Rosewall Family History

from Rosewall a small farm in Towednack near Saint Ives (Cornwall). The place-name refers to a ford (Cornish rid *res) possibly by a wall (Cornish *gwal) but the meaning of the second part of the name is uncertain. West Cornish surnames from minor places seem rarely to migrate beyond their immediate locality so this name is not likely to have spread much beyond the St Ives area before the 18th century.

If it did however then any of the examples in (2) could belong here. In south-central Cornwall and in Devon early examples are more likely a variant of the English name Rosewell although derivation from the name in (1) cannot be ruled out.

In 1569 the manor of South Brent (Devon) was sold by Wm. Rosewall of Ford Devon (TNA Somerset Heritage Centre DD\X\BT/3). He is very likely the same man as William Rosewell or Roswell of Ford whose will was proved in 1594 (PROB 11 Devon).