Show ContentsRobotham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Robotham name has descended through the generations from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name comes from having lived in Lancashire where this local surname was derived from the local at the roe-bottom a residence in the depressed ground frequented by deer. Robotham is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree.

Early Origins of the Robotham family

The surname Robotham was first found in Lancashire from very ancient times and were Lords of the Manor of Rowbottom near Ashton-under-Lyne in that shire. Some say they held a family seat there prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Robotham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Robotham research. Another 97 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1520, 1560, 1654 and 1710 are included under the topic Early Robotham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Robotham Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Robotham has undergone many spelling variations, including Robottom, Roebottom, Rowbottom, Rowebottom, Robotham, Roebotham, Rowbotham, Rowebotham, Rowbarton, Roebarton, Rowebarton, Rowbothan, Roebothan, Rowbottam, Rowebottam and many more.

Early Notables of the Robotham family

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


United States Robotham migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Robotham were among those contributors:

Robotham Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • William Robotham, who landed in Maryland in 1673 [1]
  • John Robotham, who arrived in Virginia in 1677 [1]
  • William Robotham, who arrived in New York in 1679
  • Anne Robotham, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1683
  • George Robotham, who landed in Maryland in 1698 [1]

West Indies Robotham migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. [2]
Robotham Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century
  • George Robotham who settled in Jamaica in 1762

Contemporary Notables of the name Robotham (post 1700) +

  • Wilson W. Robotham, American Republican politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Farmington; Elected 1916; Defeated, 1918
  • Michael Robotham (b. 1960), Australian novelist

HMS Hood
  • Mr. Charles Robotham (b. 1916), English Able Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Liverpool, Lancashire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking [3]


  1. 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)
  2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  3. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm


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