Person:Unknown Riggs (2)

Research in Connecticut was not conclusive, but it appears that the Riggs family that lived in New Haven County was all one family, descending from a 1600's (perhaps) ancestor.

From Early Settlers of Scioto County (Ohio)

History represents that several branches of the Riggs family are derived from an emigrant from Wales, Miles Riggs, who came to Plymouth, Mass., either on the Mayflower or soon after; he died in Roxbury, Mass.; his sons removed lo Connecticut, and there parted, one of them locating in New Jersey...

From Betty - she says that Esther is the daughter of III Samuel Riggs, but offers no proof

I   Ebenezar Riggs   b. Abt 1703   m. Rachel Peck  b. Abt 1709
     children    1. Jeremiah       
                     2. Rachel    
                     3. Esther   
                     4. Ebenezer  
                     5. Lois
                     6. Eunice       
                     7. Jeremiah  b. 1750
                     8. Joseph

II Jeremiah Riggs b. Abt 1750 New Haven, Conn. m. 1773 Anna Woodruff b.1754 Conn daughter of : Jacob Woodruff b. 1731 and Lucy Farnam b. 1733 children of Jeremiah and Anna 1. Samuel b. 1774 2. Jedediah 3. Jeremiah 4. Susan 5. Anna 6. Clarrisa 7. Ransom 8. Harvey

III Samuel Riggs b. 1774 in Litchfield, Conn.

  m.  1798 Betsy Rigby   b. 1778 Conn.

children 1. Merritt Woodruff Riggs b. Nov. 07, 1800 2. William B. Riggs b. Abt. 1802 3. Samuel Riggs b. Abt. 1804 4. Joseph Riggs b. Abt. 1806 5. Isaac Riggs b. Abt. 1808 6. Harvey Riggs b. Abt. 1810 7. Marcia b. Abt. 1812 8. Esther b. Abt. 1814

IV Merritt Woodruff Riggs b. 11/07/1800 Oxford, Conn

   m. May 1825 Avon, Livingston county, New York 
   Harriett Kellogg b. 10/08/1801  New York  d. 07/12/1891 Iowa

children 1. Mortimer Nelson b. May 29, 1826 2. James William b. October 16, 1827 3. Elsie Maria b. March 27, 1830 4. Samuel Merritt b. December 14, 1831 5. Martha b. March 11, 1834 6. Edward Livingston b. March 21, 1836 7. Charles Malancton b. September 27, 1837 8. Charles Quincy b. October 03,1839 9. William DeLancey b. January 07, 1843

V Samuel Merritt Riggs b. Avon, NY 12/14/1831 d. Jan. 1866 Harris county, Texas

   m. Feb 26, 1857 Texas  
    Sarah Jacinto Calvert Penn b. 10/07/1838 Cedar Bayou, Harris county, Texas
     d. 11/22/1868 Harris county, Texas
   children:

1. Sarah Harriett b. 12/14/1858 2. Jacinto Cornelia b. 03/30/1861 3. Elsie Edna b. 08/24/1863 d. 06/25/1864 4. Samuel Merritt b. 04/29/1866

VI Samuel Merritt Riggs b. April 29, 1866 Texas

     d. 12/1935 buried White cemetary Crosby, Texas
    m. Abril 29, 1895  
       Jeanette Susan Teal  b. 10/26/1876  Texas

As you say, Florence, Wallace probably intended to do a second volume but he didn't. Volume 1 can be referred to on microfilm or on microfiche at an LDS Family History Centre (they will probably have to order it on loan for you): Film 982235 Item 1 or Fiche 6046827 (both US/CAN)

There appear to be three main settlements of RIGGS immigrants in the USA: Edward Riggs (born 1589 in Roydon, Essex, ENG) settled in Roxbury, Suffolk Co, MA, 1633; Thomas Riggs (born c1631) settled in Gloucester, Essex Co, MA pre 1658; John Riggs (born c1687) of Maryland together with other scattered references in Maryland and Virginia.

Edward's descendants are documented in Wallace, and John's in "The Riggs Family of Maryland" by John Beverley Riggs published in 1939. The latter can also be referred to on microfilm or on microfiche at an LDS Family History Centre: Film 1036564 Item 4

For Thomas (and the early descendants of Edward), please see my website on the Riggs Surname Study at www.riggs.org.uk

From MarieCSW@@aol.com

The Riggs families from Anne Arundel County, MD who intermarried with the Hobbs family tend to be Riggs with the "s". I'm from a Chas County, MD line that has no "s". I have seen a Henry Rigg early on in Delaware who never used an "s" as far as I know.

I am interested in this "s" or "no s" difference, if it is one. Do any of you have any family stories or legends regarding the "s" or "no s" controversy? I'm also interested in a Richard Rigg from Fairfax County, VA who always went without the "s" as far as I know.

From Geoff Riggs, Chepstow, South Wales, UK <webmaster@@riggs.org.uk>

The surname RIGG was to be found in the north of England (predominantly in Westmorland, Lancashire and Cumberland) and southern Scotland, where "rigg" is still to be found as a geographical feature (probably a dialect version of "ridge")

The surname RIGGS on the other hand was to be found partly in the south-east of England (Hampshire, and to a lesser extent Essex and London) - this was probably a dialect variant of the surname RIDGES - a dweller at or near the ridges. But RIGGS is mainly found in the south-west (Dorset, Devon, etc), where I strongly believe it was a variant of REEK(E)S, REAK(E)S and RICKS, a "dweller near the reeds", hardened by the guttural local accent in Dorset into "RIGGS".

This is borne out by the study into the Dorset dialect conducted by Rev.William Barnes, who was an acknowledged expert on this subject as well as a poet who wrote in that dialect.

It is also borne out by the distribution of these surnames throughout the country. In the 1881 census of England and Wales, for example, you find the following statistics for these surnames: RIGGS - 38% of all occurrences were in Dorset

        - 9% of all occurrences were in Devon
        - 7% of all occurrences were in Hampshire (mainly the western part)
        - 5% of all occurrences were in Somerset

REAKS - 57% of all occurrences were in Somerset

        - 7% of all occurrences were in Wiltshire

RICKS - 30% of all occurrences were in Wiltshire

        - 9% of all occurrences were in Somerset
        - 7% of all occurrences were in Gloucestershire

REEKS - 24% of all occurrences were in Hampshire (mainly the western part)

        - 11% of all occurrences were in Dorset (mainly the western part)
        - 11% of all occurrences were in Gloucestershire

RIDGES - 41% of all occurrences were in Hampshire (mainly the eastern parts)

        - 15% of all occurrences were in Surrey
        - 8% of all occurrences were in Sussex
        - 7% of all occurrences were in Essex

(Hampshire included the Isle of Wight)