Show ContentsRawles History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Rawles surname is a patronymic from a medieval form of the personal name Ralph.

Early Origins of the Rawles family

The surname Rawles was first found in Cornwall where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Kennet and Trevil in St.Juliet. "The manor called Tresparvet [in the parish of St. Ives] belongs to William Rawle, Esq. in whose family it has been vested for many generations. The manor of Tremorvill or Tremorill, which belonged to the Bottreaux family so early as the reign of Edward I. is the property of Mr. Rawle." [1]

Early History of the Rawles family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rawles research. Another 168 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1400, 1632, 1658, 1660, 1683, 1686 and 1727 are included under the topic Early Rawles History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rawles Spelling Variations

Cornish 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 Rawle, Rawles, Rorles, Ralls, Rall and others.

Early Notables of the Rawles family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Francis Rawle (1660-1727), Cornish colonist, born in England, son of Francis Rawle, and came of an old Cornish family of some wealth and standing, settled at one time near St. Juliot, and later in the neighbourhood of Plymouth. "Both father and son were Quakers, and were persecuted...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rawles Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Rawles migration to the United States +

A search of the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Rawles:

Rawles Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • George Rawles, who landed in Virginia in 1635 [2]
  • Mary Rawles, who settled in Virginia in 1653
  • William Rawles, who arrived in Maryland in 1679 [2]

Australia Rawles migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Rawles Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Edward Rawles, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Pestonjee Bomanjee" in 1851 [3]

Contemporary Notables of the name Rawles (post 1700) +

  • Nancy Rawles, American playwright, novelist, and teacher
  • Tom Rawles, American Libertarian politician, Candidate in primary for Governor of Arizona, 1998 [4]
  • Edward Rawles, American politician, Member of North Carolina State House of Representatives, 1884, 1897 [4]
  • James Wesley Rawles (b. 1960), American New York Times best-selling author, best known for his survivalist genre Patriots novel series
  • Walter Rawles, American Lawyer


  1. Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
  2. 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)
  3. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) PESTONJEE BOMANJEE 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Marion.htm
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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