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![Show Contents]() Rocks History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The ancient roots of the Rocks family name are in the Anglo-Saxon culture. The name Rocks comes from when the family lived in the village of Rock found in the various locations that existed in Worcestershire, Devon and also in Northumberland. The surname also has topographic origins in that it describes the area where the original bearers lived. In this case they lived at some residence near a large boulder or rock face. Early Origins of the Rocks familyThe surname Rocks was first found in Worcestershire where they held a family seat 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. Early History of the Rocks familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rocks research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1378, 1379, 1380, 1407 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Rocks History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Rocks Spelling VariationsOne relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Rocks has appeared include Rock, Rocks, Roch, Rocke, Rocker, Rooker, Rucker and others. Early Notables of the Rocks familyMore information is included under the topic Early Rocks Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Rocks family to Ireland
Some of the Rocks family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 103 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Rocks migration to the United States | + |
At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Rocks arrived in North America very early:
Rocks Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Anth Rocks, who landed in Virginia in 1642 1
Rocks Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Anna Margaret Rocks, aged 24, who landed in New York in 1710 1
| Rocks migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Rocks Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Mr. James Rocks, (Rox, Ross), Scottish convict who was convicted in Stirling, Scotland for 10 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 8th December 1839, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 2
- Charles Rocks, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Posthumous" in 1849 3
| Rocks migration to West Indies | + |
The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 4Rocks Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century- Mr. Michell Rocks aged 21, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Hopewell" arriving in Barbados on 17th February 1634 1
| Contemporary Notables of the name Rocks (post 1700) | + |
- M. Joseph Rocks, American Republican politician, Member of Pennsylvania State Senate 4th District, 1981-90; Candidate for Mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1995
- 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)
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The POSTHUMOUS 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Posthumous.htm
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
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Rocks migration to the United States 
Rocks migration to Australia 
Rocks migration to West Indies 
England
France
Ireland
