Rowe and de Rowe of Devon plus Fitz

Can anyone get further back with these families please?

I researching a family called Rowe which was based in Lamerton in
Devon. I've discovered a line that leads back to Sir Everard de Rowe
from near Romsey in Kent who was supposedly knighted by King Richard I.

mjcar...

Romsey isn't in Kent; it's in Hampshire. Do you mean Romney?

The Rowes married into the Fitz family of Fitzford near Tavistock
several times.

Some of the branches of the Fitz family married into the Courtenay,
Percy and Darcy families so there are long genealogies tantalisingly
close but I haven't found a link to them on the branch I'm looking at.

I was wondering if anyone knows anything about the de Rowes or the Fitz
families please? They sound as if they are of Norman descent. Both
families were landowners in Devon. I've spotted one theory that de Rowe
was originally de Roure.

mjcar...

It might help if you were able to state your sources.

Tim Powys-Lybbe...

One source is the 1620 Visitation of Devon, p. 243 in the Harleian Soc
edition. It gives a Rowe of Lamerton pedigree with a marriage to
'Agnes, d. & coh. of Rob. Fytz of Tavistock'; I would guess that
marriage was around 1570 from a son's age of 48 in 1620.

Regards, Michael

Paul Mackenzie...

Hi Sue:

I know of a family called Tonkin from near Tavistock around 1800s. It
is common for this family to use a middle name of Rowe. e.g. Thomas Rowe
Tonkin.