Rigley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Rigley

What does the name Rigley mean?

The name Rigley is an old Anglo-Saxon name. It comes from when a family lived in a settlement called Wrigley, which experts theorize was in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The surname Rigley belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Rigley family

The surname Rigley was first found in Wrigley Head, now part of Failsworth in Greater Manchester. 1 "This name seems to have passed over the borders from the West Riding of Yorkshire into South-East Lancashire, via Saddleworth, in which district it still possesses a strong foothold." 2

Ironically, the first record of the family was not Saddleworth, but in Derbyshire where Wills de Wriggeley was listed at Brampton, near Chesterfield in 1327-1328 as per the Lay Subsidy Rolls. Here the family held estates well into the 16th century as in 1556 Ralph Wrigly was appointed priest at Kirk Langley, by Henry Pole, Lord of the Manor. Through the years the family continued to be quite evident in Longford, west of Derby. Roger Wrigley was a priest at Prestwich in 1549 and curate at Oldham (1563-1575.)

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 has only one entry for the family, that of Willelmus Wryglegh; but the source Wills at Chester, has the following: John Wrgley, of Millington, 1576; John Wrigley, of Saddleworth, 1620; and Margaret Wrigley, of Saddleworth, 1635. 2

The American "Chewing Gum" Wrigleys trace back to Broadhead, Broadmeadow and Knowl, Yorkshire c. 1681.

Early History of the Rigley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rigley research. Another 124 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1524, 1539, 1543, 1766, 1808, 1832, 1833, 1842, 1861, 1909 and 1932 are included under the topic Early Rigley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rigley Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Rigley were recorded, including Wrigley, Wrigly, Rigley, Riggeley and others.

Early Notables of the Rigley family

Notables of the family at this time include

Wrigley of Stafford

Rigley migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Rigley family emigrate to North America:

Rigley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Rigley, who landed in America in 1810 3

Rigley migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Rigley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

James Rigley, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Calphurnia" in 1849 4

Sources +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The CALPHURNIA 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Calpurnia.htm