Ridlie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestry of the name Ridlie dates from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from when the family lived in the region of Ridley in the counties of Northumberland, Cheshire and Kent. Ridlie is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Ridlie family

The surname Ridlie was first found in Northumberland where one of the first records of the name was Nicolas de Ridley who executed a charter in 1250. Later, Nicolas de Redley or Ridley lived in 1306 at Ridley in this county. Another early record reveals Odard Ridley as Coroner of Tyndale in 1278. His grandfather was probably brother of John Fitz-Odard, Baron of Emildon (living 1161-1182) and son of Odard, Viscount of Northumberland.

The township of Melkridge was an early home to the family. "It belonged at an early period to the Ridleys, of whom Sir Nicholas Ridley was proprietor in the 16th century; the chief estate afterwards came to the Nevilles, of Chevet, and from them passed to the Blacketts, the present owners. " 1

Wall-Town again in Northumberland was home to another branch of the family since early times. "In Henry VIII.'s time Wall-Town was the property of the Ridleys, who continued here till the reign of Charles I., if not later. The tower of Wall-Town, which was a castellated building, is described, in 1542, as the inheritance of John Ridley." 1

Early History of the Ridlie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ridlie research. Another 168 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1500, 1547, 1550, 1555, 1560, 1576, 1624, 1629, 1653, 1691, 1692 and 1708 are included under the topic Early Ridlie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ridlie Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Ridlie have been found, including Ridley, Ridly and others.

Early Notables of the Ridlie family

Distinguished members of the family include Lancelot Ridley (died 1576), an English divine, said to have been the son of John Ridley of Willimoteswick in Northumberland; and his second son, Dr. Mark Ridley (1560-c.1624), an English physician born at Stretham, Cambridgeshire; and Nicholas Ridley (1500-1555) an English Bishop of London, burned at the stake as one of the Oxford Martyrs. 2 Sir Thomas...
Another 62 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ridlie Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Ridlie family

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Ridlie, or a variant listed above: Richard Ridley settled in Boston in 1635; along with Anne; Elizabeth Ridley settled in Bermuda in 1635; John Ridley settled in South Carolina in 1716.

The Ridlie Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Constans fidei
Motto Translation: Constant to honor.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print