Roads History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Roads arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Roads family lived in Lincolnshire at Rhoades, but more often than not, the name originates in the West Riding of Yorkshire. 1 The name literally means "dweller by the clearing(s)" from the Old English word "rod(u)." 2 As to confirm this meaning of the name, another source notes "a topographic name for someone who lived by a clearing in the woodland." 3 4 Accordingly, one must dispel the rather obvious assumption that the name was derived from Rhodes, in the Mediterranean Sea. 5
The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford that was established in 1902, by English businessman and politician Cecil John Rhodes (1853-1902.)
Early Origins of the Roads family
The surname Roads was first found in Yorkshire. "Roads is a numerous Bucks [(Buckinghamshire)] name. There are hamlets and villages called Rhodes in Lancashire and the West Riding. A family named Rodes or De Rodes flourished for 500 or 600 years in Lincolnshire, Notts [(Nottinghamshire)], Yorkshire, and Derbyshire: they were descended from Gerard de Rodes, a distinguished Baron of the 12th century. " 1
While we can find places named Rhodes in the United States, Australia and South Africa, we cannot find any in England today, nor can we find Rhoades in Lincolnshire. However, a second source notes the Yorkshire reference as follows: "This was a common Yorkshire entry, and explains the large number of Rhodes in the West Riding Directory." 6
As if to help us through this confusion, one source confirms that the first listing of the name was indeed found in Yorkshire as in Hugh de Rodes who was listed in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1219. A few years later, Alexander de la rode was listed in 1277 in Norfolk. John atte Rode was listed in Bedfordshire in 1294 and Robert del Rodes was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire in 1332. 2
Early History of the Roads family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Roads research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1550, 1591, 1663, 1664, 1668 and 1674 are included under the topic Early Roads History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Roads Spelling Variations
Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Rhodes, Rhoades, Rhode, Rhoads, Roades, Roads and others.
Early Notables of the Roads family
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Hugh Rhodes (fl. 1550), an English author of the 'Book of Nurture,' 'born and bred in' Devonshire, a gentleman of the king's chapel. 7
John Rhoades, was an early American fur trader from New England, who was part of Jurriaen...
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Roads Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Roads migration to the United States +
For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Roads or a variant listed above were:
Roads Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- George Roads, who landed in Virginia in 1623 8
- Christopher Roads, who arrived in Virginia in 1638 8
- Catherine Roads, who landed in Maryland in 1658 8
- John Roads, who landed in Maryland in 1663 8
Roads Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Thomas Roads, who arrived in Virginia in 1702 8
Roads migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Roads Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
- Henry Roads, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1778
Roads migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Roads Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Thomas Roads, aged 37, a carpenter, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Trafalgar" 9
- Richard Roads, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Trafalgar" in 1849 9
Contemporary Notables of the name Roads (post 1700) +
- Samuel Roads Jr., American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Massachusetts 6th District, 1902 10
- John F. Roads (1806-1890), American politician, Postmaster at Hamburg, Pennsylvania, 1851-53 10
- Mrs. C. F. Roads, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Massachusetts, 1952 10
- Hardin Roads Harmer (1899-1963), American Republican politician, Member of West Virginia Republican State Executive Committee, 1940-44; Member of West Virginia State Senate 13th District, 1943-48; resigned 1948 11
- Roads Veale, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from California, 1972 12
The Roads Motto +
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: Robor meum Deus
Motto Translation: Strength through God.
Citations +
- Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Hanks Patricia, Flavia Hodges, Mills A.D., Room Adrian, The Oxford Names Companion. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002. Print. (ISBN 0-19-860561-7)
- Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. 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)
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. 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)
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The TRAFALGAR 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Trafalgar.htm
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 24) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html