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 slightly darker cell in the 'Updated' column.

View previous changes or improvements to the pedigree charts

County of Devon

Place Sept Coverage Updated
Bow (I)
where		 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. 11 November 2022
Bow (II)
 4 Another large family of Rowdons who lived in Bow, Devon. 01 January 2022
Bow (III)
 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 05 March 2022
Bow (IV)
 7 A Rowdon family which settled in Colebrooke, near Bow, but now appears to have its origins in Bow 31 December 2020
Bow (V) 
 16 Many from this family had connections with the sea on the south coast of England, but whose earliest ancestors came from Bow. 11 March 2019
Brixham
where		 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. 11 March 2021
Crediton (I)
where		 6 Another Rowden family from central Devon, including Thomas a watercolour artist. 23 May 2021
Crediton (II)
 8 Another family of Rowdens from Crediton who migrated towards Exeter. 27 December 2018
Crediton (III)
 11 A family of Rowdons from Crediton who moved up to London and ran a sugar and grocer business. 05 March 2022
North Tawton
where		 5 North Tawton is just west of Bow, Devon and had a strong wool industry in the 19th century. Strongly 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. 05 March 2022
Poughill 
where		 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. 11 March 2019
South Molton
where		 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. 26 September 2023
Thorverton
where		 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. 26 September 2023
Zeal Monachorum
where		 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. 26 September 2023

England

Place Sept Coverage Updated
England 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. 26 September 2023

London

Place Sept Coverage Updated
London 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. 11 November 2022

County of Hampshire

Place Sept Coverage Updated
Broughton 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.  31 December 2019
Portsmouth 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.  01 January 2022

County of Herefordshire

Place Sept Coverage Updated
Bromyard 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. 31 December 2019

County of Wiltshire

where
Place Sept Coverage Updated
Alderbury 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. 05 March 2022
East Knoyle I 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.		 26 September 2023
East Knoyle II 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.		 26 September 2023
Horningsham 46 The beginnings of what is probably a much larger family. Certainly part of the larger Wiltshire family; possibly linked to Sept 25. 26 September 2023
Steeple
Langford		 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), 26 September 2023

United States of America

Place Sept Coverage Updated
Maryland 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. 26 September 2023