Ripleigh History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The ancestors of the name Ripleigh date back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from their residence in the village of Ripley found in various locations in England including Yorkshire. The surname was originally derived from the Old English words ripel meaning strip of land and leah meaning wood. Thus the original bearers of the surname lived in the area that was defined by a strip of land by the forest. 1

The Domesday Book of 1086 included entries for: Ripelei (Derbyshire), Riple (Hampshire) and Ripeleia (Yorkshire.) 2

Interestingly "the chapel, [in Ripley, Surrey] which appears to have been founded about the end of the 12th century, is, in a record of the time of Edward II., called the oratory of Ripelia or Ripellee; and in the 2nd of Edward VI. seems to have been regarded as a chantry chapel." 3

Early Origins of the Ripleigh family

The surname Ripleigh was first found in Yorkshire at Ripley. "This place was anciently the property of the Ripley family, by marriage with whose heiress, about the latter part of the fourteenth century, it was conveyed to Sir Thomas Ingilby, whose descendant, William, was created a Baronet in 1642: the title, becoming extinct, was revived in 1781, and has passed to Sir William Amcots Ingilby, the present owner of the estate. During the parliamentary war, Ripley Castle was visited after the battle of Marston-Moor by Oliver Cromwell, who passed one night here; it was originally built in 1555, and having been much enlarged and improved during the present century, is a handsome castellated mansion, finely situated in a demesne tastefully laid out. " 3

"The Ripleys were mayors of Ripon in the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries. The name is now scarce. " 4

In Scotland the family is generally believed to have descended from the Yorkshire branch. Here we found: "Bernaidus de Rippeley witnessed the gift by Alexander II of ten marks annually to the Abbey of Arbroath in 1247 (RAA., I, p. 202), and in 1249 he witnessed a charter de Werenna de Muskilburg (Musselbergh) to the monks of Dunfermline. He also witnessed confirmation of the gift of the lands of Prendergest to the monks of Coldingham in the reign of Alexander II. Willelmus de Rypeley is mentioned in a charter of 1279 as the progenitor of Sir William de Dolays (Dallas), and as having held the lands of Dolays Mykel under a grant of confirmation of William the Lion." 5

Early rolls include the following early spellings: Bernard Rippeley in Yorkshire, 1175-1183; Roger Rippeley in Northumberland in 1242; and Richard Rypplay in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls in 1381. 6 The later rolls also include: Matilda de Riplay in 1379. 7

Early History of the Ripleigh family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ripleigh research. Another 60 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1400, 1490, 1682, 1721 and 1758 are included under the topic Early Ripleigh History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ripleigh Spelling Variations

Ripleigh has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Ripleigh have been found, including Ripley, Rippley, Rippley, Rippleigh, Ripleigh, Riplea and many more.

Early Notables of the Ripleigh family

Notables of this surname at this time include: George Ripley (died 1490), and English alchemist, born at Ripley in Yorkshire. However, this branch seems to have become extinct during the fifteenth century. The alchemist Ripley has been confused with George (or Gregory) Ripley (d. 1400?), a Carmelite friar of Boston, and author of lives of St. Botolph and John of...
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ripleigh Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Ripleigh family

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Ripleighs to arrive on North American shores: William, Mary, Sarah and John Ripley who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1638; William Ripley settled in Hingham Massachusetts in 1630; William Ripley settled in Carolina in 1774.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
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)