This curious surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is a locational name from any of three minor places named with the Olde English pre 7th Century "threom", a derivative of "threo", three, and "hlawum", the dative plural of "hlaw", barrow, tumulus, burial mound; hence, "at the three tumuli". These places are the Rumbelow in Aston (Warwickshire); Tremelau Hundred, an ancient land division, also in Warwickshire; and Rumbelow in Wednesfield, Staffordshire. Rumbelow in Aston was recorded as "Thimelowe" in 1334, and as "Rumbelowe" in 1461; Tremelau Hundred appeared as "le Thromelowe" in "Place Names of Warwickshire", dated 1339, and the Staffordshire place was recorded as "Romylowe" in 1420. One Stephen Romylowe was constable of Nottingham Castle in 1347, and his surname appears variously as "de Romylo, de Romylou" and "de Rombylou" in Records of the Borough of Nottingham, dated 1346, 1363 and 1351 respectively. It has also been suggested that Rumbellow originated as a nickname for a sailor, as the word was part of early sailors' "Heave-ho" songs: "Your mariners shall synge arow, Heyhow, and rumbylow"; however, more convincing evidence in favour of the locational source has been produced. On February 18th 1863, John Rumbellow and Charlotte Ames were married at St. Matthew's, Bethnal Green, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Richard de Thrimelowe, which was dated 1334, in "Medieval Records of Warwickshire", during the reign of King Edward 111, known as "The Father of the Navy", 1327 - 1377. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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