Rosswel History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe name Rosswel is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when a family lived in Rothwell, a place-name found in the counties of Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, and the West Riding of Yorkshire. 1 The place-name Rothwell is derived from the Old English words roth, which means forest clearing, and wella, which means spring or stream. The place-name as a whole translates as "spring or stream in the summer clearing." 2 In the Domesday Book, 3 compiled in 1086, each of those places was originally listed as Rodewelle. Early Origins of the Rosswel familyThe surname Rosswel was first found in Lincolnshire where one of the first listings of the family was Robert de Rothewelle who was listed there in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. Later in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls, Johanna de Rothewell and Johannes de Rothewell were listed. 1 Early History of the Rosswel familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rosswel research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1563, 1627 and 1640 are included under the topic Early Rosswel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Rosswel Spelling VariationsSound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Rosswel family name include Rothwell, Rathwell, Rosswell, Rosewell and others. Early Notables of the Rosswel familyDistinguished members of the family include Richard Rothwell, the exorcist, who was born at Bolton (now in Greater Manchester) in 1563. 4 He died in 1627 and was "known
as "Bold Rothwell, the Apostle of the North," and famed as an exorcist, who professed to have wonderful contests... Migration of the Rosswel family to IrelandSome of the Rosswel family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Migration of the Rosswel familyFor political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Rosswel surname or a spelling variation of the name include : Elizabeth Rothwell who settled with her husband in New England in 1654; James and Hesta Rothwell arrived in Pennsylvania in 1685; William Rothwell arrived in Pennsylvania in 1807..
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