Topics

• About the Riseborough One-Name Study
• Variants
• Origin of the surname
• Historical occurrences
• Distribution of the name
• Data
• Contact Details

About the Riseborough One-Name Study

The Riseborough One Name study grew out of a need to trace ancestors found in Co. Durham which then progressed the search to Norfolk. Fortunately there were a number of people to aid this study and I would particularly like to thank D Hacon for her help & support.

Variants

There are many more variants than just Riseborough & Risborough but these are the two registered names for the study

Origin of the surname

The Internet Surname Database suggests the Riseborough name is based on Prices Risborough in Buckinghamshire. However there is a Thornton Riseborough in North Yorkshire with Riseborough Hall in the Vale of Pickering. The greatest concentration of Riseboroughs and variants occurs between Norwich and the Norfolk coast which suggests an East Anglian connection.

Historical occurrences

A Quick look at the IGI has Adam Risborow born abt 1582 South Repps, Norfolk and dying 16 April 1619, John Riseborough marrying in 1602 in Trunch, Norfolk, Agenes Riseborough being born around 1610 also South Repps,

D Hacon has supplied the following two records, at Wighton is found: -

John Riseborough = Amye

John c1600 Amye bur 5 Feb 1640 with family

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Elizabeth 25 Jan 1628 = Richard Crown

Jane 23 Jan 1630

Dorothy 21 Apl 1633, d 1638

Dennis 15 Mar 1639, d 1640

Marrying at Trunch were: -

John Riseborough = Katherine Neve 1698 with family

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John bp 1698 d 1698 E. Ruston

Thomas bp 1699 d 1700 E. Ruston

Richard bp 1701 E. Ruston

Elizabeth bp ? E. Ruston

Catherine bp 1706 E. Ruston(Katherine, widow)

Martha bp 1717 d 1717 E. Ruston(base born)

The Norfolk Transcription Archive has its earliest baptism as Thomas Riseborough at Saxlingham in 1661

John Riseborough was sheriff of the city of Norwich in 1704.

The Universal British Directory 1791 lists John Riseborough as a coal merchant in Norwich

Thomas & Mary Ann Riseborough, Anthony Barber, William Barber of Sunderland were owners of the 232 snow Unity and Thomas & Mary Ann Riseborough were part owners of Imogen a 273 ton snow in 1858. (The Barbers were also originally from Norfolk)

Leading Aircraftman W Riseborough was involved in a rescue of personnel from a crashed aircraft at RAF Benson and was awarded The George Medal in 1952

Andrea Riseborough played Margaret Thatcher in the play ‘The Long Walk To Finchley’ and amongst many other roles played in 'The Devil's Whore' in 2008.

'Shear Hard Work', Hazel Riseborough was honoured with a CLL Writer’s Award at a ceremony held in Auckland in 2008

Sarah Riseborough is a Seascape Artist.

Located around an hour from Perth is the Riseborough Estate in Gingin (Australia).

Distribution of the name

Placing Riseborough in the Family Search box of the Church of Latter Day Saints site gives 5 names for the 1880 USA census, 385 names in the UK 1881 census, 18 names in the Canadian 1881 census. 11 names are also recorded in both the Australia and North America IGI for mainly the 1800s.

The British 19th Century Surname Atlas has the greatest concentration of Riseborough families in East Anglia in 1881 with 160 occurrences in Norfolk or 36 per 100.000. The family is also found in Co Durham, Northumberland, Suffolk, Kent, Middlesex, Surrey & Hampshire. Considering Poor Law Unions 58 are at Erpingham (257/100,000), 48 Aylsham whilst Sunderland has 11 & Tynemouth 15.

Ancestry has the greatest concentration of Riseborough families in 1891 in Norfolk 76%, Co Durham 12%, Suffolk 8%, Northumberland 3% and also families in Middlesex, London & Essex.

USA 1920 has one Riseborough family in each of the following States: Arizona, Illinois & Pennsylvania.

The National Trust Site shows the greatest concentration of UK families in 1998 to again be in Norfolk but families are also in Northumberland, Durham, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Surrey, Hampshire and Kent, as well as parts of Greater London. Their 1881 map shows the concentration in East Anglia with some families in Co. Durham

The 2002 ONS extract has Riseborough as 745th out of about 270,000 surnames and 8372= in the ranking.

Today Riseboroughs can be found worldwide but principally the UK, North America, New Zealand & Australia

Data

Some Parish Record information is available for Norfolk as exampled above. Some census and BMD information for England & Wales is also available, this is on-going. The Will Index at First Avenue House London has also been consulted and some Will extracts are available.

Contact details

For further information, contact:

Mr Bob Boutland
E-mail:

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Profiles of other one-name studies registered with the Guild may be found here.