The proud Rossowhourn family originated in
Cornwall, a rugged coastal region in southwestern
England. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same
personal name. The manner in which
hereditary surnames arose is interesting.
Local surnames are derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. The Rossowhourn family originally lived at
Rosewarne estate in Camborne in the county of
Cornwall which had anciently owners of the same name, who held the estates until the reign of James I., when De Rosewarne sold it to Ezekiel Grosse, gentleman and attorney at law. According to legend, a ghost pointed out to him a great treasure in the mansion (hidden there doubtless by one of the Rosewarnes) which he appropriated; but the "phantom" so haunted him, that he sold it to his clerk, John Call.
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Early Origins of the Rossowhourn family
The surname Rossowhourn was first found in
Cornwall at Rosewarne, now a hamlet north of Camborne. The family resided at Rosowhorne Kaye or Key from ancient times.
Early History of the Rossowhourn family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rossowhourn research.
Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1630, 1660, 1641 and 1642 are included under the topic Early Rossowhourn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Rossowhourn 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 Rosewaren, Rosewarren, Rosewarn, Rosewarne, Rosewarran, Rossewarn, Rosowhorne, Rosewhorne and many more.
Early Notables of the Rossowhourn family (pre 1700)
Notable amongst the family at this time was John Rosworme or Rosworm (
fl. 1630-1660), English engineer-general of the army of the Commonwealth. He had served as a military engineer on...
Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rossowhourn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Rossowhourn family to the New World and Oceana
A look at the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Rossowhourn: Mathias Roseworne who landed in North America in 1783.
Rossowhourn Family Crest Products
See Also
Citations
- ^ Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.