Ridgert History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon name Ridgert comes from the family having resided in Rudyard, Staffordshire. The place-name Rudyard means "yard where rue was grown" derived from the Old English words rude + geard. [1]

Rue is a perennial evergreen shrub common in Europe with yellow flowers. The plant is psychoactive; the leaves of the shrub were used as a stimulant in the Middle Ages. The leaves were noted for their strong smell and bitter taste.

Early Origins of the Ridgert family

The surname Ridgert was first found in Staffordshire at Rudyard, a small village west of Leek on the shores of Rudyard Lake. The lake is quite recent, built in 1797 by the engineer John Rennie, for the Trent and Mersey Canal company. [2]

But the placename dates back to at least 1002 when it was listed as Rudegeard, yet a few years later it was listed as Rudierd in the Domesday Book of 1086. [1] At that time, it was part of the Pirehill Hundred and owned by the King. [3]

William de Rodyard, de Rodiard, or de Rudyard (c.1275- c. 1349) was an English-born juristy and cleric. He held office as Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas. He was also Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, and briefly Deputy Lord Treasurer of Ireland. He was the first Chancellor of the Medieval University of Dublin. He is generally thought ot have been born in Rudyard, Staffordshire.

Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), the famous English journalist, short-story writer, poet, and novelist was born in India but his parents named their son after the village.

Early History of the Ridgert family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ridgert research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1030, 1066, 1572, 1620, 1621, 1630, 1640, 1648, 1658, 1682, 1683 and 1692 are included under the topic Early Ridgert History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ridgert Spelling Variations

Ridgert 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: Rudyard, Rudgard, Rudyer and others.

Early Notables of the Ridgert family

Distinguished members of the family include Sir Benjamin Rudyerd (Rudyard) (1572-1658), an English poet and politician, sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1621 and 1648, one of the incorporators of the Providence Company (1630)...
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ridgert Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Ridgert 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 Ridgerts to arrive on North American shores: Thomas Rudyard who settled in New Jersey in 1664; Thomas Rudyard arrived in Pennsylvania in 1682; Albert M. Ridgard, aged 36, who arrived at Ellis Island from Liverpool, in 1906.

Citations +

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.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)