The Weld family may refer to an ancient English family, and to their possible relations in New England, an extended family of Boston Brahmin. An early record of a Weld holding public office, is of the High Sheriff of London in 1352, William. In the 16th and 17th centuries people called Weld and living in Cheshire began to travel and to settle in the environs of London, in Shropshire, in Suffolk and thence in the American Colonies, and in Dorset. While most of the Welds of England had adopted Protestantism, the exception was all three sons of Sir John Weld of Edmonton, who married into elite recusant families, thus reverting, with their descendants, to Roman Catholicism. The noted Catholic Weld lineage, unbroken till the new millennium, is that of Lulworth Castle in Dorset.
London Welds
The Welds are an old gentry family which claims descent from Eadric the Wild and are related to other Weld branches in several parts of the United Kingdom, from Willey, Shropshire, and the Lulworth Estate, Dorset and still others in the Antipodes and in Massachusetts. A notable early Weld was William de Welde (or atte Welde), High Sheriff of London in 1352, whose progeny moved in and out of obscurity.
In mid 16th century, a cadet line originating from John Weld of Eaton, Cheshire and his wife Joanna FitzHugh of Congleton Cheshire descends from his fourth and youngest son, Sir Humphrey Weld (died 1610). Weld settled in Holdwell, Hertfordshire and became a City of London merchant and a member of the Worshipful Company of Grocers. On 9 May 1598, he was elected an alderman of the City of London for Farringdon Within ward. He was Sheriff of London from 1599 to 1600. He was knighted on 26 July 1603. He transferred as alderman to Walbrook ward in 1604. In 1608, he was elected Lord Mayor of London. During his mayoralty the reconstruction of the Aldgate, one of the four principal gates of the City of London, was completed. Weld's name as Mayor appeared on the gate itself, and in connection with an engraving of the gate produced later. He was president of Christ's Hospital from 1609. Of his seven surviving children born by his first wife, Ann Wheler, two were sons. His second wife and widow was Dame Mary. The elder of Humphrey's sons being Sir John Weld (1585–1622) of Arnolds in Southgate, Middlesex. A merchant, and a charter member and Council assistant of the Newfoundland Company of 1610, he founded the Weld Chapel in Edmonton, London. He married Frances daughter of William Whitmore of London (and sister of Sir William Whitmore), he was knighted in 1617, died in 1622, and was buried in his private chapel at Arnolds. His younger brother, Humphrey died without issue.
Sir John's sons married into prominent Catholic families and became recusants. The children of Sir John Weld and Dame Frances (née Whitmore) are shown as follows by Burke: Thomas Weld, died young
Humphrey Weld (22 January 1612 – 1685), 2nd son, the heir, married (1639) Clare (died 1691), daughter of Thomas Arundell, 1st Baron Arundell of Wardour. Weld graduated in law from Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1629 and was admitted to the Inner Temple in 1631. Between 1633 and 1636 he went on a Grand Tour of Europe. He was Deputy Lieutenant of Dorset, a Justice of the peace, a member of the Royal household, public official, landowner and property administrator who was elected to the House of Commons for Christchurch in Hampshire in 1661. Weld was a crypto-recusant who kept his religious allegiance secret in order to stay in public office during a turbulent political period in English history. He was appointed Cup-bearer to the Catholic Queen Henrietta Maria 1639–44 and later as Gentleman of the Privy Chamber 1668–85 under her son, Charles II. He served as a magistrate and in numerous other public roles in London, Middlesex, Cambridgeshire, Hampshire and in Dorset, where he was governor of Portland Castle. He acquired "Weld House" in London. In 1641 Humphrey bought the huge Lulworth Estate in Dorset, with financial help from his brothers, and began the Lulworth line of Welds which has continued for over 350 years. (Sir) John Weld (died 1674), of Compton Bassett, Wiltshire, married (1648) Mary, daughter of William Stourton, 11th Baron Stourton, of Stourhead, and had a son: William Weld, who succeeded to his uncle Humphrey (the crypto Catholic) George Weld (died 1696), married Bridget Thimblethorp of Lincolnshire, and had daughters Cicely and Elizabeth Anne Weld, married Sir John Cutts of Childerley Mary Weld, married Thomas Allen, Esq. of Finchley Frances Weld, married ----- Martin, Esq. of Buckinghamshire Margaret Weld, married (1634) William Bowyer, Esq. of Denham Court, Buckinghamshire Dorothy Weld