Ruscoe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Cornwall, one of the original six "Celtic nations" is the homeland to the surname Ruscoe. A revival of the Cornish language which began in the 9th century AD has begun. No doubt this was the language spoken by distant forebears of the Ruscoe family. Though surnames became common during medieval times, English people were formerly known only by a single name. The way in which hereditary surnames were adopted in medieval England is fascinating. Many Cornish surnames appear to be topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees, many are actually habitation surnames. The name Ruscoe is a local type of surname and the Ruscoe family lived in Cornwall. Their name, however, derives from the Old Norse roscowe, meaning roe-buck-wood, and indicates that the original bearer lived near a stand of such timber.

Early Origins of the Ruscoe family

The surname Ruscoe was first found in Cornwall where they were Lords of the manor of Roscrowe. 1 There is some disagreement about the earliest reference of the name as one reference claims "I feel sure it is a Lancashire local surname, although I cannot find the spot." 2 This source continues on with the earliest record of Gilbert Roscoe, of Exton as recorded in the Wills at Chester in 1303. Continuing in the same register, he noted James Roscoe of Farnworth, in 1303 and James Roscow of Leigh in 1504. 2

Back in Cornwall, Roscrowe is an estate in the parish of Gluvias in Cornwall which was held by the family in the 14th century and became extinct during the time of Henry I. 1

"Roscrow, [in the parish of St. Gluvias] according to Hals, gave name to a family of gentlemen at a very early period, of whom it became and continued the seat, until the reign of Henry VI. when the family of Roscrow became extinct in the male line. According to Tonkin, Thomas Harry, who settled at this place, in the reign of Henry VIII. took the name of Roscrow, and in succeeding years his grandson sold the barton to Samuel Pendarves, Esq." 3

Early History of the Ruscoe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ruscoe research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ruscoe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ruscoe 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 Roscoe, Roscrowe, Roscrow, Rosecrowe, Roscow and others.

Early Notables of the Ruscoe family

More information is included under the topic Early Ruscoe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ruscoe migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Ruscoe Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Benjamin Ruscoe, English convict from Stafford, who was transported aboard the "Adamant" on March 16, 1821, settling in New South Wales, Australia 4
Mr. William Ruscoe who was convicted in Hereford, Herefordshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Circassian" on 4th November 1832, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5
Mr. Richard Ruscoe, (b. 1810), aged 23, English convict who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for 14 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Fairlie" on 14th October 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6

Ruscoe migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Ruscoe Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

John Ruscoe, aged 25, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oliver Lang" in 1856
Harriet Ruscoe, aged 25, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oliver Lang" in 1856

Contemporary Notables of the name Ruscoe (post 1700) +

Ernest C. Ruscoe, American Republican politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Wilton; Elected 1906, 1920 7
Dewitt C. Ruscoe, American Republican politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from New Canaan; Elected 1902, 1904 7
Sybil Ruscoe (b. 1960), English radio and television presenter
Melissa Ruscoe MNZM (b. 1976), New Zealand sportswoman, former captain of the association football and rugby union national teams
Alan Ruscoe, British actor, best known for his work in the Star Wars films and the television series Doctor Who

Historic Events for the Ruscoe family +

Halifax Explosion

Master Walter Ruscoe (1910-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 8
Mr. Albert Ruscoe (1881-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 8
Mrs. A. Ruscoe (1882-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 8
Master Gordon Ruscoe (1915-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 8
Miss Florence Gertrude Ruscoe (1905-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 8

HMS Repulse

Mr. Thomas L Ruscoe, British Stoker 1st Class, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 9

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Adamant voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1821 with 144 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/adamant/1821
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 8th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/circassian
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html