Routon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The roots of the Anglo-Saxon name Routon come from when the family resided in Roydon, places found in Essex and Norfolk. The place-name Roydon is derived from the Old English elements rygen, which means rye, and dun, which means hill. The place-name as a whole translates as "hill where rye is grown." Roydon in Essex was recorded in the Domesday Book as Ruindune; Roydon in Norfolk was recorded in that document as Regadona. The Domesday Book was a survey of England ordered by King WIlliam the Conqueror, the first Norman King of England, in 1086. It was used to reassess the Danegeld (the tax system in place at the time) and as a reference for the settlement of property disputes.

Early Origins of the Routon family

The surname Routon was first found in Suffolk but other branches of the family were located elsewhere. By example, Rowton is a small village located seven miles north of Wellington, Shropshire. It dates back to at least the Domesday Book where it was recorded as Rugheton. 1

The Battle of Rowton Heath was fought between the forces of the parliament and those of King Charles on 24 September 1645 during the English Civil War.

"On Rowton Heath was fought the important battle between the forces of the parliament and those of King Charles, which proved so fatal to the brave Earl of Lichfield, and so disastrous to his royal master; here, also, the Cheshire gentry assembled and declared for a free parliament, on the attempt of Sir George Booth to restore Charles II., in 1659." 2

Rowton Castle is a Grade II listed country house near Shrewsbury in Shropshire. The present castle was built in the 17th century, although a previous castle named Rowton Castle had stood on the site for several hundred years previously. As of 1986, it has been a luxury hotel.

Early History of the Routon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Routon research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1580, 1583, 1610, 1614, 1622 and 1646 are included under the topic Early Routon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Routon Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Routon has been recorded under many different variations, including Royden, Roydon, Rowton, Rowden and others.

Early Notables of the Routon family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir Marmaduke Roydon (1583-1646), English merchant-adventurer, son of Ralph Roydon or Rawdon of Rawden Brandesby in Yorkshire. At sixteen years of age he went to London, where he was apprenticed to Daniel Hall, a Bordeaux merchant, who sent him as his factor to France. He returned to London about 1610 and was elected a common councilman. Soon afterwards he was presented with the freedom of the Clothworkers' Company, and made captain of the city...
Another 81 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Routon Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Routon family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Routon or a variant listed above: William Royden arrived in west New Jersey in 1664; Robert Rowden settled in Virginia in 1657; Thomas Rowden settled in Philadelphia in 1774.

Contemporary Notables of the name Routon (post 1700) +

Bobby R. Routon, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for Kentucky State House of Representatives 40th District, 1975 3

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html