| ![Show Contents]() Rigsbey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England The name Rigsbey is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived in the parish of Rigsby in the county of Lincolnshire. Rigsbey is a habitation name which forms a broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. Habitiation names were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads and indicated where a man held his land and estates. Early Origins of the Rigsbey familyThe surname Rigsbey was first found in Lincolnshire at Rigsby listed in the Domesday Book as Rigesbi and Righesbi, land held by the Archbishop of York. Herbert the archbishop's man held one plough, three villans and four boarders with two oxen. In total it comprised ninety acres of pasture and sixty acres of woodland. 1 Today the village is part of the civil parish of Rigsby with Ailby in the East Lindsey district. Early History of the Rigsbey familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rigsbey research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1570, 1594, 1600, 1620, 1650, 1659, 1671 and 1694 are included under the topic Early Rigsbey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Rigsbey Spelling VariationsIt is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Rigsbey are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. 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. The variations of the name Rigsbey include: Rigbye, Rigbie, Rigby and others. Early Notables of the Rigsbey familyDistinguished members of the family include Saint John Rigby (ca. 1570-1600), an English Roman Catholic martyr who was executed during the reign of Elizabeth I, one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.Alexander Rigby (1594-1650), was an English parliamentary colonel and Baron of the Exchequer, the eldest...
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rigsbey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Rigsbey familyMany English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Rigsbey or a variant listed above: Robert, Dorothy and Roger Rigby, who all settled in Virginia in 1638; John Rigby, who settled in Virginia in 1737; Joe Rigby, who settled in Georgia in 1737.
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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