This information is taken from the various pedigrees and genealogical notes, among these and other Rhodes papers held at the library.

The earliest traceable direct ancestor of Cecil Rhodes is James Rhodes (fl. 1660) of Snape Green, Whitmore, Staffordshire, husband of Christian/Christiana. Given the connection, the next generation of the family appear in the Stockport area. James's eldest son, William, was baptised in Disley, Cheshire, in 1664, and his second son, Thomas, is listed as of Bramhall, Stockport.

Thomas's son William was baptised in Disley but came to London in around 1720, farming property in the Gray's Inn and Regent's Park areas, and leasing Brill Farm, St. Pancras. He died in 1787, and, in common with the four subsequent generations, was commemorated at St. Pancras Old Church. William's son, Thomas, held freehold land in St. Pancras and various other London properties.

Thomas's son Samuel (1736-1794) of Hoxton, Hackney, Middlesex (a few miles northeast of St. Pancras) became aware of building work encroaching on the surrounding farmland by the rapid outward growth of London. He therefore purchased land containing brick earth, most of which was sold at his death. His estate in Dalston (Hackney), however, was left jointly to his three surviving sons, Thomas (1762-1856), William (1774-1843), and Samuel (1766-1822).

Samuel sold his share in the property to his brothers in 1802, and then amassed property as a brickmaster in Islington (Hackney). His descendants were later based in Surrey. Thomas and William continued their joint brick manufacturing business for a number of years. Thomas eventually acquired the Tottenham Wood Estate. His descendants held land in Tottenham Wood and Muswell Hill, North London, and later settled in Northamptonshire. William was an inventor and in 1824, patented his own brick manufacturing improvements. In 1802, he leased the De Beauvoir Estate in Hackney and gained a building lease for the estate in 1821. However, after a period of lengthy litigation, the estate passed back to Richard de Beauvoir in 1834. William's family lived as tenants of Leyton Grange, Essex, from 1829 to 1843. They also possessed property at Cold Harbour, Shoreditch.

William's children were born or baptised in Hackney. His eldest son, Francis William (1807-1878), was perpetual curate of Brentwood, Essex, 1834-1843, and Vicar of Bishop's Stortford, Essex, 1849-1876. Most of Francis William's children were born at Bishop's Stortford.

Of Francis William's children, Herbert (1845-1879) was involved with his brother Cecil in prospecting for diamonds in Kimberley, Cape Colony (South Africa), early in his career, but was killed in an accident while pioneering in the Lake Nyasa area. Francis William (1850-1905) joined the 1st Royal Dragoons as 2nd Lieutenant in 1873, rising to the rank of Colonel in 1889. He fought in Egypt, 1884, Sudan, 1884-1885, 1888, in the Ndebele War, 1896, and the South African War, 1899-1900. Ernest Frederick (1852-1901) joined the Royal Engineers as Lieutenant in 1872, and retired as Captain in 1884 (his wife, Helen Irving, leased Hildersham Hall, Cambridge, in 1939). Cecil John (1853-1902) was father of the De Beers Consolidated Mining Company and the British South Africa Company, as well as a major architect of British policy in southern Africa, founder of a university at Salisbury (Harare), Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), and a benefactor to Oxford University. Elmhirst (b. 1858) entered the army in 1878, as an Ensign in the 49th Foot, rose to Captain of the Royal Berkshire Regiment, and retired as Major in 1903. He fought in Egypt, 1882, Sudan, 1885, 1885-1886, and in the South African War, 1899-1902. Arthur Montagu (1859-1935) fought in the 2nd Ndebele War. Bernard Maitland (1861-1935) entered the Royal Artillery in 1880 as Lieutenant and retired in 1897 as Captain. During the mid-19th century, Cecil came into possession of Dalham Hall, Suffolk, as well as the Groote Schuur Estate in Cape Colony (South Africa). After his death, Dalham passed eventually to the eldest son of Cecil's brother Ernest Frederick.

Ernest Frederick had four children - Francis William (1898-1938), Cecil John (1904-1936), Georgia Margaret (1891-1978) and Violet (1893-1978). Georgia Margaret and Violet held Hildersham Hall jointly after their mother's death. Dalham Hall was sold during this generation.