Risbridgers in England
Risbridgers have lived along the foothills of the North Downs of Surrey for hundreds of years, possibly originating at the two ris bridges, one in Leigh and one near Bramley.
The Leigh Risbridgers
The earliest known reference is that of Risbrig in 1198, at a time when many people did not have surnames. This Risbridger is associated with what is now known as the Rice Bridge in Leigh on land where Ricebridge Farm has stood since at least the 16th century.
The Albury Risbridgers
The Risbridgers have been in Albury since at least 1393, in the reign of King Richard ii, when Christina Cooke, the heir of Cook's Place, married John atte Rysbrugg.
The feud between the Risbridgers of Cook's Place and the Albury Estate over three generations resulted in one of the longest legal suits in British history. The story was chronicled by R. Charles Walmsley in The Risbridger Story which is available in the Library.
The Shere Risbridgers
One of the most successful branches of the family, the Shere Risbridgers go back to before 1515, when William Risbridger is recorded as a churchwarden of St. James church in Shere. He was probably resident at Speers, which is now the Post Office.
