Rowdens on the Move

It seems that although people first used the Rowden surname in England during the 15th century, give or take a hundred years, they did not always stay put. Certainly some migrated as early as the 18th century. However during the 19th century many departed the shores of England leaving from her major ports, London, Liverpool, Southampton and Plymouth to chase dreams of a better life in another world.

Barque

Departures from England in the early 1800s were likely to have been on a sailing vessel similar to the one pictured here. Journeys to Australia and New Zealand were an ordeal in themselves and some either did not make it or perished shortly after arrival. People left with great promise but wherever the point of arrival in the 'new world', conditions were usually poorer than the point of departure.

So who were they?

Set out below is a list of Rowdens who left England not expecting to return, in order by migration year. Some were sailors who never quite made it back home. One or two did return permanently and a few returned on visits but most stayed in their new country. You will note that some migrated from their chosen country to another later in life. The list below shows either an indiviual who migrated or the head of the family who left en masse.

Someone missing from the list? let me know

born
1785
England
migrated
1830s
Canada
born
1803
Sandford, Devon, England
migrated
1834
Lancaster, Grant Co, Wisconsin, USA
born
1803
Stapleford, Wiltshire, England
migrated
1835
Shelby, Kentucky, USA
born
1813
Great Wishford, Wiltshire, England
migrated
1837
Port Huron, Michigan, USA
born
1816
Chilmark, Wiltshire, England
migrated
1837
New York, USA
born
1828
Great Wishford, Wiltshire, England
migrated
1840
Kentucky, USA
born
1822
St Mark, Middlesex, England
migrated
1850s
Geelong, Victoria, Australia
born
1801
Hartland, Devon, England
migrated
1851
Port Hope, Ontario, Canada
John Rowden
Sept 12
born
1806
Chittlehampton, Devon, England
migrated
1851
Peel County, Ontario, Canada
born
1829
Chittlehampton, Devon, England
migrated
1852
Williams Bay, Michigan, USA
born
1814
Seasalter, Kent, England
migrated
1852
Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
James Rowden
Sept 22
born
1816
Somerset, England
migrated
1852
Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia
James Rowdon
Sept 4
born
1820
Bow, Devon, England
migrated
1852
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
Henry Rowden
Sept 25
born
1828
St Lukes, Middlesex, England
migrated
1853
Victoria, Australia
John Rowden
Sept 12
born
1805
Chittlehampton, Devon, England
migrated
1854
Williams Bay, Michigan, USA
born
1837
Cuxham, Oxfordshire, England
migrated
1856
New Zealand
Frederick Augustus Rowden
born
1829
Marylebone, Middlesex, England
migrated
1859c.
Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
John Rowdon
Sept 3
born
1828
Colebrooke, Devon, England
migrated
1860
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
James Rowdon
Sept 3
born
1835
Colebrooke, Devon, England
migrated
1865
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
born
1835
England
migrated
1865
Sydney, NSW, Australia
born
1840
Salisbury, Wiltshire, England
migrated
1867
Wallingford, Connecticut, USA
born
1848
Bow, Devon, England
migrated
1868
St Catharines, Ontario, Canada
George Rowden
Sept 25
born
1842
Holton, Somerset, England
migrated
1868
Texas, USA
born
1845
Alderbury, Wiltshire, England
migrated
1869
Lapeer, Michigan, USA
born
1845
Holton, Somerset, England
migrated
1878
Montana, USA
born
1870
Wilton, Wiltshire, England
migrated
1886
Canada
John Rowdon
Sept 2
born
1860
North Tawton, Devon, England
migrated
1888
Sydney, NSW, Australia
born
1864
Exeter, Devon, England
migrated
1899
New Zealand
born
1865
Bow, Middlesex, England
migrated
1900c.
New Jersey, USA
Harry Rowden
Sept 51
born
1887
Whitstable, Kent, England
migrated
1905
Canada
born
1886
New Brompton, Kent, England
migrated
1905
Queensland, Australia
Ronald Rowden
Sept 51
born
1891
New Brompton, Kent, England
migrated
1905
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
born
1885
Whitstable, Kent, England
migrated
1907
Wellington, New Zealand
Hubert Rowden
Sept 51
born
1877
Whitstable, Kent, England
migrated
1907
Saskatchewan, Canada
Julius Walker Rowdon
born
1878
St Peter Port, Guernsey
migrated
1907
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
born
1876
Holton, Somerset, England
migrated
1907
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
born
1883
Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales
migrated
1908c.
Canada / Detroit, USA
John Rowden
Sept 27
born
1841
Cheshunt, Herts, England
migrated
1908
St Catharines, Ontario, Canada
Ronald Rowden
Sept 51
born
1891
New Brompton, Kent, England
migrated
1909
Sydney, NSW, Australia
born
1891
London, England
migrated
1909
Auckland, New Zealand
born
1890
Battersea, Surrey, England
migrated
1910
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
born
1886
Whitstable, Kent, England
migrated
1910
New South Wales, Australia
born
1894
Frome, Somerset, England
migrated
1914
Ontario, Canada
born
1892
Lewisham, London, England
migrated
1915c.
New South Wales, Australia
Harold William Rowdon
born
1885
Marylebone, London, England
migrated
1916
Canada
born
1868
Cheshunt, Herts, England
migrated
1919
St Catharines, Ontario, Canada
born
1896
St Mary Church, Devon, England
migrated
1920s
Perth, Western Australia
born
1894
Whitstable, Kent, England
migrated
1920s
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
born
1897
Leeds, Yorkshire
migrated
1920c.
Canada
born
1864
Horsington, Somerset, England
migrated
1921
Ontario, Canada
born
1863
Middlesex, England
migrated
1921
Sydney, NSW, Australia
born
1902
Exeter, Devon, England
migrated
1927
Quebec, Canada
born
1909
Newnham Murren, Oxfordshire, England
migrated
1929
Perth, Western Australia
born
1903
Wellington, New Zealand
migrated
1930
Vancover, BC, Canada
born
1907
Greenwich, Kent, England
migrated
1930c.
New South Wales, Australia
born
1915
England
migrated
1930c.
Australia
Ian Rowden
Sept 1
born
1926
England
migrated
1941
South Africa
born
1907
Camberwell, Surrey, England
migrated
1948
Cape Town, South Africa
born
1909
Kent, England
migrated
1951
Perth, Australia
George Rowden
Sept 15
born
1887
Ringsend, Dublin, Ireland
migrated
1960
New Zealand
born
1920
London, England
migrated
1961
Australia
born
1943
Whitstable, Kent, England
migrated
1965
Sydney, NSW, Australia
born
1927
London, England
migrated
1966
Perth, Western Australia
born
1930
England
migrated
1970
Australia
born
1949
Gateshead, Co.Durham, England
migrated
1971
New Zealand
born
1972
South Shields, Co Durham, England
migrated
1996
Sydney, NSW, Australia
 Last update: 24 December 2018
Ship