I started the study of my paternal family line about 2007.  I quickly found ancestors back to my 2x Great Grandfather as the family have been in Stockton-on-Tees since circa 1830.  All the early research was conducted in the local library using the microfiche reader – not the easiest of exercises, but fruitful.  I then tracked the family back through Bowes to Orton in Westmorland then to Crosby Ravensworth, Westmorland, where my main brick wall is! The RIGG surname derives from the Westmorland/Lancashire area.

This led to many happy hours (days) in the Kendal Archives searching for RIGGs in the parish registers.  Inevitably as the search progressed siblings were added in and the search was expanded and was supplemented with searches through the internet.

Over the years contact has been made with others interested in the RIGG family and this opened up exciting lines of research with one branch in the Asian sub continent with the Madras Army for the East India Company.  Children of  that branch ended up in Australia in the 1890s where they still live to this day. 

Back in Stockton the family have been involved in the local shipbuilding and engineering companies over the generations, which inevitably fired up an interested in the local history.

If you have an interest in the RIGG name you can explore my family tree here.

After joining the Guild of One Name Studies I started broader research of the RIGG surname, below are four "clusters" of the RIGG name.

There is a RIGG cluster that starts in Sandhutton near Thirsk with George RIGG in about 1805 and spreads out from there south to York and north towards County Durham.  You can see this RIGG branch here.

Over in the Cumberland area (now part of Cumbria) there are many RIGG connections.  I have three clusters from the area, two starting in the Wigton area and one starting in Boustead hill near Burgh by Sands.

One of the RIGG clusters starts in the Wigton area of Cumberland with William RIGG in about 1771 and remains in that area through to the mid 1900s.  William RIGG’s ancestors go back to the Rockcliffe area of Carlisle late 1600s.  This RIGG cluster can be explored here.

Another in the in the Wigton area of Cumberland with Samuel RIGG in about 1777 and remains in that area through to the mid 1900’s.  One branch goes to London and another to Shrewsbury.  Samuel RIGG’s ancestors go back to the Holm Cultram, Abbeytown area of Cumberland late 1600’s. This RIGG branch can be explored here.

The RIGG cluster that starts in Cumberland in Boustead Hill, Burgh by Sands area with Robinson Rigg born 1748 and many were in the area until the mid 1800’s.  Robert Rigg, born 1792 son of Robinson was elected to be a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS), well known for his research into fermentation. Thomas Rigg a grandson of Robinson became a Medical Doctor and worked in Burgh by Sands until he died in 1915.  Other descendants spread over Lancashire in later years, many being successful in their careers.  Bleaklow Mill a Cotton spinning facility was owned by Rigg Brothers.  This branch can be explored here 

If you believe you have a connection to the Family or have information you would like to share or ask please contact me at the email address below.

The name RIGG is an old Anglo Saxon topographical surname for someone who lived on or by a "ridge".  The name originates from Cumberland and Lancashire.

When I started out on my Family History research I thought that RIGG was not a common name.  I soon found out how wrong I was.  In the 1841 census of England, Wales and Scotland there are 1,796 occurrences,  rising to 2,548 by 1881 and 2,953 by 1911.  Currently there are approximately 4,414 people named RIGG in the UK, making it the 2,371th most common surname overall.