Rylands

First of all, I teach English,so I'm a bit interested in language and books. I'm also interested in my Anglo-Irish heritage, although little is known of my actual bloodline. When I poked around a bit, however, I did find some interesting info on my family's name -- first, that my direct ancestors can be dated to the early 17th century to a little town 15 miles from Stratford (home of Shakespeare). Nearby is Luxley. In other words, the area is ripe with literary/folkloric history.

Another interesting bit: The John Rylands Library houses "one of the most spectacular collections of rare books and manuscripts in the world," including the oldest known fragment from the New Testament. John Rylands, after whom the library was named, made his fortune farming cotton. It so happens that my grandfather made a name for himself farming rice and cotton, after returning from WWII. Our name itself suggests agriculture (Rye-Land), the crest featuring bundles of wheat.