Topics

• About the Rushen One-Name Study
• Variants
• Origin of the surname
• Distribution of the name
• Data
• DNA project
• Links
• Contact Details

About the Rushen One-Name Study

The Rushen One Name Study was started circa 1980 by myself, Peter Rushen, a descendant of Thomas Rushing born circa 1707. The study was started as a result of finding a grouping of the Rushen surname in the Wickhams Bishops, Totham and Braxted area of Essex whilst looking for the grave of my great grandfather James William Rushen who was buried in Great Braxted churchyard.

Variants

Rushen and Rushin are the current registered variations of the study but in the near future this will be hopefully changed to include the variants Rushant and Rushent who descend from George Rishin (Rushen) of Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire.

Other variants who are location specific descendants of a Rushen are:- Rushan, Rushon, Rushing, Russian and Rusher.

Origin of the surname

There is no verified information on the origins of the Rushen surname. Rushen does occur in the ancient past in the Isle of Man, namely Rushen Castle and Abbey Rushen.

Distribution of the name

The main settlements for the Rushen's and their variants were in Suffolk/Essex, Foleshill in Warwickshire, Ramsbury and Ogbourne St. George in Wiltshire, Dilhorne and Lichfield in Staffordshire.

Data

Database of 2000+ christenings and births from 1530 has been compiled.

Database of 1000+ marriages from 1525 has been compiled.

Database of 1000+ deaths from 1598 has been compiled.

Family trees have been compiled for the the following names and areas:-

Rushen, Essex, containg 1163 individuals with 315 marriages.

Rushen/Rushan/Rushon, Wiltshire, containg 535 individuals with 153 marriages.

Rushant/Rushent, Wiltshire, containg 149 individuals with 37 marriages.

Rushen/Rushin, Leicester, containg 177 individuals with 43 marriages.

Rushen, Warwickshire, containg 103 individuals with 28 marriages.

DNA project

I tested 25 markers through the Rushing project at Family Tree DNA, hoping but not expecting a match with the Rushings in the USA. I had an exact match and because of this success I upgraded to 37 markers and have a match, 36/37 through my earliest known ancestor, Thomas Rushing born cica 1707 in Great Braxted Essex to Philip Rushing of Anson County, North Carolina, USA, born in 1745.

No paper trail exists so this caused great excitement both sides of the Atlantic.

Links

The Rushen Family History web site can be found at:- http://rushen.heliohost.org/

The Rushings in the USA can be found at:-

http://www.rushings.info/

Contact details

For further information, contact:

Mr Peter J Rushen
3 Elms Close,
Duxford,
Cambridgeshire
CB2 4RD
UNITED KINGDOM
E-mail:

This page last updated 13 January 2012.

This page has been viewed 3580 times.

Profiles of other one-name studies registered with the Guild may be found here.