Tuesday, 3 December 2013

This is the second newsletter as issued without any edits:

Second newsletter of the Rigmaiden One-Name Study, June 2012

Some early Rigmaidens

One of the earliest Rigmaidens mentioned in surviving documents is Richard Rigmaiden (1245) who is mentioned in C L'Estrange Ewen's book A history of surnames of the British Isles published in 1931. The reference given is 'Fines: Farrar' which was a secondary source compiled by W Farrar from primary medieval documents. He is mentioned again in An armorial for Westmorland and Lonsdale by R S Boumphrey and C Roy Hudleston 'The Rigmaden family held land in Mansergh [a township near Rigmaden Hall, near Kirby Lonsdale in what is now Cumbria] between 1260 when Richard de Rigmaidin and Alica his wife released land to Nicolas, son of Roger de Manesergh and 1546 ...' The origins of the Rigmaiden and Mansergh families are much entwined and it has been suggested that there is evidence that a branch of the Mansergh family took the Rigmaiden name after acquiring land from them. This gives rise to the suggestion that the family came from Scandinavia via Ireland as the Mansergh branch hails from Ireland originally.

According to the Victoria  County History volumes for Lancashire, a Richard de Rigmaiden, probably a later one, held lands in Middleton on the shores of Morecambe Bay in1297 together with a Lady Joan de Dacre, and in 1288 he was subject to a complaint against him and his wife Anabil by Thomas son of Roger de Burgh that he [Richard] had disseised him of a messuage and land in Middleton. Annabil was the heir to Thomas Heaton and her sister (born out of wedlock) was the mother of Thomas de Burgh. In 1317-18 Thomas, son of Richard de Rigmaiden, ratified a grant by his father to Edmund de Nevill concerning land in an island of Middleton called Mirhop, so it seems that the Rigmaidens were the main resident family here until the seventeeth century and their story here will be continued in further newsletters.

Receiving several mentions in the Victoria County History for Lancashire are John de Rigmaiden and his wife Isolda. They came into possession of the Manor in Wedacre, near Garstang in 1290 when Peter de Brus died and his four married sisters, who were his heirs, granted their rights to them [John and Isolda]. Succeeding generations remained there until the late 16th century when the latest in the line, Walter died in a state of lunacy. John and Isolda had two sons, John and Marmaduke, the line eventually descending through Marmaduke.A full description of the line of descent is given in the Victoria History of the County of Lancaster, volume 7, pages 315-320. A family pedigree appears in the The visitation of the County Palatine of Lancaster made in the year 1567 by William Flower Esq. published by the Chetham Society. A more detailed family tree appears in Remains historical and literary connected with the Palatine Counties of Lancashire and Cheshire published by the Chetham Society, vol CV, chapter VII, 'Old Halls and old families', p213. It  has to be said that there are some errors in the early parts of the family tree, especially concerning William Rigmaiden, as described below.

Also mentioned is Isolda's daughter Nichola who was Isolda's heir. In the VCH section on the parish of Claughton [near Preston, in Lancashire] it is stated that 'Roger de Brockholes, under age, married Nichola, daughter and heir of Isolda, wife of John Rigmaiden'. This would have been between 1290 and 1311 when Roger died. The Brockholes family were another prominent Lancashire family gaining their name from the Manor of Brockholes, near Preston, where they lived. In 1292 Roger and Nichola claimed land from John Rigmaiden and Richard de Pleasington, as reported in the Lancashire Assizes rolls (original medieval documents). The same source tells us that nine years later in 1301, Roger, Nichola and their son John are all under age! By 1311 Roger de Brockholes is dead but his widow Nichola is still living in 1344. The Brockholes and Rigmaiden families were connected by marriage several times in succeeding decades. Other family squabbles over land are reported in the VCH between Nichola and another member of the Brockholes family.
A footnote tells us that 'Isolda occurs frequently in the story of the Rigmaidens of Wedacre [near Garstang, in Lancashire], but her parentage is not given, nor is it stated how Nichola was her heir. ' It is generally supposed that Isolda was twice married and that Nichola was a daughter from a previous marriage.

John and Isolda also had land interests in Overton, Morecombe Bay, near Lancaster and in 1310 Isolda, widow of John, claimed lands in Nateby, near Garstang. Isolda seems to have been quite a feisty widow and became invoved in a number of land disputes.

At this same period John, son of John de Rigmaiden gives homage of certain of his tenants to John de Brockholes, and William, son of Gilbert de Rigmaiden gave him [John de Brockholes] lands at Turnhurst in Garstang for life.
The VCH also reports that John, son of John de Rigmaiden, had a rent from Scotforth [on the outskirts of Lancaster] in 1323.
Also in 1323 John de Rigmaiden had a rent from land or property in Lancaster but the VCH comments that no further mention is made of it in later Rigmaiden inquistions. William de Rigmaiden is constable of Lancaster Castle in 1401 (see below).

In another Lancaster connection, Robert de Culwen and Joan his wife in 1340 claimed dower in Caton [outskirts of Lancaster] against Edmund son of John de Hornby in right of a gift by Thomas de Rigmaiden, Joan's former husband, who was a descendant of John and Isolda.

The early Rigmaidens also had land interests in Holleth (near Preston, Lancashire), ie, Thomas de Rigmaiden in 1345; Cleveley, (near Garstang), ie, Thomas, son of Marmaduke Rigmaiden, made complaints that someone had 'broken his wood there' c1375; later Rigmaidens also complained about destruction of their wood, and it is named in their inquisitions as a dependency of their manor in Garstang; Winmarleigh, ie, Thomas, son of Marmaduke, had the manor claimed against him in 1359 by Nicholas le Gentyl; Catterall (near Preston), ie, John son of John de Rigmaiden demanded demesne and service from Alan de Catterall; Carleton, ie, John Rigmaiden c1499, held the land in common with the King and Margaret, Duchess of Richmond; Ellel, ie, John son of John de Rigmaiden had a rent from there in 1323, in 1362 Thomas de Rigmaiden claimed a moiety of the mill and there are further court pleas regarding land and tenements; Preese (near Preston), ie, William de Rigmaiden (1401) was granted wardship of William Skillicorne, heir of Edmund and Margaret (previously Rigmaiden), William's sister who held the manor here, when Edmund died as William was under age (see below for more about William).

In an area of Sefton called Edge (now Merseyside) Richard de Molyneux was lord of the manor and he had married Lettice, widow of John Rigmaiden of Wyresdale. Lettice was living at the Edge in 1376, and claimed damages from Thomas le Boteler of Marton for breaking into her close (or wood); he was a creditor. Lettice was also defendant in a Cheshire suit in 1369. There was a son Thomas, who had a burgage in Bank Street, Liverpool, in 1381–2, and who is named in the will of his uncle Thomas de Molyneux of Cuerdale. Richard was dead in 1368; his widow was living in 1378.

The Rigmaidens also had an interest in Habergham Eaves in Burnley - William de Rigmaiden married Elizabeth Townley, widow of John de Townley who died in 1399. Also in 1399 William was granted wardship of John and Elizabeth's heir, 12 year old Richard de Townley who was supposed to inherit the manor and all the Townley lands (see below for more about William).

William Rigmaiden, of Blyth, Nottinghamshire.

It remains to comment more fully on one more prominent member of the family, William Rigmaiden of Blyth (already mentioned incidentally above) who was the third son of Thomas Rigmaiden (d 1379) of Wedacre and married Elizabeth, widow of John Townley in 1399. As third son he had little hope of inheritance of the manor but when his older brother, John, died prematurely William became acting head of the family for his father, Thomas's widow, Joan (William's mother), and assisted in the wardship of Thomas and Joan's grandson, only three years old who was the heir. In this position he came to the attention of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, the most powerful landowner in the area.

Their relations at the start were far from cordial as William appeared at the Lancaster Assizes charged with poaching on the Duke's game reserves.The proceedings, and a subsequent sentence of outlawry, were suspended on the intervention of the Duke who appointed William esquire to John of Gaunt's son, Henry of Bolingbroke, Earl of Derby. One wonders at the possible charisma, power or good connections of the man to achieve such a reversal. It has to be mentioned that Gaunt was also uncle to Richard II and ruled the country when Richard came to the throne at the tender age of 10 years. Jumping ahead, Henry Bolingbroke was later to successfully lead a rebellion against Richard  in 1399 and ascended the throne as Henry IV. Richard was imprisoned in Pontefract Castle and died four months later.

Shakespeare afficionados will recall Bolingbroke's character in the tetrology of history plays: Richard II, Henry IV Parts I & II  and Henry V.

But back to William - in 1390 he was held in such high position that he was able to intervene personally with Richard II to obtain a pardon for one of his men. Later that year he travelled to Prussia with Bolingbroke (Derby) on the first of his expeditions in support of the Teutonic Knights and while there received gifts from the Earl worth 66s 8d.

After Henry Bolingbroke ascended the throne as Henry IV, William Rigmaiden was awarded annuities of 40 marks and became constable of Lancaster Castle. As husband of wealthy widow Elizabeth Townley he came into control of her manors and lands in Townley, Cliviger, Hapton and Birtwistle awarded by the king when she died in 1401 to the value of 45 marks a year.


[William's career as MP in Nottinghamshire will be continued in next newsletter]






Wednesday, 20 November 2013

This is the content of the first group newsletter as it was originally written without any edits:

Newletter of the Rigmaiden One-Name Study, December 2011

For this first issue of the Rigmaiden newsletter I have decided to look at the origins of this decidedly unusual surname. I have included extracts and comments from a variety of sources, highlighted in bold, concerning the origins of the family name and place name. There are a number of variant spellings but the most common modern version is Rigmaiden with Rigmaden being reserved for the Hall near Kirby Lonsdale. In older documents the name appears as Rygmaiden or Rygmayden with other deviations occurring less frequently. Although source no 4 mentions occurrence of the family name in Lincolnshire documentary evidence fails to back this up.

1. An armorial for Westmorland and Lonsdale by R S Boumphrey and C Roy Hudleston; J Hughes with a foreword by Roger Fulford. Lake District Museum Trust; Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society, 1975.
p250 'RIGMADEN, of Rigmaden. The Rigmaden family held land in Mansergh between 1260, when Richard de Rigmaidin and Alica his wife released land to Nicolas, son of Roger de Manesergh, and in 1546, when John de Rygmayden and Mary his wife conveyed a tenement to George Banegrygg (Farrer ii  375-85). Arms. Argent three stags' heads couped sable (NB i 252)
RIGMAIDEN. The Rigmaidens were the principal resident family in Middleton (L)from the end of the 15th century to until the death of William Rigmaiden, 1608. William Rygmayden of Woodacre, Garstang, was constable of Lancaster Castle, c1400. Arms Argent three bucks' heads cabossed sable (VCH1. viii 74 ; Shield in Shire Hall, Lancaster). These arms were born by Thomas Rigmayden, temp, Edward 1 (FFC)'

2. The place names of Westmorland by A H Smith. Part 1. Cambridge University Press, 1967.
p51'Rigmaden Fm, Rig(g)-, Ryg(g)maiden, Rygge-, -mayd- 1255 LAInq, 1292 Ass 19. 1301, 1344, Kend i, 138, 1316 FF, 1345 Cl, 1pm et passim to 1738 Rent 1, Rigmaddin 1610 Kend ii, 424, -maden 1647 WilsonL, 1656 PR(KL) et freq to 1865 OS. 'The maiden's ridge', v. hryggr, maegden. This p.n is an inversion compound, a Celtic (Irish) type of composition introduced into NW England from Ireland by Norwegian Vikings (cf Ekwall, ScandsCelts 13ff); several other examples like Wath Sutton, Satearngrim, Crosscrake, Rigg Brunild, Brigsteer, CrossDormant, etc. (i, 57, 62, 99, 109, ii, 210 etc.) occur in We (v Introd.)

[Abbreviatons used above:
LAInq Lancashire Inquests, Extents and Feudal Aids, ed by W Farrar, Lancashire & Cheshire Record Society, 1903-7.
Ass Assize roll, 1256(CW xiii, 67-78)
Kend Records relating to the Barony of Kendal ed W Farrar & J F Curwen, CWRec, 4,5,6, Kendal, 1923-6.
FF Feet of Fines 1196-1659, in PRO (CP 25)
Cl CAlendar of Close rolls, PRO, In progress
Rent 1 Rentals & Surbeys in the PRO
WilsonL R P Brown. Edward Wilson of NetherLevens and his kin CW Tract series12, 1930
OS Original 1" Ordnance Survey map

3. Place names of Great Britain and Ireland by John Field. David & Charles, 
p? 'Rigmaiden [Westmorland], 'maiden's ridge' a hybrid name compounded in the order associated with Norse settlers from Ireland, viz with the qualifying element following the main component (cf Aspatria ) [Rig(g) maiden 1255: ON hrygger , OE maegden]

4. The general armoury, 
p857 'Rigmaiden (Wedacre, [County] Lancaster; [Heralds' Visitation] Lancaster 1557). Ar. three bucks' heads cabossed [sable]. Crest a buck's head erased [sable]
Rigmaiden ([counties] Lancaster & Lincoln). Ar three bucks' heads cabossed sa.'

5. A history of surnames of the British Isles ...by C L'Estrange Ewen. Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co, 1931.
p341 'Rigmaiden. Local. A locality and seat in Westmorland.

Rich. Rigmayden, Lancs 1245  (Fines : Farrar)

Thom. de Rigmayden Lancs, 1377. (Cl. R)
J Rigmeydon, courssourman, 1509. (Letters & Papers, Brown)
Isabel Rigmaiden, Staff. 1547. (Pat. R)
Francis Rigmaydon, bur 1595 (St Francis, Cornhill)
A H Rigmaiden, Liverpool, 1930, Dir. 

Lower curiously derives this surname from a nickname given to a 'romping girl'. Having once become obsessed with the idea that surnames are derived from vulgar epithets, discovery of origin becomes easy. Probably Joyemaiden (Cambs, 1275: Hund. R) has as simple an origin as Rigmaiden. Maden is a local surname.

6. English placename elements by A H Smith Pts I & II. Cambridge University Press, 1956.
In this work Smith treats the two components of the name separately:
v1 p267 "hryggr [Old Norse] a ridge [or long narrow hill] , used in the same way as hryeg which it sometimes replaces, as in Rigton [West Yorkshire], a) Ribby [Lancashire] (by), b)Rigmaiden [Westmorland] (maegden), b) Brownrigg [Cumberland] (brun), Crossrig [Cumberland] (Cros), Bigrygg (bygg), Louthrigg (lauk) [Cumberland], Eskrigg (esk), Hazelrig (hesli) [Lancashire], Lambrigg [Westmorland] (lamb), Marrick [North Yorkshire] (mkrr)"
v2 p32 "maegden [Old English] a maiden
(1) This [element] generally denotes 'a maiden, a young unmarried woman', in [pronouns] usually in allusion to places owned by them, to places thought suitable for their use, or to places which they habitually frequented (as in lanes or at bridges, fords and the like), as in [pronouns] incorporating words for 'youth', like cild, cniht, sometimes to places owned by religious females.
(2) The use of the word with burh and castel is fairly widespread .... [eg Maiden Castle] .. In a few instances like Medbury ... where there is no evidence of earthwork or old fortification, it may simply denote 'a manor held by maidens', but usually such places are the sites of ancient earthworks. In many of them the suggestion that they signify 'a fortification so strong that it could be defended by girls' or 'one that has never been taken' would no doubt be possible but this kind of description would hardly be applicable to some of the earthworks which must have long passed into disuse when these names were created. The sense may well be that implied by other names like the common Love Lane (cf Maiden Lane [otherwise] Lovers Lane in Penrith [Cumberland] ....), in other words 'a place frequented by maidens, a secluded place where maidens could indulge their fancies unobserved'.
... in maege [Old English] the name also encompasses 'kinswoman'

7. Surnames by Ernest Weekley. John Murray, 1918.
Weekly explains in his foreword that the first attempt at anything like a history of surnames was Lower's Patronymica Britannica published in 1860. He continues " Lower seems to have been a genial antiquary, with a good deal of miscellaneous information, but no serious knowledge of European languages. ... He knew, however, something about the general history of surnames and had read all that had been written in English on the subject. Some of his suggested etymologies are rather funny ...  [Lower writes]:
"Rigmaiden Two gentry families, settled respectively in Counties Lincoln and Lancaster, bore this remarkable name, which at the commencement of the present century [the 19th] was still extant. I can give no better etymology for the name ..... than 'a romping girl'"
..... Rigmaden is a seat in Westmorland, and the local surname ..... de Riggemaiden can be easily attested from the medieval records of the north. "

8. East Lancashire nomenclature and Rochdale names by H C Marsh. 
Interestingly here we are told
p21 "Some of the places called 'maiden', such as 'Maden Fold' and 'Rigmaden' mean meadow; as well as Green Middens Farm ...   The acre [from the Anglo-Saxon] signified corn-land; while as a measure it was as much as might be ploughed in a day. We have such words as Barnacre ..."
The manor held by the Rigmaiden family in medieval times was Wedacre [Woodacre] or Barnacre, just outside Garstang in Lancashire - an interesting coincidence?.



Tuesday, 12 November 2013

I am currently revising the postings which I have made in the light of new information. Since my last posting I have been issuing a Rigmaiden One-Name Study newsletter to anyone interested. In case there are interested parties who do not want to contact me directly I will post the Newsletter content on here - so far there are five issues. The first three go back quite a long way, back to the beginnings and origin of the name. Any comments welcome.