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Variants, Whiscard, Wysard, Vizard, Wiskar. A name
derived from the Norse form 'Wischard' which means 'wise and hardy or
brave.'This name is of Scottish descent and is found in many ancient
manuscripts in the above country. Examples of such are William Wischard, who
witnessed a grant in favour of the Abbey of Cambuskenneth in 1200 and Adam
Wiscard had a charter of lands in Kenny-Murchardyn in 1279. Names were
recorded in these ancient documents to make it easier for the overlords to
collect taxes and to keep records of the population at any given time. When
the overlords acquired lands by either force or as gifts from their rulers,
they created charters of ownership for themselves and their vassals. Other
examples of this name were found in the person of Andrew Wyshard who was a
Scottish prisoner of war in Hereford Castle, 1305-07 and Johnnett Wischart
of Aberdeen was burned for the crime of 'witchcraft' in the year 1596. |
