The register of Rev. William Douglas of Goochland Co., Va., lists the birth of "Ryal" Wade on 10 July 1766 to Jn. Utely Wade and Ellis Woodrum, as well as his baptism on 16 Oct 1766.

In some documents and some census records he is called "Urial" or “Arial”. In some genealogy databases he appears as “Royal Arial Wade”, but there is no evidence that these are really two names (no primary document includes both names or even a middle initial.) Rather, they appear to be various ways of spelling a name that may have been pronounced “Rye-ull”.

Franklin Co., Virginia marriage records list the mariage of Royal Wade and Rachael Jones by Randolph Hall on 24 Feb 1791. Royal's surety was John Hale.

The first known record of Royal Wade in KY is a deed 11-23-1793 in Woodford Co., KY for 50 acres of land located on Glenns Creek that he bought from Daniel and Elizabeth Woodfield for 25 pounds (deed book B, page 329).

Royal and Rachael sold that same tract to Isaac Miles for 75 pounds on 8-5-1805 (deed book C1, pahe 473) and moved to Shelby Co., KY. There Royal obtained 157 acres of land on Six Mile Creek from Charles Lynch in 1807 (deed book H1 page 192). On 5-15-1835, Royal and Rachael sold a parcel of land on Six Mile Creek in Shelby County containing 13 acres and 10 poles to James Bright for $55.

When Royal died in 1855 he was described as a widower, so Rachel apparently died between 1850 and 1855.

The Wade Family Bible in the possession of Dorothy Ellis Hedges of Bagdad, Ky, in 1976 contains a family record listing the children of Royal & Rachel Wade. The Bible is an Alexander's Stereotype Edition published by C. Alexander and Co., Philadelphia, in 1834. Mrs. Hedges is a great-great-granddaughter of Royal Wade, through his son William who married Louisa Johnson (their daughter Martha Wade Duncan was the mother of Ruth Duncan Ellis who was the mother of Dorothy Ellis Hedges.)

The upper third of the page containing the family record of Royal and Rachel Wade is missing along a diagonal tear. The children are numbered, with the first name remaining being the fifth entry, Sarah, though the full date for the line above is visible, as well as a partial date above that. The missing portion apparently contained the names of the first four children, and probably the birth and marriage dates for Royal and Rachel. What remains is:
18, 1794
Oct 21, 1797
5. Sarah Wade Sep 19, 1799
6. Rachael Wade May 8, 1801
7. Susanah Wade Jul 2, 1802
8. John Wade Jan 2, 1803
9. Marget Wade Apr 28, 1805
10. Anderson Wade Dec 9, 1808
11. Isaac Wade May 18, 1809
12. Eliza Wade Dec 11, 1811
13. Josiah Wade Dec 28, 1812
14. Squire Wade May 4, 1814
15. William Wade Aug 7, 1817

From other records, the 1797 date is for Royal Jr., and the 1794 date is Polly. Cynthia must be either first or second, and the other child is not identified.

Royal appears on the 1810 census for Shelby County as: one male aged 26-45, one male and one female aged 10-16, and 2 males and 3 females aged under 10 yrs. The two older children could be Mary and Royal Jr.