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![Show Contents]() Wridgeway History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The ancestors of the bearers of the Wridgeway family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found at the ridgeway a path along the back of a hill or ridge. Wridgeway is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a ridge. Early Origins of the Wridgeway familyThe surname Wridgeway was first found in Devon. "The extinct Baronet family, created Lords Londonderry in Ireland, traced their pedigree to 6. Edw. IV., when Stephen Ridgeway was one of the stewards of the city of Exeter. There are two places in Devonshire called Ridgeway, one near Honiton, and the other near Plymouth, but from which of these the family sprang is unknown. " 1 Torre Abbey in Torguay, Devon was held by the family for a period of time, but the history of owners in interesting: "John St. Leger, to whom the site was granted, sold it to Sir Hugh Pollard. Pollard's grandson conveyed it to Sir Edmund Seymour, and he sold it to Thomas Ridgway, ancestor of the Earls of Londonderry, the lord of the manor of Torre Mohun, which John Ridgway and John Petre had bought of Edward VI. By the Ridgways the whole property was held until 1653. Torre Abbey was then sold to John Stowell" 2 Early rolls revealed records in Cheshire: John del Ruggeway was listed in East Cheshire in 1355; and later Hugh Ridgeway was found in Cheshire in 1577. Katerine Ridgeway was buried at Prestbury Cheshire in 1560 and James Ridgway, of Offerton was listed in the Wills at Chester in 1594. There was one early record of the family in Yorkshire: Johannes de Rygeway, who was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 3 Early History of the Wridgeway familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wridgeway research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1565, 1583, 1600, 1606 and 1631 are included under the topic Early Wridgeway History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Wridgeway Spelling VariationsUntil quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Wridgeway include Ridgway, Ridgeway and others. Early Notables of the Wridgeway familyDistinguished members of the family include Thomas Ridgeway, 1st Earl of Londonderry (1565? - 1631), English administrator active in the Ulster Plantation. He was son and heir of Thomas Ridgeway of Tor Mohun, Devon. He was born either at Torwood or at Tor Abbey and was appointed collector of customs at Exmouth in 1583. He was High Sheriff of Devon in...
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wridgeway Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Wridgeway family to Ireland
Some of the Wridgeway family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Wridgeway familySearching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled 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 ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Wridgeway or a variant listed above: Edward Ridgway who settled in Maryland, at the age of 40; in 1679; the same year that Richard Ridgway settled in Pennsylvania with his wife, Elizabeth, and two sons. James Ridgway was brought to America, in bondage, since he was a convict, in 1661. Elizabeth Ridgway arrived in the New World in the same fashion in 1694.
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: Mihi gravato Deus
Motto Translation: Let God lay the burden on me.
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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England
Ireland
