Rumbol(d)t, surnames of England from the Old German personal name Rumbald containing the
elements glory and bold, "popular through the precocious Saint Rumbald, or Rumwald
[? 7th century], who at birth confessed himself a Christian, demanded baptisim, preached
a sermon, and died aged three days," or from the English place name Rumbold Farm or
Rumbolds-Wyke (Sussex). Researched by Reaney, Cottle and Guppy, traced by Guppy in
Hampshire.
St. Rumbold (Rumwald, Rumwold, Rumbald)
The story of this infant saint revolves around the South Midlands. Traditionally, he was
a child of the royal family of the Midland kingdom of Mercia, a grandson of King Penda
(+654) and son of a Christian mother and pagan father, from Northumbria. He is said to
have been born at Sutton (thereafter King's Sutton) near Banbury. His legend has it that
he died aged 3 days, but that in that time he said several times "I am a Christian",
expressed his faith in the Holy Trinity, asked for Baptism and Holy Communion, preached
on the Holy Trinity and the need for a virtuous life, quoted Scripture and recited the
Athanasian Creed. Buried at King's Sutton, he was later moved to Buckingham. A number
of churches are dedicated to this remarkable child, whose infant achievements make
those of Jesus seem marginally inadequate, while the famous Abbey of Boxley, near
Maidstone, had a statue of him, burnt at the Reformation, and his name crops up not
infrequently in medieval road and street names.
In Newfoundland:
John Rumbolt, of Hawkes Bay, Lab, 1787, of Hawkes Post, Lab,
1789 - 1795, had a planter account with Slades' firm at Fogo, 1801 (Mun Hist.)
Alfred Rinnbolt, of Port au Choix, 1871 (Lovell)
Patrick and John Rumbolt, of New Ferolle Cove (St Barbe District), 1873 (Mun Hist.)
Modern Status:
Rumboldt, at St John's, Coley's Point and Corner Brook;
Rumbolt, scattered in the St Barbe, Humber East and West districts.
Place name:
Rumbolts Cove, Lab;Rumbolt's Lane, Corner Brook
states that there were four Rumbolt brothers who came to Labrador from
England. Sometime later one crossed the Straits of Belle Isle and settled in New Ferolle.
A second may have first been on the Northern Peninsula and then relocated to the Bone
Bay area. The remaining two brothers appear to have stayed in Labrador.
According to Ross Rumbolt of St Anthony, whose ancestry reaches back to Mary's Harbour,
Lab, John Rumbolt was the first of the Rumbolts to cross the Staits. A headstone in the
Roman Catholic cemetry states that one Elizabeth Rumbolt died Aug 16, 1907 aged 88.
Local residents claim that she was the wife of the first Rumbolt settler in the area
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