Rawnsley Surname History

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins and Etymology of Rawnsley

The surname Rawnsley was first found in Yorkshire in the West Riding where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the year 1273 when Ralph de Ravensley held estates. This may have related to Ravensfield a village in South Yorkshire which dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Rauenesfeld. A that time, there was a woodland pasture 2 furlongs land and wide and could hold 1 plough. The land was held by William de Warenne. 1 The name was derived from the Old English personal name hraefn + feld which meant "Hraefn, or land frequently traveled by ravens." 2

Early History of the Rawnsley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rawnsley research. Another 106 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Rawnsley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rawnsley Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Ravensley, Ravenslee, Rawnsley, Ransley, Ranslie, Rawnslie and many more.

Early Notables of the Rawnsley family

More information is included under the topic Early Rawnsley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rawnsley migration to the United States +

Rawnsley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Joshua Rawnsley, who settled in Portsmouth, NH in 1830

Rawnsley migration to Australia +

Rawnsley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Rawnsley, English convict who was convicted in Bradford, Yorkshire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 9th May 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Rawnsley (post 1700) +

Matthew Rawnsley (b. 1976), English cricketer
Hardwicke Rawnsley (1851-1920), English clergyman, poet, writer of hymns and conservationist
Henry Charles Rawnsley, Australian bird collector, eponym of Rawnsley’s Bowerbird, also known as Rawnsley’s Satin Bird
Brenda Rawnsley (1916-2007), British arts campaigner and arts education activist
Andrew Rawnsley (b. 1962), British political journalist
Walter Rawnsley, High Sheriff of Lincolnshire

Sources +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa