Show ContentsRedwood History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Redwood family

The surname Redwood was first found in Northumberland at Redeswood. John de Redewod held a knights fees here in 1242. 1

The source "Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I." notes likely the same person with a slightly different spelling: John de Redewode. 2

The Saxon Redwald or Raedwald (d. 627?), King of the East-Angles, was the son of Tytili or Tytla, the son of Wuffa or Uffa. The latter was reckoned as eighth in descent from Woden, and after him, as first East-Anglian king, the kings of his house were called Uffingas. Redwald rose to great power, and even in the reign of Æthelbert obtained the leadership of all the English peoples south of the Humber, with the exception probably of the kingdom of Kent, and is therefore reckoned as fourth of the kings that held a power of that kind." 3

Early History of the Redwood family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Redwood research. Another 74 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1527, 1642, 1665, 1709, 1747, 1767, 1788 and 1911 are included under the topic Early Redwood History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Redwood Spelling Variations

Although the name, Redwood, appeared in many references, from time to time, the surname was shown with the spellings Redwood, Reedwood, Redewood, Redeswood, Reedswood and many more.

Early Notables of the Redwood family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was

  • Abraham Redwood (1709-1788) was a West Indies merchant, slave trader, plantation owner, and philanthropist from Newport, Rhode Island. He is the namesake of the Redwood Library and Anthenaeum, one of...
  • The Redwood Baronetcy, of Avenue Road in St Marylebone, is a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 24 July 1911 for Boverton Redwood. He was a leading expert on petroleum an...

Ireland Migration of the Redwood family to Ireland

Some of the Redwood family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Redwood migration to the United States +

Gradually becoming disenchanted with life in Ireland many of these uprooted families sailed aboard the armada of sailing ships known as the "White Sails" which plied the stormy Atlantic. These overcrowded ships often arrived with only 60 to 70% of their original passenger list, many dying of cholera, typhoid, dysentery or small pox. In North America, some of the first immigrants who could be considered kinsmen of the Redwood family name Redwood, or who bore a variation of the surname were

Redwood Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • James Redwood, who arrived in Virginia in 1648 4
Redwood Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Susanna Redwood, who arrived in Virginia in 1711 4
Redwood Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Redwood, who landed in Mississippi in 1825 4
  • Langford W L Redwood, who landed in New York in 1844 4

New Zealand Redwood migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Redwood Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Henry Redwood, aged 48, a farmer, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "George Fyfe" in 1842
  • Henry Redwood, aged 20, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "George Fyfe" in 1842
  • Thomas Redwood, aged 9, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "George Fyfe" in 1842
  • Charles Redwood, aged 5, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "George Fyfe" in 1842
  • Francis Redwood, aged 3, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "George Fyfe" in 1842
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Redwood (post 1700) +

  • John E. Redwood (b. 1864), American Republican politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Franklin County, 1926-29 5
  • Sir Peter Boverton Redwood (b. 1937), 3rd Baronet, English peer
  • Sir Thomas Boverton Redwood (1906-1974), 2nd Baronet, English peer
  • The Right Hon. Sir John Alan Redwood C.B.E., M.P., (b. 1951), born in Dover, England, English Member of Parliament for Wokingham, was appointed Knights Bachelor on 29th December 2018 for political and public service by her Majesty The Queen 6
  • Charles Edward Joseph "Charlie" Redwood (1878-1954), English rugby union player who represented Australia
  • Hubert Redwood (1913-1943), English footballer
  • Vernon Redwood (1873-1954), Australian maltster and politician
  • Stanley Redwood (b. 1965), Jamaican minister and former politician
  • Frederick Redwood (b. 1964), Jamaican cricketer
  • Doug Redwood (1918-1939), Welsh professional footballer
  • ... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
  3. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  4. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  6. "Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists


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