Resbury History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Resbury surname is thought to have originally been a habitational name, taken on from Ratsbury in Lynton, Devon.

Early Origins of the Resbury family

The surname Resbury was first found in Devon where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the year 1242 when Merioth Rabespree held estates in Devon.

Early History of the Resbury family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Resbury research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1487, 1634, 1643, 1673, 1678, 1689 and 1711 are included under the topic Early Resbury History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Resbury Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Resbury include Rabespree, Rasbery, RasBerry, Ratesberry, Ratesbury, Rasbury, Radesberry, Radesbery, Radespree, Ratsbury and many more.

Early Notables of the Resbury family

Distinguished members of the family include

Nathaniel Resbury (1643-1711), was an English divine, baptised on 24 Sept. 1643 at Oundle, Northamptonshire, where his father, Richard Resbury, was the nonconformist vicar. 1

Resbury migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Resbury Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Resbury, who landed in Virginia in 1653 2

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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)