The ancestors of the Rowson family first reached the shores of England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. Their name is derived from the Norman given name Ralph. This name, which also occurs as Ralf, Rolf, and Raoul, is adapted from the Old French given name Raol. [1] [2]
The surname Rowson was first found in Yorkshire where "Rawson has been a familiar Yorkshire surname for the last five hundred years." [3]
The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed: Willelmus Raufson, 1379; Johannes Rauson; and Ricardus Raweson.
Further north in Scotland, the first record of the name was William Rauessone of Berwickshire who rendered homage to King Edward I of England in 1296. Later, Andrew Rawsoun was messenger of arms in Banff in 1569 and James Rawson was reidare at Raffort, 1574. [4]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rowson research. Another 146 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1595, 1626, 1655, 1570, 1470, 1547, 1478, 1483, 1476, 1517, 1543, 1615, 1693, 1616, 1656, 1692 and 1849 are included under the topic Early Rowson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval 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. The name has been spelled Rawson, Rawsone and others.
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Rawson, Viscount Clontarff (c. 1470-1547.) He was descended from an ancient family seated at Water Fryston in Yorkshire; his father, Richard Rawson, was from 1478 to 1483, senior warden of the Mercers' Company, and in 1476 served as alderman in London, subsequently becoming sheriff. In 1517 Rawson was made Treasurer of Ireland. A brother Richard (died 1543) was chaplain to Henry VIII and archdeacon of Essex. [5]
Edward Rawson (1615-1693), was an English settler to America from Dorset...
Another 85 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rowson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Rowson family to IrelandSome of the Rowson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Rowson migration to the United States +Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Rowson or a variant listed above:
Rowson migration to Canada +Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
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England
Ireland
Scotland
