Raistricke History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Raistricke family

The surname Raistricke was first found in the West Riding of Yorkshire where the earliest record of the name was found as Rastric (Rastrick) in the Domesday Book. There we found two entries for the place: the first in Morley Wapentake and the second in the West Riding. (both entries are referring to the same place) 1 Rastrick is now a "chapelry, in the parish and union of Halifax, wapentake of Morley." 2

Today Rastrick is a village in the West Riding near Brighouse and Huddersfield where remains of an ancient fort have been found at Castle Hill. The name was derived from the Old Scandinavian word "rost" + the Old English word "ric" and probably meant "raised strip or ridge with a resting place" 3 The earliest record of the family was found in this parish where Roger de Rastric was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of 1212. 4 5 John de Rastrik was listed at Wakefield in 1274 and the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 include an entry for Katerina Rastrik (Rastrike). 4 6

Early History of the Raistricke family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Raistricke research. Another 58 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1212, 1274, 1379, 1650, 1660, 1674, 1687 and 1727 are included under the topic Early Raistricke History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Raistricke Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Rastick, Rastich, Raistrick, Raistrich, Rasticke and many more.

Early Notables of the Raistricke family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Rastrisk (1650-1727), English nonconformist minister, son of John and Afling Raistrige, born at Heckington, Lincolnshire. He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, and graduated B.A. 1660, M.A. 1674. Having taken orders, he became in 1674 vicar of Kirton, Lincolnshire. His parish was not populous, but wide and scattered, and he applied himself to pastoral work with great assiduity. Acting on puritan principles, he withheld baptism from illegitimate children till there was evidence of the parents' penitence, and restricted the communion to those whom he deemed duly prepared. He allowed the scrupulous to...
Another 100 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Raistricke Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Raistricke family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Raistricke or a variant listed above: F. J. Rastrick, who was on record in the census of Ontario, Canada of 1871.

Citations +

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.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)