The Anglo-Saxon name Kerrige comes from the family having resided in the village of Kerridge found in the parish of Prestbury in the county of Cheshire.
The surname Kerrige was first found in Cheshire, in the village of Kerridge. The place name was derived from "key ridge." However, we must look to Suffolk for the earliest record of the family as John Kerrage was registered there in 1297. Two years later, the family "occurs in the records of Dunwich for 1299." [1]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kerrige research. Another 112 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1327, 1524, 1631, 1308, 1616, 1628, 1748 and 1828 are included under the topic Early Kerrige History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Kerrige 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. Spelling variants included: Kerridge, Kerrage, Kerrich, Kerriche, Kerysche and others.
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kerrige Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Kerriges to arrive on North American shores: John Kerridge, who was living in Haldimand County, Ontario in 1877; and Frederick John Kerridge, who was on record in Minneapolis in 1875.