several homonyms exist, with the principal of these being Wealleans, Whellans, Whillance, Whillas, Whillis, Willans, as well as Wheelands, Wheelans, Weelands, Whealands, Whealans, Wealands.

To date, Family Tree DNA has shown that Whillans is genetically related closely with Whellens and one of the Wealleans groups.  There is a Whillans DNA Study, courtesy of Family Tree DNA, which seeks males with the above homonyms to provide a swab - do please contact me if you might be prepared to participate in this new direction of family research.  Interestingly, members of another study, the Caperton DNA Study, also show a definite genetic connection.

This research has been made possible by many scores of like-minded genealogists, too numerous to name individually, who have interacted and given their data freely.

In the menu at the top of this page, some details of the various homonym groups investigated are provided.  These are more provided at the top right under MORE (or the =).

Do feel free to contact me, Frank Whillans, via:
     whillans@netspace.net.au
     whillans@one-name.org.au