CAUTION: Researching ancestors in Ireland presents far greater difficulties than researching in the rest of the British Isles or North America:-

(a) CIVIL REGISTRATION: Registration of Births, Marriages and Deaths did not start until 1864 (though Roman Catholic marriages were registered from 1849).

(b) PARISH REGISTERS: A number of parish registers were destroyed by fire at the Irish Public Record Office during the uprisings in 1922. The majority of Catholic parish registers did not begin until the early nineteenth century. Those in the most densely populated North and West often do not start until the mid, or the late, nineteenth century.

(c) CENSUS RETURNS: No census returns are available before 1901. The initial census returns of 1821, 1831, 1841 and 1851 were largely destroyed by the same fire. Those for 1861 and 1871 had been destroyed earlier by the government. And no censuses were taken in 1881 or 1891,

(d) WILLS AND ADMONS: All the originals at the Irish Public Record Office were also destroyed by the same fire in 1922, along with almost all the Will and Grant Books into which they had been transcribed,

(e) LAND RECORDS: Because of the sparsity of other early records, records of land ownership and occupancy are therefore a significant source of information:-
- FORFEITED ESTATES: The Purchasers of Forfeited Estates, Ireland Act 1702 enabled Protestants to purchase land forfeited by the Catholic landlords who were forced to relocate to Connaught.
- REGISTRY OF DEEDS: This was established in Dublin in 1708 to hold records of all land transactions (by sales, leases, wills, mortgages and marriage settlements) registered there from that year onwards. The official records are called "Memorials"
- GRIFFITHS VALUATION: This was a survey of property ownership in Ireland carried out between 1848 and 1864, which became known as "Griffiths Valuation" after the director of the Irish Valuation Office. It determined the acreage and annual rental value of all privately held lands and buildings, on which was based the amount of tax each person should pay towards the support of the poor within their Poor Law Union. It lists the occupiers as well as the landlords of each property and is arranged by property within Townland within Barony within county.
- ENCUMBERED ESTATES ACTS: The Act of 1848 allowed the sale of Irish estates which had been mortgaged and whose owners, because of the savage effects of the Great Famine, were unable to meet their obligations. The 1849 Act appointed Encumbered Estates Commissioners to authorise sales for the purpose of discharging encumbrances on land, and to give the purchaser an indefeasible title. This jurisdiction was transferred to the Landed Estates Court in 1858.
- LAND SURVEY 1876: This is a record of all landowners in Ireland in possession of one acre and upwards at that time, commissioned in 1872 and taking three and a half years to compile. It lists owners in alphabetical order within each county, giving the amount of land held, its rateable value and the address of the owner as far as could be ascertained.

The following is based on extracts from the History sections of the Inner Temple and Middle Temple web sites.

The four Inns of Court were established by the middle of the 14th century on the site of the Temple Church by the Thames which had been in the possession of the Knights Templar for some 150 years. After the abolition of the Knights Templar in 1312, and the replacement of priestly lawyers by a lay profession, lawyers came to occupy the Temple site and buildings. They formed themselves initially into two societies, the Inner Temple and Middle Temple, and came to include Lincoln's Inn and Gray's Inn as well. They were organised on the same basis as the colleges at Oxford and Cambridge Universities, offering accommodation to practitioners of the law and their students and facilities for education and dining, and the term 'Inns of Court' seems to have been adopted on account of the hospitality offered to those associated with the law courts.

They called qualified practitioners to the Bar, as barristers with a monopoly to plead in the central law courts. They also educated the sons of the nobility and country gentry, as well as others who would require some knowledge of the law in their lives. The Inns retained close contacts with the Court and with government and its administration. At times in the 18th century as many entrants to the Inn gave addresses in Ireland as gave English ones.

The following persons with the surname Riggs are shown in the Register of Admissions to Gray's Inn:[S150]
	1578	- Thomas Riggs
	[This may have been either the son or the brother of William RIGGES, Auditor of the Exchequer - see the Family Group of The Riggs of Fulbeck and Stragglethorpe, Lincs (not yet published)]

The following persons with the surname Riggs are shown on The Inner Temple Admissions Database:[S92]
	7JAN1685	- Thomas Riggs, gentleman
	second son of Edmund (sic) Riggs, gentleman, Winchester, Hampshire, England [see the Family Group of Thomas RIGGS of Southampton (not yet published): Edmond Riggs was twice Mayor of Winchester, Edmond's father Ralph was three times Mayor of Winchester, and Ralph's great-grandfather Thomas was twice Mayor of Southampton]
	4MAY1725	- Richmond Riggs, gentleman
	second son of Thomas Riggs, armiger, of Rigsdale, Cork, Ireland

The following persons are shown in the Records of the Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn as being 'Called to the Bar':[S131]
	21NOV1794	- John Edward Augustus Miller
	(later to become Sir John Edward RIGGS MILLER)

The following persons with the surname Riggs were admitted to the Middle Temple: [S49]
	10MAY1680	- Samuel Riggs
	son and heir of Edward Riggs of Finchey Island (sic), Co.Cork, Ireland, Esq. This is either an error in transcribing or an attempt to anglicise "Island Effinshy", which appears to have been the former Townland name of Riggsdale. in Dunderrow Parish, Co.Cork, where Edward Riggs is listed in the 1659 Census of Ireland.
	1OCT1698	- Edward Riggs (EDWARD#3)
	second son of Edward Riggs of Sudbury (sic), Gloucestershire, Esq
	8JLY1727	- George Riggs
	second son of George Riggs, late of Norton, near Bambaden,(sic) Somerset, gent., decd. Called 29 April 1737. This is probably an error in transcribing "Norton under Hamdon" (i.e. Norton sub Hamdon). It is not known whether this George Riggs might be the same person that was admitted to Trinity College, Dublin, 5MAY1727 and had been born in co.Limerick, the son of GEORGE RIGGS, gentleman (whose Will had been abstracted in 1721, when he was described as being of Milltown, co.Limerick, gent).[S41]
	4APR1735	- Thomas Medlicot Riggs
	son and heir of Edward Riggs of Binfield, Berks, Esq
	3DEC1739	- Edward Riggs (EDWARD#4)
	only son of Edward Riggs of Binfield, Berks, Esq
	1AUG1757	- John MILLER
	(later to become Sir John RIGGS MILLER)

Note that, strictly speaking, someone can only be an heir to a person after that person's death: before that, the correct form of reference is to an 'heir apparent'. However, that is rarely observed.

Edward who was admitted in 1739 had been baptised in 1721, which means he would have been 18 when admitted. I initially assumed therefore that admission to the Middle Temple was equivalent to the current practice of entering university which normally takes place at the age of 18 or 19. I wrote to the Archivist at the Middle Temple to ask if it was known what the earliest age a candidate would have to have reached to allow him to be admitted at that time. The reply stated:

"In those days there were no regulations regarding age or educational qualification on admission to the Middle Temple. The admission records before the 19th century did not record the age of the member, but it is known that members were admitted in their early and mid-teens. They could be admitted at an even younger age if a kinsman happened to be Reader at the time and using his privileges regarding admissions. Also sometimes the sons of aristocratic families were admitted as children."

SOURCE: "NOTES AND QUERIES Sixth Series Volume 3: No.55, Saturday January 15 1881" Notes, pages 41-43 by J.C. of Cork - viewable online at the Internet Archive web site.

The following notes are taken from the Baptist Register, Cork, the only record in the possession of that body. It is now in the custody of Mr. Flemming, of this city, one of the trustees... We learn from this register that,- "The records of the Church (Baptist) of Cork were destroyed by fire in 1729, and that on Mr. Fowke's settlement here he set himself to make up that loss. He collected the few remaining papers and gathered information from some ancient members, one of whom lived to be ninety years old. He digested and entred (sic) it in this book with his own hand." The old member was a Mrs. Rose, who was born 1668, and March 24, 1757, was in the full enjoyment of all her faculties. Some of the materials were compiled from papers which had been collected by the Rev. Mr. Gibbons.

"First inquiry, Who were the chief instruments in settling a Baptist Church in and about Cork?"
"As far as appears, the first person of eminence of this profession in Cork was Edward Riggs, Esq., of Rigsdale, for many years representative in Parliament for the borough of Bandon, and in the commission of the peace. He came from England with the commissioners for settling the forfeited estates, and settled at Rigsdale about 1651. After some time he was assisted by Mr. Woods, who instructed his children in classical learning.
Amongst those he took under his protection was Mr. Thomas Delaune, a gentleman distinguished in the learned world by his writings and plea for the Non-conformists. His parents were Irish tenants to Major Riggs. Designed for a priest, he had the first rudiments of learning in the Friary at Kilcrea, near the Ovens. The Major observing his fondness for learning, undertook the care of his education. He was baptized in one of the fishponds at Rigsdale. When he grew up Major Riggs sent him to the west of Ireland, to be a clerk to a fishery, which he had in company with Mr. Barnfield, where he remained some years. During the troubled times he went to England, and meeting there with Mr. Edward Hutchinson, a Baptist pastor from Ormond - removed thence in the common calamity - Mr. Delaune married his daughter Hannah, and went to London. Here he assisted Mr. Keach in compiling his Tropologia, a Key to Open Scripture Metaphors and Types, and kept a grammar school. But what made his name precious to the Baptists is this elaborate performance, in which he pleaded the cause of Dissenters in general, and Baptists in particular. His sufferings on account of this book are very movingly set forth by Mr. Daniel Defoe in his preface to a new edition, and in Crosby's History of the Baptists. Mr. Delaune was apprehended Nov. 29, 1683, by Sir Thomas Jenner, Recorder of London, and on the 10th a Bill was found against him by the grand jury of London; 13th he was called in the Old Bailey, and in January condemned to pay the fine, after which he continued in Newgate about fourteen months, so that he must have died about 1685. He left a wife and two small children, who died in prison, having no subsistence elsewhere. He was born 1645. The account which Crosby published of him was chiefly taken from a letter which our present pastor, Mr. Gibbons, transmitted before the second volume was published..."

"Mrs. Anne, relict of Major Riggs, was born in 1652 in Lower Ormond. Her father was Mr. Allen of Killowny. They had a meeting-house at Clockeating, under the Rev. James North. This lady was third wife of Major Riggs, who was sixty years of age and she twenty-five at their marriage. The Major died ninety years old, leaving her a good part of his Irish estate, about 1,200l. yearly.
His children by her were Edward, one of the Commissioners of H.M. Revenue of Ireland, and was possessed of his father's English estate ; Thomas, who became one of the new prophets, and was a man of wit and learning; Ruth, married Mr. Caleb Falkiner, banker in Cork ; another daughter married ---- Neville, Esq., a gentleman of estate; Judith, of whose early piety an account is in print by the Rev. Abdiel Edwards, Pastor of the Baptist Church in Dublin. When Edward, her eldest son, came to proper years, and had a family, she gave him one-third of the Irish estate.
In Cork she raised a decent house for worship, provided for its future establishment, and as they were sometimes molested in the burial of their dead, she purchased a burying-ground and had it walled round." [Footnote: The burial ground contains many monuments, but the place has been allowed to go to ruin. It is now surrounded by a high wall, and is closed under the Intramural Burial Act.] "She died at Rigsdale, 1741, aged eighty-nine years..."

"Mr. Caleb Falkiner was the youngest son of Mr. Daniel Falkener of Dublin, who left his children, John, Daniel, and Caleb, a competency. Daniel forsook the ways of his ancestors to prepare for being head magistrate of the city and Member of Parliament. About 1711 Caleb married Ruth, daughter of Ann Riggs, who died young, leaving three children, two of whom are still alive, viz , Mr. Riggs Falkiner and Elizabeth, now Mrs. Herrick. He married secondly Mrs. Mary Newport, and died Feb. 2, 1746/7, aged sixty-one years.... His body was interred in the Baptist graveyard, with several of his children, where he ordered a handsome monument for his family." [Footnote: His monument is still in the south-west corner of the cemetery.]

"Mrs. Sarah Smart died about twenty-six years ago. She left two silver cups to the church for communion. She was also instrumental in settling the church at Cork, and exciting Mr. Riggs to contribute largely to it. When Mr. Coleman had been dead some years, and the flock going astray, even the five widows who held out longest were going to join other dissenting congregations, her letter stopped their purpose. And when Mr. Pettit, who came from Dublin was on the point of quitting on account of the small subscriptions, she made Mr. Riggs supply a maintenance...."
Note.-"Mention being made of five widows, we may observe that, from the death of Rev. Mr. Coleman in 1680 to the Revolution, the Protestant Dissenters were not allowed places for public worship in Cork. From the time of Mr. Coleman's death to the settlement of the church by Mr. Pettit was rather more than twenty years. We know that Major Riggs lived until 1707. It is a pity we have no account of the five remarkable women, but suppose this Mrs. Smart to be one of them."

Chapter II.-Notes concerning the Baptist Ministers in the Church of Cork.
"The first we can trace with certainty was Mr. Coleman. He was pastor of a small people who attended his preaching in his own house, 'Coleman's Alley.' He died in Cork, 1680. Mr. Gibbons has found a MS. sermon preached by him 1675-6. He left a daughter, afterwards Mrs. Sarah Smart. From an extract we have been favoured with from Wales, Mr. Coleman was alive in 1653. Mr. Lambe is mentioned as his predecessor, but of him we have no account."

"1700. Mr. Pettit was ordained at Clonmel as pastor of the Church of Cork. Mr. Riggs then promised thirty pounds a year, and his wife made up more...."

Low states that EDWARD#2's Will was dated 18FEB1700 and was proved 6NOV1702.

"Anne Riggs Widow and Executrix of Edward Riggs Esquire, deceased" and "Allan Riggs Son and Heir of the said Edward Riggs" successfully defended an Appeal in the House of Lords on 23JNE1714, together with "Sir William Barker, late of the Kingdom of Ireland, Baronet" and "John Freke Esquire, surviving Executor of Peircy (sic) Freke Esquire", against "Two several Orders or Decrees made in the Court of Chancery, in the said Kingdom" (of Ireland) 7DEC1702 and 27NOV1707.[S70] The first of those two dates was the day after EDWARD#2's Will is said by Low to have been proved.

Note that Allen's brother EDWARD#3 was sent to the Irish Parliament 5JLY1707 by the constituency of Baltimore in south-west Cork "vice Freke, deceased", i.e. to replace "Percy Freke, Esq., of Rathbarry", who had been elected 19AUG1703.[S37]

The following excerpts are from the notes of Alexander Ogilby, who was Curate of Ballinaboy, Barnaheley, Kilmoney, Tracton, Kilpatrick juxta Tracton, Ballyfiard, Clonteade and Kinure from 1693:

1699. August 18. Ballinebury, upon the river half way betwixt Corke and Kinsale; the church ruinous; the walls were built without lime. Major Rigg's (sic) monument there: this church is conveniently situated for several parishes.[S34]

Sept., 1700. I saw Ballinebury church; 'twas rebuilt this last summer with stone and clay, and plaister'd within and slated, but not glaz'd; they were about finishing of it. This church was rebuilt by a voluntary contribution of the parishioners. I gave £5 towards it. It is about 30 foot long, and 18 broad. It stands on the south of the river Bury, at about 200 yards distance from it.[S163]

Normally such a reference wouldn't mean a monument erected by Major Riggs or in his honour (i.e. during his lifetime), but one in memory of him (i.e. erected after his death). That would mean EDWARD#2 died before 18AUG1699. Yet ffolliott states that Major Edward Riggs died in 1700, and Low states that his Will was dated 18FEB1700.

EDWARD#3's Will dated 14JLY1741 was proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury on 1FEB1742N. [S9] (I have broken the text down into paragraphs, and added the block capitals, to make it easier to read):

In the Name of God Amen. I EDWARD RIGGS of the city of Dublin Esquire being of perfect Mind and Memory do hereby make declare and publish this to be my last Will and Testament,

I leave and bequeath to my NEPHEW RIGGS FALKINER the sum of one hundred pounds sterling

to my NEICE (sic) CATHERIN PARKER wife of HARDING PARKER the sum of one hundred pounds sterling

and my will is that my dearly beloved WIFE ANN RIGGS do pay unto my NEPHEW SAMUEL DOUSE the sum of Thirty pounds sterling a year until he shall attain the age of twenty five years towards his Education the same to be paid out of the Estate I have settled on her by Deeds of Lease and Release bearing Date the eleventh and thirteenth day of July instant

and my will is that my said wife also pay unto my NEPHEW SAINT JOHN WEBB RIGGS the sum of Twenty pounds a year out of the said estate during the time she shall enjoy the same provided that if it shall happen that the Estate setled (sic) by my Father on the marriage of my BROTHER ALLEN RIGGS shall descend to the said Saint John Webb Riggs that then the said Twenty pounds a years (sic) shall cease and not be paid to him

Lastly after the payment of all my just Debts and Legacys (sic) aforesaid I leave and bequeath unto my said WIFE ALL MY GOODS plate household goods furniture books jewells (sic) gold watches and chattels real and personal and do hereby appoint my said WIFE SOLE EXECUTRIX of this my Will

In witness hereof I have hereunto put my hand and seal this fourteenth day of July one thousand seven hundred and forty one Edward Riggs (seal) Signed sealed published and declared by the said Testator to be his last Will and testament in the presence of us who also signed the same as witnesses in the said Testator's presence Robt Niatt, James Doosing, Ric Baxter

This Will was produced at London before the Right Worshipfull John Bettesworth Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted on the first day of February in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and forty one by the Oath of ANN RIGGS WIDOW THE RELICT OF THE DECEASED and sole executrix named in the said will to whom was granted Adminstration of all and singular the goods chattels of the said deceased being first sworn by commission duly to administer.

Caleb FALKINER was the "3rd son of Daniel FALKINER of Dublin, merchant of Cork".[S57], and Burke's Extinct Baronetcies [S100] states that Daniel's second son (also named Daniel, and brother to Caleb) was Lord Mayor of Dublin.

The "Prerogative Will of Caleb Falkiner of the City of Cork, Merchant"[S56] (dated 28JAN1742, with codicil dated 14JAN1745, and admitted to probate 22FEB1745) opens by referring to "a Deed of Settlement dated 25th January 1737 made upon the intermarriage of my son Riggs Falkiner with Mrs Mary Barker the lands of Garryhosty & Farranavaragh in the Barony of Muskerry & the lands of Kileed etc in the Barony of Kinelea all in the County of Cork". It concludes by stating "To my son Riggs Falkiner All the residue of my Estate real & personal. I appoint my wife Mary Falkiner & My son Riggs Falkiner Executors of this my Last Will & Testament". The codicil to Caleb's Will related to a bequest "to be laid out in making a vault in the Baptist Graveyard in Cork for the use of my family"

Initially, it was therefore assumed - from the reference in his Will to his wife being a Mary, and his son being named Riggs Falkiner - that Caleb had married a Mary Riggs, one of Edward#2's daughters. This was also stated by Holworthy [S4] and by the entry for Falkiner in Burke's Extinct Baronetcies [S100]. But a family tree chart was later discovered [S57] that showed that Caleb had been married twice. His first wife whom he married in 1707 was RUTH RIGGS, "dau of Edward Riggs of Riggsdale, Co.Cork", and RIGGS FALKINER was their son and they also had a daughter Elizabeth. Ruth is shown as dying before 1727 and Caleb is shown as taking as his second wife "Mary, dau of John Newport, died 1766" with whom he had two daughters.

The same chart [S57] states that Sir Riggs Falkiner of Anne Mount, Co.Cork, was M.P. for Clonakilty from 1768-1776 and for Castlemartyr from 1776-1783. Yet a different source states that "Riggs Falkiner Esq. of Cork" was sent to the Irish Parliament 7JLY1768 by the constituency of Baltimore in south-west Cork.[S37] (this is the same constituency that had sent the third EDWARD RIGGS of Riggsdale to the Parliament in 1707).

The chart [S57] also shows that SIR RIGGS FALKINER's son Sir Samuel Falkiner was the 2nd baronet, whilst Sir Samuel's son was also named SIR RIGGS FALKINER and became the 3rd baronet but died unmarried in 1850. His Will dated 10OCT1849 was proved 14FEB1850. His brothers, the 4th and 5th Baronets, were as listed in the entry in Debrett that follows below. The 6th Baronet bore the same name as his father (Sir Samuel Edmund Falkiner) whilst his son, the 7th Baronet, was Sir Leslie Edmund Percy RIGGS FALKINER. Debrett also states that a grandson of the 8th baronet is Tobias Peter RIGGS FALKINER, b 1972, the name RIGGS still being perpetuated 7 generations after the first SIR RIGGS FALKINER.

Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage 2001[S55] contains the following entry:

Falkiner
(I) 1778, of Annemount, Cork. Name pronounced "Fawkner"
Arms - Or, three falcons close proper, belled gules. Crest - A falcon's lure proper, between two wings azure.

Sir Riggs Falkiner, MP, 1st Bt of Annemount, co Cork, was great-grandson of Michael Falkiner of Brigart, Leeds, who settled in Ireland about 1651. Sir Charles Leslie Falkiner, 4th Bt, was Capt RN, and as Lieut in 1810 headed the Shannon main deck boarders at capture of American ship Chesapeake (promoted Com). His brother, Lt-Col Sir Samuel Edmund Falkiner, 5th Bt, served throughout the Peninsular war ... and was wounded three times.

A recent researcher [S30] quotes an earlier edition of Burke's Peerage as stating:

"Sir Riggs Falkiner, of Anne Mount, co. Cork, M.P. for Castlemartyr, created a baronet 24 August 1778, married 1st, 5 Jan. 1737, Mary, sister of Samuel Barker, M.P. for co. Waterford, and by her, who died May, 1762, had issue (two sons and five daughters).
1. Caleb, married Lydia, daughter of Reverend Thomas Browne, Precentor of Cork, son of Right Rev. Jemmett Browne, D.D., Archbishop of Tuam, and d.v.p., leaving two daughters.
2. Samuel (Sir), 2nd Baronet."

Note that Lydia's grandfather, Right Rev. Jemmett Browne, was the son of Edward Browne (Mayor of Cork) and Judith Jemmett: Judith was the daughter of Warham Jemmett of Derry and Judith RICHMOND ALIAS WEBB, who was the daughter of EDMUND RICHMOND ALIAS WEBB and CATHERINE ST JOHN. Catherine, who was therefore Lydia's great-great-grandmother, was the sister of OLIVER ST JOHN, Lord Deputy of Ireland from 1615-1622.

The will of a Sir Riggs Falkiner, Baronet, of No.215 Regent Street (London) Middlesex, and formerly of Brighton, Sussex, was dated 10OCT1849 and proved in London 14FEB1850.[S46] In it, he refers to his oldest brother Charles Leslie Falkiner and to two other brothers Samuel Edmund Falkiner and John Leslie Falkiner.

The Records of Property owners of County Cork circa 1870 [S18] includes a reference to "Sir Riggs Falkiner, bart", whose address is given as London, owning 646 acres in Cork (as well as a Sir Samuel Falkner, no address given, owning 1,455 acres).

The following has been extracted from the Addenda to The Pooles of Mayfield by ffolliott [S1] (I have broken the text down into paragraphs, and added the block capitals, to make it easier to read):

THE NEVILS: This family was to medieval England what the Douglasses were to Scotland,

RALPH NEVIL, 1st Earl of Westmorland, married Joan BEAUFORT, grand-daughter of EDWARD III, by whom he had a son Sir EDWARD who married Elizabeth BEAUCHAMP, heiress of her father, the EARL OF WORCESTER. Through her, Sir EDWARD obtained the castle and lands of Bergavenny and was summoned to Parliament as BARON BERGAVENNY from 1450 to 1472. He supported the Yorkists, and his son and heir GEORGE was knighted on the field of Tewkesbury,

GEORGE's second son Sir EDWARD was a soldier of high reputation, but was eventually charged with 'devising to maintain, promote and advance one Reginald POLE, late Dean of Exeter, enemy to the king, beyond the seas and to deprive the king'. He was executed on these charges,

His son EDWARD succeeded his cousin as the 7th Lord Bergavenny. He left four sons, of whom the second FRANCIS settled at Kyner in Sussex,

FRANCIS' grandson, RICHARD NEVILL, having been so injudicious as to kill Sir Samuel LUKE in a duel, fled from England to Ireland in 1649, and purchased the estate of Furness (or Phornauts) in County Kildare,

His second son JOHN married ELIZABETH RIGGS of Riggsdale, County Cork. She died at the birth of the last, aged only twenty-three. John then married Alice ALLEN - he seemed to fancy wives of the Baptist religion!

On 19JAN1773, Hugh Cane of the City of Dublin signed a Bond of Indemnity for Henry and Richard Hoare, London bankers, to deliver up the deeds of "Edward Riggs late of the City of Dublin Esquire deceased".[S39] It referred to an Indenture dated 13JLY1741, which is the same date as Louisa's marriage settlement and the day before Edward signed his Will.

The Bond stated that under the Indenture Edward did
"grant bargain and sell unto Samuel Grey Esquire one of the Commissioners of His Majesty's Revenue of Ireland and John Bowes Esquire his Majesty's Attorney General of the said Kingdom
All that and those his House and Lands (together with other Houses Lands and Premisses (sic) in the said Indenture mentioned) situate lying and being in the Parishes of Binfield and White Waltham or else where in the County of Berks" (White Waltham is the parish immediately to the north east of Binfield)
"To hold to them In Trust to and for the use and benefit of Ann Riggs wife of said Edward Riggs ...
during the time that she should continue a widow and from and after the intermarriage or decease of the said Ann Riggs which should first happen
To the use and behoof of Louisa Riggs Daughter of said Edward and Ann Riggs ...
And whereas the said Edward Riggs the Elder died in the month of November 1741 and leaving Edward Riggs the younger his eldest son and Heir and the said Ann his widow and the said Louisa his youngest daughter who afterward intermarried with the above Hugh Cane and had Issue by him two daughters Ann Cane and Louisa Cane",

It went on to refer to "the aforesaid Louisa Riggs (who is long since deceased)" and the fact that her daughters Ann and Louisa were now of full age.

The surnames MEDLICOTT and MEDLYCOTT appear to have been used interchangably during this time period, when the spelling of surnames had not become fully stabilised.

ANNE MEDLICOTT, who married EDWARD#3 in 1715 is identified by Low as the daughter of Thomas Medlicott of Binfield, Berks, Esquire, and by Johnston-Liik as the daughter of Thomas Medlycott of Burfield (sic), Berkshire - Binfield is near the county town of Reading, in England.
Holsworthy mistakenly quotes her father as Murray Medlicott of Binfield, Berks.

Edward and Anne's son THOMAS MEDLYCOTT RIGGS of Binfield, Berks married in 1737 Catherine WEBB, Lady of the Manor of Butleigh in Somerset. Catherine's mother, who had married JOHN WEBB of Butleigh (see the Note on THE WEBBS OF BUTLEIGH, SOMERSET) was Elizabeth Medlycott, only daughter of Thomas Medlycott the elder of Abingdon, Berks. Elizabeth had two brothers: James Medlycott, Chancery master and Thomas Medlycott of Westminster, whose daughter Anne was therefore Catherine's first cousin. Anne's son Thomas Medlycott Riggs who Catherine married was therefore Catherine's first cousin once removed.

Catherine had drafted a Will in 1735, prior to her marriage, leaving her estate to "my loving cousin Edward Riggs second son of the Honourable Edward Riggs Esq one of the Commissioners of His Majesty's Revenue in Ireland". In that Will, she wished to "appoint my uncle Thomas Medlycott and my cousin Ann Riggs daughter of said Thomas Medlycott to be executors of this my will and guardians of my said cousin Edward Riggs during his minority". This cousin is EDWARD#4, younger brother of Thomas Medlycott Riggs, and refers to his minority because EDWARD#4 had been born in 1721.

The Medlicott Family website states that "Thomas Medlicott of Binfield, Berkshire, and of Dublin was a son of Thomas Medlicott of Abingdon, M.P. (b. 1628)... He was born in 1662 and was Chief Commissioner of Revenue in Ireland and M.P. for County Kildare. He had one daughter, Anne, who married the Rt. Hon. Edward Riggs, M.P. of Dublin.". The Historical Manuscripts Commission UK National Register of Archives web-site has an entry under "Thomas Medlycott, 1662-1738 MP Collector of the Customs in Ireland" in which it states "Thomas Medlicott, second son of Thomas Medlicott, a Master of the Bench" was admitted to the Middle Temple on 1680NOV23, "called of grace 1687MAY6, Bencher 1712JLY4".[S49]

Johnston-Liik states that Thomas Medlycott was the MP for Newtown Limavady in the Irish Parliament until his death in JLY1738. She also states that his death caused a by-election at which EDWARD#3 (his son-in-law) was elected. Thomas Medlycott Riggs is described as having a grandfather Thomas of Binfield who was was not able to travel to London at the time of Thomas Medlycott Riggs's death in MCH1738N, and his grandfather's death four months later explains this.

The Historical Manuscripts Commission UK National Register of Archives web-site also has an entry for "Thomas Medlycott, 1697-1763 MP.", who would have been the brother of ANNE RIGGS nee MEDLICOTT.

JOHN WEBB of Butleigh, Somerset was born 1611, the son of James Webb. He was an architect and author, and married ANNE JONES. who was the daughter of Inigo Jones, of whom John Webb was a pupil.[S21]

In 1611 the fee of Whitley Hundred in Somerset had been sold by the Crown to Sir Richard Grobham and John Howe to be held of East Greenwich and in 1617 they had sold it to the lessee Thomas Symcox, by that date lord of Butleigh, and ownership thereafter descended with Butleigh Manor. Thomas Symcox the younger sold his mortgaged estate in 1653 to John Webb, then of St. Martin's in the Fields, London.[S61] John thus became the lord of the manor and advowson of Butleigh and of Whitley Hundred

On John Webb's death, on 24OCT1672[S21], it passed to John's son JAMES WEBB, who died in 1690.[S61] He had married KATHERINE FARMER of Wells. Her will was proved 11DEC1712.[S21]

James and Katherine's son and heir JOHN WEBB (b.c1671) m. ELIZABETH, only daughter of THOMAS MEDLYCOTT the elder of Abingdon, Berks (see the Note on THE MEDLYCOTTS OF BERKSHIRE). Their post nuptial marriage settlement was dated 1709.[S20]. It is said that John died in 1712 and that his mother retained the hundred as part of her "jointure"[S61]. However, that must have been short-lived, because as stated previously Katherine's own will was proved 11DEC1712.[S21]

John and Elizabeth's daughter and heir Catherine was lady of the hundred in 1736 and held it jointly with her husband THOMAS MEDLYCOTT RIGGS in 1737. [S61]

Undisputedly, Thomas Medlycott and Catherine died childless. It is therefore merely an astonishing coincidence that other RIGGS were living in Somerset in the North Curry and North Petherton Hundreds, which shared borders with the Whitley Hundred, and also to the south with the tything of Creech St Michael (see the map above), where the earliest RIGGS in Somerset have been found recorded (pre 1750).

The probate of the will (1737/8) of Catherine [Webb] Riggs, widow of THOMAS MEDLYCOTT RIGGS left the manor and advowson of Butleigh and Whitley Hundred to JAMES GRENVILLE, her executor. An assignment in 1738 refers to James Grenville of Inner Temple having two brothers RICHARD GRENVILLE of Wooton Underwood, Bucks, and GEORGE GRENVILLE of Inner Temple. When the manor and advowson were sold in 1749/50, James Greville was described as being of Old Burlington St., St. James, Westminster. [S20]

The Historical Manuscripts Commission UK National Register of Archives web-site refers to, amongst others:

• Anne Grenville, 1772-1864 nee Pitt Author, wife of Lord Grenville
• George Grenville, 1712-1770 Statesman
• Henry Grenville, 1717-1784 MP Diplomat and Governor of Barbados
• James Grenville, 1715-1783 Politician
• James Grenville, 1742-1825 Baron Glastonbury politician
• John Grenville, 1628-1701 1st Earl of Bath
• Sir Richard Grenville, 1600-1658 Knight Royalist
• Richard Grenville, 1742-1823 General MP
• Richard Temple Grenville, 1711-1779 Earl Temple statesman
• Thomas Grenville, 1719-1747 Captain RN MP
• Thomas Grenville, 1755-1846 Statesman
• William Wyndham Grenville, 1759-1834 Baron Grenville statesman

George Grenville was the second son of seven children born to Richard Grenville and his wife Hester, Countess Temple. His elder brother was Richard, Earl Temple, Lord Cobham; his sister Hester married William Pitt. Grenville was born on 14 October 1712 at Westminster in London. He was educated at Eton between 1725 and 1728, going on to Christ Church, Oxford in 1730. He was called to the Bar in 1735. In 1741 he was elected as MP for Buckingham, a pocket borough of his uncle Richard, Viscount Cobham. There were only thirteen electors. In 1744 Grenville entered Pelham's government but was dismissed by the Newcastle administration in 1755, only to be brought back into government in 1756 as Treasurer to the Navy.

In May 1749, Grenville married Elizabeth Wyndham, the grand-daughter of the Duke of Somerset.... The couple had four sons and five daughters: one of their sons became PM in his own right.

William Grenville was born on 24 October 1759, the third son and sixth of nine children born to George Grenville and Elizabeth Wyndham. In 1792, he married Anne Pitt. She was the daughter of Thomas Pitt, first Baron Camelford. The Grenville and Pitt families were intertwined, since Pitt the Elder (the Earl of Chatham) had married Hester Grenville, sister of George Grenville. Consequently, Lord Grenville and Pitt the Younger were cousins.

Lord Grenville was educated at Eton and Christ Church College Oxford. ...He spent a lot of time editing the correspondence of his uncle, Lord Chatham. He trained for the Bar but was never called since he entered parliament in 1782 as MP for the family's borough of Buckingham. He continued to represent the constituency until he was elevated to the peerage in 1790.

Grenville held continual ministerial office during his parliamentary career. He was Chief Secretary for Ireland between August 1782 and May 1783 whilst his brother, Earl Temple, was Lord Lieutenant; Grenville was offered ministerial positions by his cousin Pitt the Younger throughout his premiership. Grenville was Paymaster General between December 1783 and March 1784. For a short time in 1789 he was Speaker of the House of Commons and then he became Home Secretary; in 1791 took over as Foreign Secretary. His ministry lasted from February 1806 to March 1807.

William Pitt (Pitt the elder) married Hester Grenville, sister of Earl Temple and George Grenville in 1754. Hester was 23 years his junior. William (Pitt the Younger) was their second son.

Note that the following information was obtained primarily from the contents of an email posted to the PIGGOTT-L@rootsweb.com Mailing List on 2006JLY14 by its Listowner, Joe Bissett <jbissett@txdirect.net>.

SOUTHWELL PIGOTT was the fifth son (and sixth child) of John PIGOTT, of Kilfinney, Co Limerick, and Margaret SOUTHWELL. He was Aide de Camp to General de Ginkel at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 and was a Captain in the Regiment of Welsh Fusiliers in 1705.
His marriage to Henrietta Wynanda Van Der GRAAF is said to have taken place between 1705 and 1710. She died in APR1747.
In his father's will dated FEB1716, Southwell was named as a Captain in the Army, and in a deed dated 1717 he was named as an Army Captain, Dublin. In 1718, he succeeded to Capard, which is a Townland in the civil parish of Rosenallis, Queen's Co.(known today as co.Laois).[S43]. Southwell was appointed High Sheriff of Queen's Co in 1727. He was the proprietor of the Mill at Bathford, Somerset (which is less than a mile to the south-east of Batheaston - see Captain John Miller, later Sir John RIGGS MILLER).
He died 19MCH1756 in Dublin, and his Will dated 18MAY1751 at Capard was proved at the P.C.C. on 25SEP1756.

MARGARET PIGOTT, his third child and second eldest daughter, married EDWARD RIGGS [EDWARD#4]
Given that the letter "i" was often written as "y" in the late 1600s, Holworthy is virtually accurate in referring to Margaret's father as SOUTHWELL PYGOTT Esquire, of Capward (sic) in Queens County. Low refers to him as PIGOT, Esquire, of Cappard (sic) in Queens County, whilst Johnston-Liik lists him merely as PIGOT of Queens County, neither of them stating his forename.

COLCLOUGH PIGOTT was Southwell's sixth child and fourth eldest son but his second surviving son, two older sons having died in infancy. He was born c 1716 and was left £100 pounds in his grandfather's will in the same year 1716.
Colclough married ANN RIGGS, the elder sister of EDWARD#4 by License 4APR1739, but there was subsequently a deed of Marriage Separation dated 24MCH1741. [Incidentally, his elder brother John who married Mary, daughter of William BROWNLOW MP of Lurgan, in 1743, also features in a deed of Marriage Separation dated 16MCH1762.]
In a deed in 1748 Colclough was named as of Annsfield, Queen's Co. He succeeded to Capard in his father's will in 1756, and was named as of Capard Esq in 1757 when he leased it to his brother Dowdall. In a deed in 1764 he was named as of Woodhouse, Queen's Co. He died 18MAY1779 in Queen's Co without issue, and his Will dated 19APR1779 was proved 14JNE1779 in which Capard was passed to his younger brother Dowdall.