Rishman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Rishman is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Rishman family lived in Yorkshire, at Richmond. This local name indicated that its original bearer hailed from Richmond, a location which takes its name from the Norman personal name Richard, meaning brave and strong. Richmond (Richemont) was originally a place in the arrondissement of Neufchatel in Normandy. 1

Not withstanding the above, we did find this interesting passage which we include in its entirety: "Alain le Roux, son of Eudes Count of Brittany, 'in his very youth not a little famous for his valour,' led the division comprising the men of Brittany and Maine, that formed the left wing of the Norman army at Hastings, and received three entire wapentakes in North Yorkshire, which became the great Honour of Richmond, the name given by the new possessor in the new language to the old English soke of Gilling." 2 Essentially this passage confirms the entry of the family into England with the Conqueror. Furthermore, the author goes on to explain that "Alain Fergant, Alain le Roux, and Alain le Noir " all arrived with the Conqueror and all were granted lands. Alain le Roux and Alain le Noir were brothers, the sons of Eudes of Brittany, Count of Penthievre. Alain le Roux's change to the name Richmond cleared up the confusion.

Early Origins of the Rishman family

The surname Rishman was first found in the North Riding of Yorkshire at Richmond, a borough, market-town, and parish. "The town and castle seem to have been founded in the reign of William the Conqueror, by his nephew Alan Rufus, upon whom he bestowed the whole district, with the title of Earl, and who gave the place the name of 'Rich Mount,' indicating, it is presumed, the value he attached to it. The district had previously belonged to the Saxon Earl Edwin, and the charter, for dispossessing him of his Yorkshire estates, and conferring them on Alan, was granted at the siege of York, in 1069. " 3 Richmond in Surrey was anciently Sheen and was renamed by Henry VII., on his building of a palace there after his own title of Earl of Richmond in Yorkshire. 1

Early History of the Rishman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rishman research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1630, 1771, 1795, 1802, 1825, 1837 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Rishman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rishman Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Richmond, Richmond, Richman and others.

Early Notables of the Rishman family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Christopher Richmond, High Sheriff of Cumberland in 1630. Thomas Richmond (1771-1837), was an English miniature-painter, the son of Thomas Richmond, originally of Bawtry, and of an old Yorkshire family. The father was a 'groom of the stables' to the Duke of Gloucester, and afterwards the proprietor of the Coach and Horses at Kew, where the artist was born in 1771. Though the pose of some of his figures is in the...
Another 79 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rishman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Rishman family to Ireland

Some of the Rishman family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Rishman family

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Rishman or a variant listed above: John Richmond settled in Virginia in 1654 with Eleanor his wife; Adam, Henry, Jacob and William Richmond all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1870.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.