In researching the ancestors of Robert Roebuck the emigrant of 1674, on location in England, the relevance of the mysteriously named town of Appleton Roebuck was checked out (and eliminated).

This small hamlet, mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Appulton was still called Appulton 500 years later in 1598. There was a Manor of Appulton as far back as 1311, part of the vast estate of Byland Abbey. In 1458 one of the major landowners there was a family called Sampson.
Not one single reference or deed was found confirming any Roebuck connection before 1600.
Even the connection mentioned by George Redmonds in his article on the Roebuck surname was only to a Richard Rabuk who was taxed at Appleton Roebuck (Appulton) in 1379.

There are several stories concerning how Appleton Roebuck got its name, but these have to be viewed in the light of the detailed research carried out and the discoveries made. See the Roebuck Surname origin as established from the evidence uncovered.

A search of the 1379 Poll Tax actually revealed: a Ricardus Robut and his wife Cecilia at Barnsley who were taxed 4 pence; Johannes Robut (no wife mentioned), taxed 4 pence; and Ricardus Rabuk and his wife (no name mentioned) at Appleton (Roebuck), also taxed 4 pence. This was the lower rate of tax. Tradesmen were taxed 6 pence. Richard's family certainly weren't the owners of Appleton.

The surname was already well established even by 1300 AD in Sheffield, Skipton and Netherthong. All the evidence points to the origin as being Netherthong, probably before 1200 AD.
The Skipton branch did not survive. The Sheffield branch expanded East towards Doncaster and the Netherthong branch expanded South East towards Pontefract via Kirkburton and Darton.
The most likely explanation is that it was the Skipton branch that moved to Appulton in the early part of 14th century.
Until some actual evidence is uncovered, the popular story that Appleton was once owned by the Roebuck family, however plausible, is nothing more than a myth or a legend.

Fact or fiction, the relevance of Appleton Roebuck to the ancestors of Robert the emigrant has been eliminated.