Family Records

Indented Pedigree

An indented pedigree format displays the family descendants with each successive generation indented to the right. The lists below, divided into counties, give links to a number of Rowden family lines which, as yet, have no clear connection with each other. Each row includes a family Sept number to distinguish one family group from another.

Linked from this page is a new addition. It has been discovered that some of today's Rowdens have derived from other close variant spellings of the surname. This may have happened intentionally but is more likely to have occured through mis-spelling. See the Rowden

To search for a particular individual, use the pedigree name index section on the search page. This index contains more than 10100 names and will allow a search under forename, surname (at birth), or sept keywords.

The information here does not include all the Rowden families for which I have details. Each chart shows those individuals who were born with the Rowden surname, who were married to/partners of a Rowden or who adopted the Rowden surname. This limit is imposed to prevent the creation of what, otherwise, would be huge family trees and concentrate on the Rowden name. It will explain why the charts do not show the children of women whose maiden name is Rowden (unless they married another Rowden). Invariably I do have extra information, so please e-mail any request.

Every attempt is made to update it on a regular basis. If you find your family amongst the charts and can provide more details (or corrections), please let me know either through the message board or e-mail ...

All these charts include information on the latest changes and show related email contacts email. See the end of each pedigree page for reference to the layout. Some charts include an image icon camera after a individual's name which provides a link direct to the associated gallery. Multiple births (twin/triplets) are indicated with an icon multibirths.

A coloured background in the 'Place' cell indicates that someone from this Sept has contributed to the DNA project. The septs most recently updated have a darker date in the 'Place' column.

View previous changes or improvements to the pedigree charts

County of Devon

Place Sept Coverage
Bow (I)
where
Updated
28 March 2024
1 Family of Rowdens who lived in and around Bow, Devon. About 5 miles north west of Crediton, the village and area was home to many Rowdens in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Bow (II)

Updated
28 March 2024
4 Another large family of Rowdons who lived in Bow, Devon.
Bow (III)

Updated
28 March 2024
3 Formerly thought to have originated in Colebrooke it is now clear that this family came from Bow and is likely to be related to the two families above.  Parts of this family moved outside Devon to London and Somerset in the 1850s, but now has connections in USA, Australia. Henry, from this family, became a successful Dairyman in Australia
Bow (IV)

Updated
28 March 2024
7 A Rowdon family which settled in Colebrooke, near Bow, but now appears to have its origins in Bow
Bow (V)

Updated
28 March 2024
16 Many from this family had connections with the sea on the south coast of England, but whose earliest ancestors came from Bow.
Brixham
where
Updated
28 March 2024
15 A family of mariners and fishermen whose earliest ancestors came from Brixham, Devon but settled in Ringsend, Dublin in the 1830s. More recent generations appear in England, USA and New Zealand. Robert was a decorated mariner from this family.
Crediton (I)
where
Updated
28 March 2024
6 Another Rowden family from central Devon, including Thomas a watercolour artist.
Crediton (II)

Updated
28 March 2024
8 Another family of Rowdens from Crediton who migrated towards Exeter.
Crediton (III)

Updated
28 March 2024
11 A family of Rowdons from Crediton who moved up to London and ran a sugar and grocer business.
North Tawton
where
Updated
28 March 2024
5 North Tawton is just west of Bow, Devon and had a strong wool industry in the 19th century. Highly suspect that this family is linked to the Bow Rowdens. Much of this family moved to Exeter in the 1860s and some to Wales a generation later.
Poughill 
where
Updated
28 March 2024
9 After spending the 17th century in Poughill and the 18th century in Crediton, this family is found next in Plymouth and then in London.
South Molton
where
Updated
28 March 2024
12 This increasing large Sept, formerly thought to be from Chittlehampton, is found to have earlier origins in South Molton. There are former connections found in previous septs: Sept 18, Sept 31 (Wales) and Sept 62 (Newcastle). Some present descendants live as far away as Australia and New Zealand.
Thorverton
where
Updated
28 March 2024
10 Thorverton is about 7 miles north of Exeter and some 8 miles south of Tiverton. It was in Tiverton that this family made its home in the 19th century although by the beginning of the next seems to have diminished considerably. A few families set off for London in the ealy 1800s. This sept has absorbed former Sept 44.
Zeal Monachorum
where
Updated
28 March 2024
2 With modest movement in the early 19th century part of this family later moved to Port Hope, Ontario, Canada, and beyond. If you are a Rowden from Ontario you are probably connected.

England

Place Sept Coverage
England

Updated
28 March 2024
63 William Rowden, whose origins are not yet clear, is the earliest known ancestor in this family and he migrated with his small family to Quebec, Canada some time in the 1830s or 1840s. 70 years later most of the family had moved to the USA.

London

Place Sept Coverage
London

Updated
28 March 2024
17 A Rowdon family whose eariest known ancestor was born in London about 1820. However suspicions are that his ancestors came from Devon. Part of the family lived moved to the New Forest while others went abroad.

County of Hampshire

Place Sept Coverage
Broughton

Updated
28 March 2024
28 This family's origins in Hampshire are not yet fully clear and could possibly be central or coastal Hampshire. At least one son emigrated to the US and like many other Rowdens settled in Michigan. 
Portsmouth

Updated
28 March 2024
61 Although appearing to originate in Hampshire, most of the later generations were born in and around Sunderland and South Shields. There appears to have been little movement over the last 150 years. 

County of Herefordshire

Place Sept Coverage
Bromyard

Updated
28 March 2024
42 A Rowden family of distinction. The family migrated from Herefordshire to Gloucestershire and then to Oxfordshire. A young woman from this family, Diana, was a spy in WW2 and lost her life in a concentration camp.

County of Wiltshire

Place Sept Coverage
Alderbury

Updated
28 March 2024
27 More Rowdens from Wiltshire who lived just out of Salisbury to the south east; they could have originated from the west and be linked to Sept 25. Alternatively the family could have come from Hampshire not far to the east. A number of the male lines moved to the USA in the 1860s.
East Knoyle I

Updated
28 March 2024
22 An early Rowden family from Wiltshire, which although not large may have links with the larger sept 25. Some travelled to Australia being tempted by the Gold Rush in Ballarat, Victoria in the 1850s.
Former origin was Mere, Wiltshire.
East Knoyle II

Updated
28 March 2024
51 Now a very large family of Rowdens. Largely made up of mariners and oyster dredgers from the village Seasalter and its larger nearby town Whitstable in Kent, including Jasper. Jasper was born in Wiltshire but moved to Kent in the early 18th century.
Former origin was Seasalter, Kent.
Horningsham

Updated
28 March 2024
46 The beginnings of what is probably a much larger family. Certainly part of the larger Wiltshire family; possibly linked to Sept 25.
Steeple
Langford


Updated
28 March 2024
25 A large Rowden family from southern Wiltshire that lived for centuries in the Wylye valley area. Some from this sept spread into Somerset, some to Middlesex and some to Essex. Others moved westward to Bristol or Wales. Some travelled further afield to Australia, Canada or the USA. Its origins, back into the 16th century and beyond, are still being pursued. The largest sept on the site! ...which includes Thomas, (Royal Marine), James, (Missionary) and William, (Professor),

United States of America

Place Sept Coverage
Maryland

Updated
28 March 2024
71 This family begins in Maryland with William Rowden who was born about 1799. He died in Indiana but his family spread into Ohio, Arkansas, Kanasas, some as far west as Texas and some to California.