Rosewell Family History

In the absence of any evidence for a place named Ro(w)sewell or Ros(e)will, this is perhaps a hypercorrect variant of Rowsell (see Rossell) on the analogy of place-names where pronunciation of -well is colloquially reduced to -el.

The variation is explicit in Mathewe Rowsell 1561, John Rowswell 1599 in IGI (North Petherton, Somerset), and perhaps in Jeffery Rossell 1574, Geffery Rossell 1631, John Rosewell 1654, Thomas Roswell 1655 in IGI (Wilne, Derbys).

Historically, Rossell is well evidenced in Derbys and in SW England, including 14th-century Somerset.

This name appears to be an occasional late variant of Rosewall.