EnglandThe name Rookwood belongs to the early history of Britain, it's origins lie with the Anglo-Saxons. It is a product of their having lived in a wooded area with distinct rocky terrain. Rookwood 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. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties.
The surname Rookwood was first found in Norfolk where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the census rolls taken by the ancient Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rookwood research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1578, 1606, 1600, 1664, 1696 and 1696 are included under the topic Early Rookwood History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Rookwood include Rockwood, Rookwood and others.
Distinguished members of the family include Ambrose Rookwood or Rokewood (c. 1578-1606), English conspirator, the eldest son of Robert Rookwood (d. 1600), of Stanningfield, Suffolk. The family had been possessed of the manor of Stanningfield since the time of Edward I, and its members had frequently represented Suffolk in parliament; it remained staunchly Roman Catholic, and many of its members, including Ambrose's parents, suffered fines and imprisonment for their faith.
His son, Ambrose Rookwood (1664-1696), entered the army, in which...
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rookwood Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Rookwood were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: Anthony Rockwood who settled in Virginia in 1635; C. Rockwood settled in New Orleans in 1823; William Rockwood settled in Trinity Bay, Newfoundland in 1772.
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