| ![Show Contents]() Ruse History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 brought many new words to England from which surnames were formed. Ruse was one of these new Norman names. It was specifically tailored to its first bearer, who was a person who had the given name Andrew, which is derived from Anrias. The name may also be a nickname derived from the Old English word rouse, which means red or red-haired. 1 Early Origins of the Ruse familyThe surname Ruse was first found in Yorkshire, although there seems to be two distinct origins of this surname. This history discusses in detail the English/Scottish borders origin of the name. For this origin, the first reference of the name was Godfrey de Ross, a vassal of the de Morevilles, obtaining from Richard de Moreville the lands of Stewarton in Cuningham. 2 This family of Ros or Ross came from Yorkshire. James de Ros, Reginald de Ross and Peter de Ross appear about the same time also as vassals of Richard de Moreville. These people are also listed as witnesses in his charters. The aforementioned Godfrey de Ross witnessed de Moreville's charter of Gillemoristun with Edulfus filius Utredi c. 1189. A few years later in 1205, Sir Godfrey de Rose, Arthur de Ross and Fergus de Rosse witnessed an agreement between the burgesses of Irvine and Brice of Eglunstone. Robert de Ros or Rosse (d. 1227), "baron, was the son of Everard de Ros of Helmsley or Hamlake in the North Riding of Yorkshire. The family also held lands in Holderness, where was situated Ros, to which they gave, or from which they received, their name. Robert succeeded to his father's lands in 1191, paying a relief of one thousand marks. In 1195 he was bailiff and castellan of Bonneville-sur-Touques in Lower Normandy, near which the Norman lands of the family lay." 3 "The manor [at Roos, Yorkshire] was from the reign of Henry I. the seat and property of the noble family of Roos, one of whose barons had the glory of leading the second division of the English army at the battle of Cressy. The site is still visible of the castle of the former barons; and in part of the old moat have been lately found a misericorde dagger and some amber beads. The place confers the original title on the present family of De Ros." 4 Early History of the Ruse familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ruse research. Another 169 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1363, 1370, 1372, 1390, 1394, 1396, 1403, 1404, 1413, 1414, 1455, 1508 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Ruse History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Ruse Spelling VariationsA multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Ros, Roose, Ross, Ruse and others. Early Notables of the Ruse familyNotable amongst bearers of this family name during their early history was The 5th Earl of Ross, William, who died in 1372; and William de Ros, 6th Baron de Ros of Helmsley, (c.1370-1414), Lord Treasurer of England, already a Knight and inherited the rank and privileges of his deceased brother, first summoned to the Parliament of England on November 20 1394, He would regularly attend sessions till 1413, first assignment from Richard II of England was to join Walter Skirlaw, Bishop of Durham, Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland and others in negotiating for a peace treaty with Robert III of...
Another 188 words (13 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ruse Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Ruse family to Ireland
Some of the Ruse family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Ruse migration to the United States | + |
Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Ruse or a variant listed above:
Ruse Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Dan Ruse, who landed in Virginia in 1655 5
Ruse Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- George Ruse, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1765 5
Ruse Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- John M Ruse, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1852 5
- Peter Ruse, who arrived in Indiana in 1852 5
| Ruse migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Ruse Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century- Mr. James Ruse (b. 17590, aged 23, Cornish settler convicted in Bodmin, Cornwall, UK on 29th June 1782, sentenced for 7 years for stealing 2 silver watches, transported aboard the ship "Scarborough" on 13th May 1787 to New South Wales, Australia 6
| Contemporary Notables of the name Ruse (post 1700) | + |
- James Ruse (1759-1837), one of the first settlers in Australia having arrived on the First Fleet in 1788
- Michael Ruse (b. 1940), British philosopher of biology
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Spem successus alit
Motto Translation: Success nourishes hope
- Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, 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)
- Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_convicts.pdf
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Ruse migration to the United States 
Ruse migration to Australia 
Scotland/England
Germany
Scotland
Ireland
