Ryngrose History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Ryngrose is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Ryngrose family lived in Yorkshire. The name is thought to be a combination of the names of two areas, Ringborough and Roos, both of which were held by the same tenant in Chief. Since it was the Norman custom for all but the first son to take the name of the land which the family held it is thought that the name is a rare combined derivation.

Early Origins of the Ryngrose family

The surname Ryngrose was first found in Yorkshire but the ancient origin of this name is obscure. 1 The first on record is John Ringerose who was listed in Norwich in 1259. John Ringros was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Cumberland in 1332 and Thomas Ryngotherose was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire in the same year. 2

Stephen Ryngros was Chaplain of St. Mary's in Scarborough in Yorkshire in the year 1582. Conjecturally they may be of Norse origin, from Hringr, but this would date back so far that for all intents and purposes they would have become immersed in the Norman culture. The name, however, seems to have caught the attention and imagination of the first Queen Elizabeth, for she commanded a Hampshire gentleman to adopt the name of Colonel John Ringrose about the same year and bade him journey to Ireland to seek his fortune. The Irish herald, however, claims he was from Yorkshire, and settled in East Clare in the south of Ireland.

At the taking of the Domesday Book in 1086 there were two villages in the East Riding of Yorkshire, one Ringborough and the other Roos. Both of these villages were held by a Norman noble and tenant-in-chief, Drogo de Beuvriere, 3 and, as it was the custom for junior sons to take the surname of their village, the name may have derived from a combination of these two village names and be directly descended from Drogo Ring-Roos.

Early History of the Ryngrose family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ryngrose research. Another 129 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1678 and 1686 are included under the topic Early Ryngrose History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ryngrose Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Ryngrose are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Ryngrose include Ringrose, Ryngrose, Ryngerose, Ringerose and others.

Early Notables of the Ryngrose family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Stephen Ryngros, Chaplain of St. Mary's, in Scarborough in Yorkshire. Mention should also be made of the infamous Basil Ringrose (d.1686) the noted buccaneer, navigator, geographer and author. He died during...
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ryngrose Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Ryngrose family to Ireland

Some of the Ryngrose 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.

Migration of the Ryngrose family

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Ryngrose, or a variant listed above: John Ringerose who landed in North America in 1700.

Citations +

Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)