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Terry's Family History
Resuggan is an old Cornish name also seen as Resugga, Rosuggan, Rosogon, and Rosoga. In the ancient Cornish language this meant a moist or damp valley. There are references to the name in old records and history books going back to the 1300s.
Indenture being the memorandum of an agreement between Thomas Wyltshyr prior of Bisham (Bustesham Montagu) on behalf of himself and the other executors of William de Montagu (Monte Acuto), late Earl of Salisbury and John de Pengenna, acting (tractantem) for John de Rosogan of the County of Cornwall for the said John's discharge, on payment of 40l. from all liability in respect of a statute merchant of 1,900l. wherein he together with John Hamely, knight and Andrew Hamely was bound to the said earl. London 25 January 19 Edward III (1344/5)
Order to John Dabernon, steward to the Prince's Stannery of Cornwall to examine the enclosed petition which has been handed to the Prince by a Richard de Rosogan. and do right and reason to the comments thereof in accordance with the customs of the Stannery. Petition from the Prince's Yeoman Richard de Rosogan showing that he condemned the plaint of debt off against him in the Prince's Stannery Court of Blackmore at the suit of Michael Trenwith that the Bailies were thereupon commanded to serve execution on him and attached his crops which was in his field and that he not knowing of the said attachment in that he was distainable by his crops in that manner took the said crops to his own house which the Bailies considered to be a breach of the attachment and thereupon attached him by his body and praying that the Prince and his council and his ministers of the said Stannery and all others of the Duchy of Cornwall ordering them to cease their oppression.
Release by Ralph Clegher, lord of Nanshogh, to Reginald Tretherf of all his right in Reginald's lands & c in Treganon and Tyndel. Witnesses: - Oto Bodrugan, Ralph Trenewyth, John Rostack, Richard Rosogan, John Nanskelly. Nanshogh, Friday after the Annunciation 47 Edward III (1372/3). Seal effaced. Endorsed Treganon, Tyndel
Feoffment by Richard Tretherf to his son John of all his land in the town of Twindel with the estover of the peat and through his lands of Twindel and common pastures of all the land and woods of Twindel a grant of corn at Michaelmas in September withe the remainder in default of John's issue to himself and his heirs. Witnesses Oto Bodrugan, Ralph Trenewyth, Richard Rosogan, Walter Gaer. This Tyndel Sunday after St.Thomas the Apostle in the 4th year of Richard II (1380)
A John Rosogan of St.Columb Major in Cornwall fought for Henry Tudor (Duke of Richmond) at the battle of Bosworth in 1485. (see A.L.Rowse, Tudor Cornwall Part III).
To the Archbishop of Canterbury. Coventry 31st August 1521 sealed from the king. Writs to the Sheriffs of London for the liberation of one John Rosogan now imprisoned in the Counter of London on a charge of clipping coins: sureties having been found to appear before the council next term. The king sent letters for his discharge but were not found sufficient for his discharge.
James and Henry Rosogan (brothers), both of St.Columb Major fought in the above encounter, under the command of Humphrey Arundel a member of a great catholic land owning family of the West Country. In this battle in which Edward VI defeated the Arundels, James Rosogan lost his life either killed or hung and his body was brought back to St.Columb Major and buried in the churchyard on the 25th August 1549. Henry Rosogan survived this battle. His daughter (sic) (son?) Johane was baptised at St.Columb Major on the 5th November 1552. See Polwhele - History of Cornwall Vol. 3/4 page 62 and Gilbert History of Cornwall page 251.
A grant of 50 marks out of a number of manors of Cornwall, an annuity to a Richard Binghia? For life. One of the manors includes that of Resugga
There are also several places in Cornwall which carry the name Resugga, Resugga Castle, a couple of farms called Resugga, a Resugga Lane End and Resugga Green, all in the area between Truro and St.Austell. It is likely that these places were named after people carrying the name Resugga.
It is clear from the above that the name was well established early in the 1300s and it's origins certainly lie much further back in Cornish history.
My father's cousin, John Charles Lovel Resuggan started research into his family history early in the 1950s and produced a paper in 1956. My father had a copy of the paper (possibly the original given its nature) and added some additional information as a result of his own research as an addendum. These papers are reproduced verbatim here (except for my addition of headings to allow navigation through the papers).
Prior to the mid 1800s, the name Resuggan or any of it's varieties was only found in Cornwall with the exception of a few references in London on occasions. Three branches of the name have been identified in Cornwall in the 1700s, all initially in or around the area surrounding the Fal estuary on the South Coast. It is highly likely that all three are related to each other in the late 1600s or early 1700s.
One the branches is a single family and I have not identified any descendants of that family so far. The second branch moved to the North Coast in the late 1700s eventually settling in St Ives. From there a Resuggan emigrated to Australia shortly after 1850 and there is a thriving set of descendants there today. I have not been able to identify any further descendants of this branch beyond the mid 1850s.
The third branch contains my direct ancestors. They were found in St Michael Penkevil near Truro in the 1750s, moving into Truro shortly after. Around 1790 my direct line moved to Marazion and then to the North Coast in the Lelant and Phillack areas. By 1840 my GG Grandfather and his family were in the St Austell area, presumably working in the mining industry there, as he was described as a smith/blacksmith in census records.
As described in my father's supplementary notes to the Resuggan Family History paper, my great grandfather came to Birmingham in the early 1850s to work for fellow Cornishman Richard Tangye who had founded an engineering works there. He had 10 children, many of whose descendants are the majority carriers of the Resuggan name in England today. In the 1960s one of his descendants emigrated to Western Australia where a small number of Resuggan's were thriving in the late 20th century.
My father thought he had established a direct link back to George Rosogan in the late 1500s, see my father's additional notes to the Resuggan Family History paper, but I have not yet been able to verify his work. My earliest proven ancestor is Stephen Resugga and this descendant report shows all descendants from him in my tree except where it joins the Jacombs descendant report. A link joins the two reports.
Around 1800, the name Lovel starts to be used as a second given name for several male children a custom which has persisted until modern times. It is probably the family name of an ancestor or close relative around the late 1700s, but I have not found the link to date.
The two Resuggan branches not yet linked to my own line are shown below. The descendant reports can be found by following the links.
There are a few additional unconnected Resuggans in my records in addition to those shown.
Last updated on 5th December 2011