| ![Show Contents]() Reedswood History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Early Origins of the Reedswood familyThe surname Reedswood 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 Reedswood familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Reedswood 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 Reedswood History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Reedswood Spelling VariationsAlthough the name, Reedswood, 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 Reedswood familyNotable 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 oldest libraries in the United States. Redwood was the President of the Redwood Library and Anthenaeum from 1747...
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Reedswood Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Reedswood family to Ireland
Some of the Reedswood 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. Migration of the Reedswood familyGradually 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 Reedswood family name Reedswood, or who bore a variation of the surname were settlers, who arrived along the eastern seaboard, from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
|
England
Ireland
