Rossowhorne History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe Rossowhorne history begins in Cornwall, a rugged coastal region in southwestern England. Quite distinct from Devon, the adjoining county, Cornwall had its own spoken language until the late 18th century. The Rossowhorne history began here. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames were derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. Unlike most Celtic peoples, who favored patronymic names, the Cornish predominantly used local surnames. The Rossowhorne family originally lived at Rosewarne estate in Camborne in the county of Cornwall which had anciently owners of the same name, who held the estates until the reign of James I., when De Rosewarne sold it to Ezekiel Grosse, gentleman and attorney at law. According to legend, a ghost pointed out to him a great treasure in the mansion (hidden there doubtless by one of the Rosewarnes) which he appropriated; but the "phantom" so haunted him, that he sold it to his clerk, John Call. 1 Early Origins of the Rossowhorne familyThe surname Rossowhorne was first found in Cornwall at Rosewarne, now a hamlet north of Camborne. The family resided at Rosowhorne Kaye or Key from ancient times. "On the bartons of Lower Rosewarne and Crane, where nothing but farm houses now appear, were formerly the seats of two families of these names. But these in the reign of James were sold to Ezekiel Grosse, Esq. after passing through some intermediate hands." 2 Early History of the Rossowhorne familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rossowhorne research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1630, 1641, 1642 and 1660 are included under the topic Early Rossowhorne History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Rossowhorne Spelling VariationsCornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and 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 of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Rosewaren, Rosewarren, Rosewarn, Rosewarne, Rosewarran, Rossewarn, Rosowhorne, Rosewhorne and many more. Early Notables of the Rossowhorne familyNotable amongst the family at this time was John Rosworme or Rosworm (fl. 1630-1660), English engineer-general of the army of the Commonwealth. He had served as a military engineer on... Migration of the Rossowhorne familyEarly records show that people bearing the name Rossowhorne arrived in North America quite early: Mathias Roseworne who landed in North America in 1783.
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