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![Show Contents]() Roydon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
The ancient history of the Roydon name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided in Roydon, places found in Essex and Norfolk. The place-name Roydon is derived from the Old English elements rygen, which means rye, and dun, which means hill. The place-name as a whole translates as "hill where rye is grown." Roydon in Essex was recorded in the Domesday Book as Ruindune; Roydon in Norfolk was recorded in that document as Regadona. The Domesday Book was a survey of England ordered by King WIlliam the Conqueror, the first Norman King of England, in 1086. It was used to reassess the Danegeld (the tax system in place at the time) and as a reference for the settlement of property disputes. Early Origins of the Roydon familyThe surname Roydon was first found in Suffolk but other branches of the family were located elsewhere. By example, Rowton is a small village located seven miles north of Wellington, Shropshire. It dates back to at least the Domesday Book where it was recorded as Rugheton. 1 The Battle of Rowton Heath was fought between the forces of the parliament and those of King Charles on 24 September 1645 during the English Civil War. "On Rowton Heath was fought the important battle between the forces of the parliament and those of King Charles, which proved so fatal to the brave Earl of Lichfield, and so disastrous to his royal master; here, also, the Cheshire gentry assembled and declared for a free parliament, on the attempt of Sir George Booth to restore Charles II., in 1659." 2 Rowton Castle is a Grade II listed country house near Shrewsbury in Shropshire. The present castle was built in the 17th century, although a previous castle named Rowton Castle had stood on the site for several hundred years previously. As of 1986, it has been a luxury hotel. Early History of the Roydon familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Roydon research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1580, 1583, 1610, 1614, 1622 and 1646 are included under the topic Early Roydon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Roydon Spelling VariationsUntil quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Roydon include Royden, Roydon, Rowton, Rowden and others. Early Notables of the Roydon familyNotables of this surname at this time include: - Sir Marmaduke Roydon (1583-1646), English merchant-adventurer, son of Ralph Roydon or Rawdon of Rawden Brandesby in Yorkshire. At sixteen years of age he went to London, where he was apprenticed to Da...
- Matthew Roydon (fl. 1580-1622), was an English poet and was possibly son of Owen Roydon. "There were Roydon families settled in Kent, Surrey, Essex, and Norfolk, but to which branch Owen and Matthew R...
Migration of the Roydon familySearching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled 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 ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Roydon or a variant listed above: William Royden arrived in west New Jersey in 1664; Robert Rowden settled in Virginia in 1657; Thomas Rowden settled in Philadelphia in 1774.
- 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.
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