First found in Yorkshire where they were seated from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Rookstool were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: Daniel Rooke settled in Virginia in 1652; Sam UEL Rooke settled in Virginia in 1654; Samuel Rooke settled in Boston in 1712; Thomas Rooke settled in Virginia in 1650.

Motto Translated: Rooks will flourish while the sun shines.

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