Rigsby Wold Cottage

The parish of Rigsby is an early Danish settlement (the village on the ridge) and is listed in the Domesday Book with one principle tenant (Leosard) five villagers and three smallholders. In those days there were five Lordships in this area. Herbert of Rigsby was a blood relative of William the Conqueror, the son of Odo, the Archbishop of York. The Lordship continued until 1350, when, with no male heir remaining, it passed by marriage to Thomas of Totheby.

The Tothby family sold their Estates including a substantial part of Alford to Sir Robert Christopher in the C17th and they then passed by marriage of his daughter Elizabeth Snead and then of Lucy to John Manners, Duke of Rutland.

Robin Adam Christopher and his wife Lady Mary Nisbet Hamilton acquired the Well Estate in the 1830s and sold the entirety to Hugh Rawnsley in 1915.

The Read family first came to Rigsby House Farm in 1927, initially renting from the Well Estate of the Rawnsley's, and after a succession of Landlords from the 1950's we purchased the freehold in 1985.

Rigsby Wold Cottage is believed to have been built in 1850 to house the labourers of the farm.