John Legh, of the Ridge

LEIGH - PETER, who was knighted at the battle of Wakefield, by Richard, Duke of York, 31st December, 1460. From this Sir Peter Leigh, the Leighs of Lyme descend. He m. secondly, Cecilie, daughter of John del Hagh, and heir to Thomas; and in her right was styled of Ridge. By this lady he had a son and two daughters, viz.

• JOHN, of whom presently.
• Agnes, m. to Richard Leversage.
• Alice, m. to William Clayton.

The son,

JOHN LEIGH, who inherited his mother's estate, of Ridge, was escheator of Cheshire for seven years, from the 12th Henry VI., and was living in 1452, being then also escheator. He m. Alice, daughter and heir of Thomas Alcock, and had issue,

• ROGER, who by Ellen, his wife, daughter of Robert Leigh, Esq., of Adlington, was ancestor of the Leighs of Ridge.
• Richard, of whose line we are about to treat.
• John, from whom descended Sir John Leigh, K.B., of Stockwell, in Surrey.

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Biography

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/De_Legh-4

The first Legh of Ridge, which was an estate he had through his wife.

John Leigh of the Ridge was born between 1388 and 1399 because he was a younger son of Piers Leigh and Margaret Danyers. Piers Leigh and Margaret Danyers had a marriage dispensation on November 26, 1388. Piers Leigh was beheaded on August 10, 1399 but his wife, Margaret, was not deceased until 1428. Earwaker, Volume 2, pp. 291-291, 303. Therefore, John Leigh of the Ridge was not the son of Peter Leigh and Cecily de Hagh as suggested by the 1580 Cheshire Visitation on p. 152. (Frank Renaud, M.D., misidentified him as the son of Robert Legh of Adlington and Maud Norley. )

Prior to John Leigh of Ridge being known as "of the Ridge", he was known as John Leigh, son of Peter. He was known as John, son of Peter Legh, as early as November 12, 1416. (Appendix II of the 37th Annual Report of the Deputy Keeper of The Public Records, p. 667) This would suggest that he was born 1395 or before (1416-21).

He was known as John, son of Peter de Legh in 1 Henry VI (1 September 1422 to 31 August 1423).[1] He was John, son of Peter de Legh in 7 Henry 5 (21 March 1419 to 20 March 1420).[2] In 3 Henry VI (1 September 1424 to 31 August 1425), he was described as "Johem de Legh de le Bache alias dem Johem de Legh fil Petri de Legh in com Cestr' gentilmon."[3] Ormerod though "Bache" might be a mistake for "Ridge". In 1426, John son of Peter Legh was on the commission as a justice.[4]

Ormerod, v3, p. 763 suggested that John, son of Peter Legh, came into possession of the Ridge about 1428 and was then known as John of the Ridge.

John Legh of Rigges was first named as such in 1428 in the Recognizance Rolls of Cheshire.[5] On the same page, in 1428, John de Legh of Rigges and John Legh del Rygges were named. On the same page in 1430, John de Legh del Rygges was named. John de Legh of Rigge was still alive on Mary 25, 1453. [6]

George Ormerod, revised by Thomas Helsby in 1882, provided the best analysis of the problem in volume 3, pp. 747 and 763. It is important to read the footnotes.

Marriage and children

His wife was Alice Alcock, son of John Alcock of Ridge.

1. Robert, lord of Adlington
2. Second son and heir Ralph said to have been born in 1415. [7]
3. Richard, ancestor of the Leghs of Stoneleigh.
4. John, ancestor of the Leghs of Stockwell.

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Source: Records of Rushall, County Stafford: With a Transcript of the Old Parish ... Page 82. < GoogleBooks >

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References

1. Page: Visitation of Warwickshire 1682 Harleian Society Vol. LXII (1911) Leigh of Stoneleigh pp.10-12.  
2.  A general and heraldic dictionary of the peerages of England, Ireland, and Scotland, extinct, dormant, and in abeyance.  England (Google eBook) John Burke 1831.  Page 310.  "Leigh"
3. "Pedigree of the Leigh Family of Rushall." Records of Rushall, County Stafford: With a Transcript of the Old Parish Register and Extracts from the Churchwardens' Accounts (Google eBook) Frederick William Willmore.  Robinson, 1892 - 195 pages.  Page 82
4. http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=janeauste...
5. http://www.multiwords.de/genealogy/leigh09.htm
6. WikiTree contributors, "John (De Legh) Legh (abt.1390-1453)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/De_Legh-4 : accessed 08 May 2024). Cites
   1. Ormerod, v3, p. 747.
   2. Ann 29-1, p. 73
   3. Ormerod, v3, p. 763
   4. Ann 37-2, p. 448
   5. Ann 37-2, p. 448.
   6. Earwaker, vol. 2, p. 89.
   7. The Administration of the County Palatine of Chester, 1442-85, Dorothy Clayton. p. 182
   8. George Ormerod, The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester, 2nd ed. revised by Helsby, Vol. 3:
      1. Leghs of Adlington: p.661 < GoogleBooks >
      2. Leghs of Lyme: p.676 < GoogleBooks >
      3. Leghs of Ridge: p.765 < GoogleBooks >
   9. Frank Renaud, Contributions Towards a History of the Ancient Parish of Prestbury: In Cheshire: pp.85-86 < GoogleBooks > and p.154 < GoogleBooks >
   10. Ann = Remembrance rolls. https://books.google.be/books?id=yf8qAAAAMAAJ&vq=295&pg=RA2-PA295
   11. John Parsons Earwaker, East Cheshire: Past and Present; or a History of the Hundred of Macclesfield in the County Palatine of Chester. From Original Records, 2 Volumes, (London: The Author, 1880), II. (Available on Hathitrust) https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=yale.39002088543229&view=1up...
   12. Visitation of Cheshire 1580 < Archive.Org >