'Rigby1'Index links to: Lead / Letter
Families covered: Rigby of Burgh, Rigby of Harrock, Rigby of Layton, Rigby of Mistley Hall, Rigby of Middleton, Rigby in Wrightington

                               
VCH reports that "The long succession of Nicholases renders it difficult to distinguish between them." The following shows our attempt to do so. However, it should be noted that the first given by Dugdale is the Nicholas who d 1629 so the pedigree before that generation may have over-speculated on its interpretation of VCH.
Nicholas Rigby in Wrightington, Lancashire (a 1379, 1408?)
m. Katherine de Standish (dau of Ralph de Standish) presumed parents of ...
1. Nicholas Rigby in Wrightington (a 1408? 1443) presumed father of ...
A. Nicholas Rigby in Wrightington (a 1474)
  i. Nicholas Rigby (a 1474)
  m. Agnes Urmston (dau of Gilbert Urmston) presumed parents of ...
  a. Nicholas Rigby (a 1507)
(1) Nicholas Rigby of Harrock in Wrightington (a 1507, d 16.05.1557)
  m. (mcrt 01.07.1508) Margaret Anderton (d 08.1535, dau of Hugh Anderton of Euxton)
  (A) Nicholas Rigby of Harrock (b 1524-5, d 1599)
  m. Mary Breres mother of John, presumed also of ...
  (i) Nicholas Rigby of Harrick (Harrock) (b c1562, d 1629) the first mentioned by Dugdale
  m. Elianor Starkey (dau of Thomas Starkey of Stretton)
  (a) Nicholas Rigby of Harrock (d 01.1661)
  m1. Phebe Fox (dau of William Fox of Toxteth)
  ((1)) Nicholas Rigby of Harrock (b 1626-7, a 09.1664)
  m. Hannah Harper (dau of William Harper of Cowley Hill)
  Dugdale ends with the next generation, showing only 1 son (Nicholas who d infant). VCH reports that Nicholas (a 1664) was succeeded by another Nicholas (d 1740), who we presume was born after 1664, whose eventual heirs were the descendants of his daughter Anne.
  ((A)) Nicholas Rigby of Harrock (d 1740, 2nd son?)
  www.nationalarchives.gov.uk (see here) provides the following.
  ((i)) Nicholas Rigby of Harrock (dsp 1754)
  ((ii)) Thomas Rigby of Harrock (dsp 1775)
((iii)) Eleanor Rigby of Harrock (d 1787)
  ((iv)) Anne Rigby
  m. Thomas Baldwin of Leyland (Rev.)
  ((a)) John Baldwin, later Rigbye of Harrock Hall (d 1793, rector of North Meols)
  (((1))) Thomas Baldwin
  (((2))) Rigbye Baldwin, later Rigbye of Harrock Hall (d 1829, 3rd son)
(((A))) Rigbye Baldwin Rigbye of Harrock Hall (Captain)
  (((B))) Everilda Rigbye probably of this generation
  m. (1820) Rev. Robert Lingen Burton (d 1887)
  ((B))+ other issue - Nicholas (d infant), Phebe, Mary, Elizabeth, Hannah, Elianor
  ((2)) Mary Rigby
  m. Michael Briscoe of Toxteth
  ((3)) Rebecca Rigby
  Dugdale suggests that Rebecca (d unm) but this may be the Rebecca (or her sister or niece/aunt) who married ...
  m. Barnaby Hesketh of North Meols & Pilling (bur 30.09.1695)
  ((4))+ other issue - John, Elianor (d young)
  m2. Alice Warburton (dau of Peter Warburton of Arley)
  (b) Anne Rigby
  m. _ Kirby of London
  (c) Frances Rigby
  m. Hugh Brookes of Coventry
  (d)+ other issue (d unm) - Alexander, John, Thomas
  (ii) 'Saint' John Rigby (b c1570, d 21.06.1600, 5th/6th son) mentioned in Wikipedia ("John Rigby (martyr)")
  (B)+ other issue - John, Edward, William, Alexander, Ralph

 

 

The arms of the following family are the same as those of Rigby of Harrock except for a colour difference. This suggests that they were closely connected to the above family.
John Rigby
1. Adam Rigby
m. Alice Middleton (dau of _ Middleton of Leighton)
  A. John Rigby
  m. Jane Molineux (dau of Gilbert Molineux, son of ?? Molineux of Hawkley)
i. Alexander Rigby (2nd son)
  m. Alice Ashawe (dau of Leonard Ashawe of Shaw)
  a. Alexander Rigby of Middleton in Goosenarth, Lancashire (d 08.1650, esquire to the body to King James, bencher of Gray's Inn)
  m1. Lucie Legh (dau of Sir Urian Legh of Adlington)
  (1) Alexander Rigby of Middleton (b 1618-9, bur 04.03.1694, MP)
  VCH (Lancashire, vol 7, Townships: Goosnargh) suggests that this was the Alexander who, with his brother Edward, "fell under suspicion at the beginning of the reign of James II, and were ordered into custody in 1685" (sb 1658?). However, HoP ("Alexander Rigby") reports that "the Alexander Rigby listed as a royalist sympathizer by Roger Whitley in 1658 was probably his cousin of the Layton family".
m1. Elizabeth Herrys (dau of Sir William Herrys of Shenville)
  (A)+ issue (d young) - Alexander, Lucie
  m2. Margaret Legh (dau of Thomas Legh of Adlington)
  (C) Leonard Rigby (d young)
  m3. Margaret Houghton (dau of Sir Gilbert Houghton of Houghton Tower, 2nd Bart)
(D) Catherine Rigby possibly (??) the Catherine who married ...
  m. (19.04.1683) Peter Stanley (bur 27.01.1686)
  (E)+ other issue - Thomas (b c1657, a 1664), Gilbert (b c1662), Margaret (d young), Lucie, Mary
  Dugdale finishes with this generation. We presume that one of the sons was father of ...
  (i) ?? Rigby presumed intermediary generation
(a) Edward Rigby of Middleton
  ((1)) Margaret Rigby (d 02.1795)
  m. Philip Hoghton (d 1747)
  (2) Uriah Rigby (d young)
  (3) Edward Rigby of Preston, Lancashire (bpt 15.04.1627, d 07.1686, MP)
Some of the details on Edward come from HoP ("Edward Rigby").
  m1. (c1650) Alice Wilsford (dau of Sir Thomas Wilsford of Ilsding (Wilford of Ileden))
  (A)+ issue - Alexander (d young), Edward (b c1652, a 1664), Thomas, Charles, Lucie, Elizabeth (d young)
  m2. (12.10.1665, sp) Anne Molyneux (dau of Sir Francis Molyneux, 2nd Bart of Teversall)
  m3. (c06.1671) Sarah Wells of Cheshire (widow of _ Skinner and John Young of London)
  (4) Lucie Rigby
m1. Robert Hesketh of Rufford (dvp 09.1651)
  m2. Sir John Molyneux, 3rd Bart of Teversall (b 1623, d 1691)
  m2. Anne Gobert (dau of John Gobert of Coventry, widow of Thomas Legh of Adlingtoi)
  b. Joseph Rigby of Aspull, Lancashire (3rd son)
  m. Margaret Haighton (dau of Gabraell Haighton of Knowsley)
  c. George Rigby of Peele in Hulton
  m. Beatrix Hilton (dau of ?? Hilton (Hilton) of the Parke)
  (1) Alice Rigby (heir) probably of this generation
  m. Roger Kenyon of Peele (b c1627, a 09.1664)
  d. Dorothy Rigby
  m. Robert Mawdesley of Mawdesley
  e. Joanna Rigby
  m. Gabriel Houghton of Childwall
  f.+ other issue - Leonard (d young), Hellen
  ii. Ellen Rigby
m. William Bayley of Adlington
  iii. Mary Rigby
  m. James Thompson of Langtree
  iv.+ other issue - William (d young), Adam (dsp, rector of Eccleston-juxta-Croston)
  B. Alexander Rigby of Burgh, Lancashire
  m. Jane Lathwayte
  Dugdale (Rigby of Middleton) indicates that Alexander & Jane had issue but does not follow this line. Given the dates, the reference to Burgh suggests that they were parents of the following Edward ('of Burgh', father of Jane who m. Roger Kirkby) who appears to have been the Edward who is reported by VCH (Lancashire, vol 7, Townships: Layton with Warbreck) as having obtained Layton in 1592. Also, noting that this appears to be closest male line to the abovementioned Alexander (a 1658, 1685), the identification of the undermentioned Alexander of Layton (a 1658, 1685) as cousin of that Alexander appears to support the view that the Rigbys of Layton descended from this Alexander & Jane.
i. Edward Rigby of Burgh Hall & Layton (d 16.05.1627)
  m. (26.07.1581) Dorothy Anderton (bur 24.02.1636-7, dau of Hugh Anderton of Euxton) parents of Jane, presumed also of Alexander
  The following comes from Visitation (Dugdale, Lancashire, 1664-5, Rigby of Layton).
  a. Alexander Rigby of Burgh & Layton (d c1650)
  m. Catherine Brabazon (dau of Sir Edward Brabazon of Nether Whitacre)
  (1) Edward Rigby of Layton (dvp)
  m. (25.01.1631-2?) Mary Hide (dau (sb sister?) of Edward Hide of Norbury & Hide)
  (A) Alexander Rigby 'of Burgh' of Layton (b 1629-30?, a 09.1664)
  m. Anne Birche (dau of Thomas Birche of Birche Hall)
  (i)+ issue (a 09.1664) - Edward (b 1657-8), Alexander, Mary, Alice, Anne, Eleanor
(B)+ other issue - Edward, William, Hamlet, Robert, Richard, Mary, Dorothy
  (2) Mary Rigby
  m. John Moore of Banke Hall
  (3) Elizabeth Rigby
  m. Edward Chisenhall of Chisenhall
  (4) Jane Rigby
  m. Paul Lathom (rector of Standish)
  (5)+ other issue - Thomas in Dublin (parson of St. Mary's Church), William
  b. Jane Rigby possibly of this generation
  m. Roger Kirkby of Kirkby Ireleth (d 1627)
  Apparently connected to the Rigbys of Burgh was the undermentioned family. Making the connection in this generation is wholly speculative!
  ii. ?? Rigby
Uncertain on the number of intervening generations. The following comes from Wikipedia ("Richard Rigby").
  a. ?? Rigby
  (1) Edward Rigby, 1st of Mistley Hall, Essex
  m. Anne Hyde
  (A) James Rigby (in Antigua)
  (B) Richard Rigby of London & Mistley Hall (in Jamaica & Antigua)
  m. Anne Perry named found in HoP ("Richard Rigby")
  (i) Richard Rigby (b 02.1722, d (unm?) 08.04.1788, Secretary of Ireland, MP)
  (ii) Martha Rigby probably of this generation
  m. (09.1750) Bernard Hale (d 13.03.1798)
  Mistley Hall passed to their son who assumed the name Rigby.
  C. Ellen Rigby
  m. Hugh Forth

Main source(s):
(1) For upper section : VCH (Lancashire, vol 6, Townships: Wrightington), Visitation (Dugdale, Lancashire, 1664-5, Rigby of Harrick) with input as reported above
(2) For lower section : Visitation (Dugdale, Lancashire, 1664-5, Rigby of Middleton) with input as reported above
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