Ruland History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

Ruland is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Ruland family lived in Lincolnshire at Ryland, a hamlet, in the parish of Welton, wapentake of Lawress, parts of Lindsey. [1]

This name is a topographical reference to land owned by the Rye family in this county. Rye is also topographical and indicates that the original bearer of the name lived near to a field of rye, and was distinguished by this proximity.

Mr. J. Paul Rylands, F.S.A., says the name 'Ryelands is derived from the Anglo-Saxon rye or rhee, a water-course or stream, and lands, the lands adjoining or above the stream.'

Early Origins of the Ruland family

The surname Ruland was first found in Lancashire where Robert del Ruylondes, of West Halghton was recorded 1 Edward III. The same source notes William de Rylondes, of Halghton, 6 Edward III and Nicholas del Rylondes, 1436. [2]

Another source notes Stephen de Riland in c. 1232-1245 and John de Rylaundes in the Assize Rolls for Lancashire in 1281. Later in Cheshire, Thomas de Rilond was listed in the Assize Rolls c. 1296. [3]

Early History of the Ruland family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ruland research. Another 179 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1500, 1723, 1753, 1759, 1760, 1767, 1769, 1771, 1781, 1782, 1786, 1792, 1822, 1825 and 1838 are included under the topic Early Ruland History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ruland Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Ryland, Roylance, Rylander, Rilands, Rylands and others.

Early Notables of the Ruland family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Collett Ryland (1723-1792), English divine, son of Joseph Ryland, a farmer and grazier of Lower Ditchford, Gloucestershire, and grandson of John Ryland, yeoman, of Hinton-on-the-Green, Gloucestershire, born at Bourton-on-the-Water in the same county on 12 Oct. 1723. In October 1759 Ryland left Warwick for Northampton, where he lived twenty-six years as minister and schoolmaster, his pupils often numbering as many as ninety. Ryland died at Enfield on 24 July 1792, and was buried at Northampton, his funeral sermon (two editions, 1792) being preached by Dr. John Rippon. [4]John Ryland (1753-1825), Baptist minister...
Another 221 words (16 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ruland Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Ruland family to Ireland

Some of the Ruland family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ruland migration to Canada +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Ruland or a variant listed above:

Ruland Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Joanna Ruland U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 [5]

Contemporary Notables of the name Ruland (post 1700) +

Jim Ruland, American Republican politician, Candidate for West Virginia State Senate 16th District, 2012 [6]
Arthur J. Ruland, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 34th District, 1942 [6]
Arthur J. Ruland, American Democratic Party politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Broome County, 1912 [6]

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html