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![Show Contents]() Romenall History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
The name Romenall reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Romenall family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Romenall family lived in Kent, at New Romney, or Old Romney parishes and locals that date back to at least the Domesday Book where they were collectively known as Romenel. 1 In fact, Old Romney may be older: "The town had a good and much frequented haven prior to the Conquest; but in the reign of Edward III. " 2 Early Origins of the Romenall familyThe surname Romenall was first found in Kent where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Romney, anciently Romenel. "[New Romney], the name of which is probably derived from the Saxon Rumen-ea, "a large watery expanse, or marsh," arose from the decay of Old Romney. At the time of the Conquest it was a town of considerable importance, divided into twelve wards, and containing five parochial churches." 2 At the time of the taking of the Domesday Book, 1 a survey of England initiated by Duke William of Normandy after his conquest of England, the village of Romney was held by a Norman noble, Robert de Romenel, de Rumenae and as was the Norman custom, the second son of the family adopted the name of the village. 3 Early History of the Romenall familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Romenall research. Another 112 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1500, 1593, 1601 and 1603 are included under the topic Early Romenall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Romenall Spelling VariationsAnglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Rumney, Rumnie, Romney, Romny, Romenel, Rumenel, Romnay and many more. Early Notables of the Romenall familyMore information is included under the topic Early Romenall Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Romenall familyBecause of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Romenall name or one of its variants: Thomas Romney who settled in Virginia in 1635; John Romney settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1767; George Rumney settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1766.
- 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.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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