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![Show Contents]() Rudgely History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
The name Rudgely was brought to England by the Normans when they conquered the country in 1066. The ancestors of the Rudgely family lived in Staffordshire. Their name, however, is a reference to Rugles, a village in the department of Eure, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. The name Ruggles is of the same derivation and shares its coat of arms with the Rudgely family. Early Origins of the Rudgely familyThe surname Rudgely was first found in Staffordshire at Rugeley, a historic market town and parish that dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was listed as Rugelie 1 and literally meant "woodland clearing on or near a ridge" having derived from the Old English "hrycg" + "leah." 2 At that time, the lands were shown to be the King's lands and consisted of a mill and a village. Over the years the town has also been historically known as Rudgeley or Ridgeley. The manor of Rugeley was granted by Henry VIII to William, first Lord Paget, ancestor of the Marquess of Anglesey, the present lord of the manor. 3 Early History of the Rudgely familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rudgely research. Another 156 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1413, 1449, 1637 and 1655 are included under the topic Early Rudgely History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Rudgely Spelling VariationsIt is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Rudgely are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Rudgely include Rugeley, Rudgely, Rugelay, Rogyll, Rudgeley, Rudgelie, Rudglie, Rudgley, Ruggeley, Ruggely, Rugley, Ruggley and many more. Early Notables of the Rudgely familyMore information is included under the topic Early Rudgely Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Rudgely familyFaced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Rudgely, or a variant listed above: George Rudglie who settled in Barbados in 1635.
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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