FAMOUS AND NOTABLE ROSCOES
1. WILLIAM ROSCOE (1753-1831) OF LIVERPOOL was an historian, banker,
lawyer, art collector, botanist, abolitionist, and poet of Liverpool,
Lancashire, England. His father was a market gardener and tavern keeper
in Mount Pleasant. He married Jane Griffiths in 1791, and they had seven
sons and three daughters. William corresponded with Thomas Jefferson and
was admired by Washington Irving. Irving wrote about William, "Born in a
place apparently uncongenial to the growth of literary talent; in the
very market place of trade; without fortune, family connection or
patronage; self prompted, self sustained and almost self taught, he
conquered every obstacle, achieved his way to eminence and having become
one of the ornaments of the nation, has turned the whole force of his
talent and influence to advance and embellish his native town."
William wrote his highly popular poem "The Butterfly's Ball
and The Grasshopper's Feast" in 1806 for his young son Robert. King
George III liked it so much he had it set to music for his three
daughters. William's 1787 poem "The Wrongs of Africa," denouncing the
slave trade, was widely acclaimed, and he donated the proceeds to the
London Committee for the Abolition of the Slave Trade. His greatest
historical work was THE LIFE OF LORENZO DE MEDICI in 1796, which was
also widely acclaimed and established his literary reputation. Elected a
member of Parliament in 1806, he spoke out strongly against the slave
trade and voted to abolish it in 1807 even though Liverpool was a center
of the English slave trade.
A test is needed on William's line to see whether it is
related to either or both of the two Roscoe tests now pending for the
Kearsley and Blackpool lines, or to the Roscoe lines in Chorley and
Leigh now being sought in further tests.
2. SIR HARRY ENFIELD ROSCOE OF MANCHESTER (1833-1915), one of the
foremost English chemists, was a professor from 1857 to 1887 at Owens
College, Manchester, Lancashire. He wrote several books on chemistry
that enjoyed wide circulation and were translated into many languages.
He became especially known for his work on the foundations of
comparative photochemistry and spectrum analysis, the study of vanadium
compounds, and isolating the element itself in pure form. He was
knighted in 1884 and served as MP for Manchester South from 1885 to
1895. He served with several royal commissions on educational matters
and was vice-chancellor of the University of London from 1896 to 1902.
The mineral Roscoelite was named after him because of its vanadium
content, which he had studied. Sir Harry was the uncle of Peter Rabbit's
Beatrix Potter and the grandson of William Roscoe of Liverpool.
3. WILLIAM RUSCOE OF THE ESSEX-HARTFORD LINE (c. 1594 Billericay, Essex
- 1682 Jamaica, Queens, New York) married first wife Rebecca in England
ca. 1619, mother of Nathaniel, John, Sarah and Mary. William sailed to
Boston with his family in 1635 on the famous ship Increase, and settled
in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Rebecca sailed with him in 1635, but died
on the voyage. In 1645/1646 he married second wife, widow Hester Musse,
mother of Samuel. William and sons Nathaniel and John founded Hartford,
Connecticut, in 1640. William was appointed to keep the Hartford prison
in 1649/1650. He moved to Norwalk, Connecticut, near John in 1655, and
later moved in 1665 across the Sound to Jamaica, Long Island, New York,
with son Samuel. He signed his will in 1680 and died in Jamaica in 1682.
He founded the New England / New York Ruscoe family line. Tradition in
the Ruscoe family of Norwalk is that the family was of Huguenot origin.
We have a test pending now on this Essex Ruscoe line, and need the usual
second test for confirmation.
4. JOHN ROUSCOUE OF COUNTY ESSEX was assessed as an alien (immigrant) in
1545 at Great Dunmow in County Essex, in a subsidy of 37 Henry VIII. The
family line is said to have been Flemish or Dutch in origin during a
time of active Huguenot migration to England. John's son John was
reportedly the father of William Ruscoe, born c. 1594 above, who sailed
to Boston in 1635.
5. GILBERT ROSCOW OF EUXTON, Lancashire, was the earliest recorded
Roscow, being named in 1293 in the will records at Chester during the
reign of King Edward I (Longshanks - crusader - Hammer of the Scots
against William Wallace at Falkirk in 1298). Euxton (now pop. 7,800)
lies on the outskirts of Chorley (pop. 33,400), a fact raising the
possibility that the first-named Gilbert-1293 might have been the
patriarch of the Chorley Roscows. In Croxton near Euxton, daughter An of
Gilbert Roscoe of Euxton was christened in 1620. In Leyland, Gilbert,
son of John Roscow of Euxton, was christened in 1669. John, son of
Gilbert Roscow of Euxton, was christened thirty years later in 1699. A
Roscoe test credibly reaching back to any of these Euxton Gilberts would
be welcome.
6. CAPT. WILLIAM RASCO OF THE NORTHAMPTON-BERTIE LINE lived in Bertie
Co. and then adjacent Hertford Co., NC, and died 1806 in Stewart Co.,
TN. He married Rachel Howell in 1777 in Bertie. By March 1779, William
was a lieutenant in the Bertie Co. Militia from the Windsor area,
commanded by Capt. Charles Rhodes. His company marched to SC in 1779 and
united under Gen. Butler with the Southern Army of militia and
continental troops under the over-all command of Gen. Benjamin Lincoln
at the Savannah River. After a mission across the GA border and back,
they marched to an area outside Charleston, SC where Gen. Lincoln was in
command of 6,500 men.
Gen. Lincoln took 1,200 men to attack 900 British soldiers at
the James and Johns Islands across the Stone River a few miles south of
Charleston. The Americans crossed the Ashley River at midnight and
marched to James Island just before dawn June 20, 1779. Lt. Rasco's men
were positioned with the other NC units under Jethro Sumner on the right
wing of the attack. The firing started with the opposing forces 300
yards apart, and continued for an hour of gunfire through thick woods.
The British sent reinforcements from Johns Island, and Gen. Lincoln
called off the attack. The Americans lost 146 killed or wounded and 155
missing while the British lost 129 killed or wounded and one missing.
The British abandoned their bridgehead three days later and began their
retreat south to Beaufort. Rasco's unit returned to Bertie.
Wm. Rasco was selected captain by April 1781 in Col. Dozier's
regiment, Gen. Gregory's brigade. They marched north into VA and joined
American forces near Kempsville, Norfolk Co., near the British fort at
Great Bridge. The British abandoned the fort in August 1781, and the
militia returned home to NC. William later in 1792 received for his
military service Bounty Warrant 5255 for 640 acreas on the NC-TN
frontier.
Capt. Wm. Rasco is recognized as a DAR Patriot Ancestor, and he and his
wife Rachel are recognized as one of the First Families of Tennessee. We
have two tests establishing a verified profile for this line, which may
have been related to the Blunt Point Roscows of Warwick County,
Virginia, according to unsourced Roscoe family histories. A
close-matching test line is that of JOHN RASCO, 1808, of Marlboro Co.,
SC.
7. CORPORAL TEAGLE RASCO of Hertford Co., NC, served in the
Revolutionary War, enlisting with Vaughan's Co. of the Seventh NC
Regiment. He served with the North Carolina forces at Valley Forge,
Pennsylvania, in 1777. He was promoted to corporal in January 1778, and
died in February 24, 1778, during the terrible winter at Valley Forge.
After the war Capt. William Rasco claimed the military pay due his
deceased brother Teagle, swearing he was Teagle's only brother (his
likely brother Isme having died by 1778) and one of Teagle's lawful
heirs.
8. COL. DAVID ROSCOE of CALIFORNIA (1874 TN - 1971 OH), was a highly
decorated American officer in the American Expeditionary Force in World
War I, and was decorated by the British in 1920. He married Sidney
Caroline Campbell (1873-1957) from New Jersey, and they had three sons
and a daughter. He was buried at the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in
California. Col. Roscoe was a great-grandson of ALEXANDER RASCOE (1768
Hertford Co. NC - 1855 Davidson Co. TN). Alex, a Tennessee real estate
investor and Methodist lay preacher, is believed to have been the son of Isme Rascoe, the likely brother of Capt. William Rasco and Cpl. Teagle
Rasco of the Rascoe Northampton-Bertie line. A test is needed on
Alexander's line to confirm the relationship with Capt. William Rasco.
OTHER ROSCOES AND PATRIARCHS IN BRITAIN
AND AMERICA
Other Roscoe lines and patriarchs with family trees found on the
internet (not vouched for by this Roscoe group) are:
9. THOMAS ROSCOW OF CHORLEY. Lancaster church registers show THOMAS
ROSCOW recorded in 1563 as the father of Margaret Roscow when she was
christened in Chorley. Two years earlier Ellen Roscow had married James
Hodgson there. In the 1650's and 1660's JAMES AND ANNE ROSCOW of Chorley
had at least six children: Elizabeth, born 1653; Mary 1655; James 1657;
Ellen 1660 (died 1661); Edward 1662; and William 1664. The will of James
Roscow of Chorley was proved 1697 in Chester, naming widow Anne and
surviving children -- co-executor James, Anne, Elizabeth, Margaret and
William (of Blunt Point, VA). A test on this Chorley Roscow /Roscoe line
would be welcome.
10. WILLIAM ROSCOW OF BLUNT POINT, VIRGINIA, was born in 1664, the
youngest son of JAMES and ANNE ROSCOW of Chorley. William immigrated to
Virginia and became the owner of Blunt Point Plantation in Warwick
County (now Newport News), Virginia. He married Mary Wilson (1675-1741),
and died in 1700 at Blunt Point, as his tombstone marker shows. They had
four sons and one daughter. Although they had many descendants,
William's direct paternal line of Roscow-surname descendants did not
continue into the 1800's so far as we know. He may have been related to
the Roscoes of Northampton Co., VA, about 25-30 miles away across the
mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.
William's older son James Roscow (c. 1692 - c. 1722) married
Jane (Jennie) Wilson, and had no known children. James served as
Receiver General of the Virginia colony in 1616 and as a member of the
House of Burgesses in 1720. William's younger son William (c. 1696 - c.
1752) was also a Burgess. He married Lucy Bassett, and they had two sons
and four daughters. Neither son is recorded as having a wife or
children. William Jr.'s son James was the last Roscow owner of Blunt
Point, which he advertized for sale in the early 1770's with the intent
to return to England.
11. JOHN ROSCOE OF LEIGH, Lancashire, was recorded in 1594 in the will
records at Chester. The Leigh Roscoes in the 1680's included JOHN ROSCOE
(possible father), Elizabeth born 1668, Thomas born 1675, Peter (Peet)
born 1679 and baptized 1680 in Leigh, Arthur baptised 1679, and James
born 1682. Based on circumstantial evidence and a similar combination of
given names, we believe these Leigh Roscoes may have produced the
Roscoes later found in Northampton Co., Virginia, in the early 1700's,
including Arthur, Peter, John, James, and Elizabeth, These Northampton
Roscoes later moved mostly to Bertie Co., North Carolina, by 1748-1755.
A Rascoe tester in Bertie on this Northampton VA / Bertie NC line has
matched Capt. William Rasco's line in Hertford Co. NC. Thus we believe
that Capt. Rasco's Hertford Co. Rascoe line came from adjacent Bertie
Co. NC, and earlier from Northampton Co., VA, and possibly earlier from
Leigh, Lancashire. Leigh is about twelve miles from Chorley. A Roscoe
tester tracing back to these Roscoes in the 1680's in Leigh, Lancashire,
is needed to prove whether the Leigh line is related to the
Northampton-Bertie American line of Capt. William Rasco, or the Chorley
line of James and Anne Roscow, or the Kearsley or Blackpool Roscoe lines
now testing.
12. JAMES ROSCOE OF FARNSWORTH, Lancashire, was also recorded in 1594 in
the will records at Chester. Test needed.
13. THOMAS ROSCOW OF PRESTWICH was born 1564 at Eccles, Lancashire. He
married Cathrena Mort in Eccles in 1589, and died in 1605. Test needed.
14. THOMAS TATTERSALL ROSCOE OF MIDDLESEX was granted the first Roscoe
Coat of Arms.
15. RALPH ROSCOE OF BOLTON was born c. 1577 in Bolton le Moors,
Lancashire, and married Katherine Ross (born c. 1571, Bolton le Moors)
in 1602 in Bolton. They are listed with at least five children. Test
needed.
16. JOHN ROSCOE was born 1727 in Clifton near Kearsley, Lancashire, and
married Ann Cocker, born 1731. He moved to the Bolton area and was a
possible descendant of Thomas of Prestwich. Test needed.
17. TIMOTHY ROSCOE was born 1817 in Kearsley, Lancashire, a possible
descendant of Thomas of Prestwich. Timothy's wife Harriett was born 1821
in Westhoughton, Lancashire. A test from a British citizen born in
Bolton is now pending on this line.
18. JOHN RUSCOE OF WALES was born c. 1728, married wife Mary c. 1777,
and died 1820 in Harless, Gresford Parish, Denbighshire, Wales. He was a
farmer from 1789 to 1800 in Bieston, Wrexham County, North Wales. A test
is needed on this Welsh Ruscoe line to see whether it is related to the
William Ruscoe-1594 line above, or the George Ruscoe-1745 line below, or
any of the Roscoe lines.
19. GEORGE RUSCOE OF MALPAS was born c. 1745 in Malpas, Cheshire, and
married Mary Jones at Chester. They lived and raised their family around
the parish of Malpas in south Cheshire on the border of Cheshire,
Shropshire and Wales. A test from a British Ruscoe is now pending on
this Cheshire Ruscoe line.
Other Roscoe lines, patriarchs and notables will be identified as our
study proceeds. Additions and corrections are welcome.
