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![Show Contents]() Romnay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
Romnay is one of the thousands of new names that the Norman Conquest brought to England in 1066. The Romnay family lived in Kent, at New Romney, or Old Romney parishes and locals that date back to at least the Domesday Book where they were collectively known as Romenel. 1 In fact, Old Romney may be older: "The town had a good and much frequented haven prior to the Conquest; but in the reign of Edward III. " 2 Early Origins of the Romnay familyThe surname Romnay was first found in Kent where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Romney, anciently Romenel. "[New Romney], the name of which is probably derived from the Saxon Rumen-ea, "a large watery expanse, or marsh," arose from the decay of Old Romney. At the time of the Conquest it was a town of considerable importance, divided into twelve wards, and containing five parochial churches." 2 At the time of the taking of the Domesday Book, 1 a survey of England initiated by Duke William of Normandy after his conquest of England, the village of Romney was held by a Norman noble, Robert de Romenel, de Rumenae and as was the Norman custom, the second son of the family adopted the name of the village. 3 Early History of the Romnay familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Romnay research. Another 112 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1500, 1593, 1601 and 1603 are included under the topic Early Romnay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Romnay Spelling VariationsMultitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Rumney, Rumnie, Romney, Romny, Romenel, Rumenel, Romnay and many more. Early Notables of the Romnay familyMore information is included under the topic Early Romnay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Romnay familyBecause of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Romnay or a variant listed above: Thomas Romney who settled in Virginia in 1635; John Romney settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1767; George Rumney settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1766.
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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