[1] One of the first mentions of the family was in the year 1172 when their ancestor left Somersetshire to serve as standard-bearer to King Henry II of England and was rewarded for his services with land in Meath and Kildare.
[1] After this, there were multiple generations of knights in the family, including Waleran de Wellesley (died c.1276) who was Justice itinerant in Ireland between 1242 and 1261.
[2] He also served as a justice of "the Bench", probably a forerunner of the Court of Common Pleas (Ireland).
His son was Sir Waleran de Wellesley junior, High Sheriff of Kildare.
The Wellesley claim to the Barony of Norragh came through William's marriage to Elizabeth Staunton, only daughter of the heiress of Norragh, Elizabeth Calf, and her first husband, Sir John Staunton.