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 . See the end of each pedigree page for reference to the layout. Some charts include an image icon 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

September 2023:
Sept 51 covers the Rowden family which established itself in Kent, largely in the 19th century. It's now evident that their progenitor, Jasper Rowden, came from Wiltshire and DNA testing confirms this. Sept 51 is now in the Wiltshire section on this page, at the village of East Knoyle.

A new sept has been introduced - Sept 71. This sept shows the family of earliest member, William Rowden, who was born in Maryland, USA in 1799. It is highly likely that his surname originated in England.

March 2021:
New 'where did they live' map format introduced to all charts updated from this date.

November 2015:
New Sept 63 introduced.

August 2015:
The descendant family of James Rowden and Elizabeth (nee Western) from Colebrooke, Devon were formerly in Sept 3 but it has been found that they should be rightfully located in Sept 2.

October 2014:
Former Sept 18 now absorbed into Sept 12 from South Molton. Sept 18 discontinued.
Colour background for a Sept name signifies a DNA result is available.

September 2014:
Sept 28 - earliest ancestors now found in Broughton, Hampshire rather than Hound.

June 2014:
Former Wales Sept 31 found to be part of Sept 18 from Devon. Sept 31 now discontinued.
New Sept 11 created for Rowdon family from Crediton, Devon.

September 2009:
Former London Sept 44 found to be part of Sept 10 from Devon. Sept 44 now discontinued.

May 2008:
Two new small septs added; Sept 9 for Poughill, Devon and Sept 16, the fifth for Bow in Devon. These families from Bow must join up somewhere!

April 2008:
A thorough inspection of the 1881 UK census records for all Rowd*ns has been just completed and provided further additions and adjustments to many of the charts. See note on new chart format.

November 2007:
Place of sept 7 changed from Colebrooke to Bow. Sept 22 for Mere, Wiltshire added.

September 2007:
Pedigrees updated from this date will include, where known, the former or latter spouses of those who married Rowdens and will be indicated by an entry in grey (pale red if record edited). If the additional spouse was married before the Rowden marriage the symbol fm. (formerly married) is used; if later then lm. (later married) is used. By way of example consider the following fictitious entry:

1. John Rowden (1785-1822)
    m. 1812 Sarah Hastings (1787-1851)
     fm. 1806 William Tyler (1786-1810)
     lm. 1825 Henry Baker (1794-1863)

This entry shows that Sarah Hastings married John Rowden in 1812 but she was formerly married to William Tyler in 1806. Following John Rowden's death in 1822, Sarah married for the third time to Henry Baker in 1825.

January 2007:
Sept 3, formerly titled Colebrooke I, is now titled Bow III as further research of earlier generations reveals the ancestors were from Bow and subsequently moved to Colebrooke.

Similarly after further work it has been found that, Sept 62, formerly Newcastle, originates from Devon. Sept changed to Sept 18, South Molton, with additional members and earlier generations added.

County of Devon

Place	Sept	Coverage
Bow (I) 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 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) 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 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 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 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 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 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.

Last Site Update
28 Mar 2024

RS Site Bites

The most popular firstname given to Rowden boys in the 1970s was Mark.

[UK data]