RIDLEY FAMILY OF ENGLAND.
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EARLY ANCESTRY.
THIS family pedigree reaches back to the time of William the Conqueror.
Ridley Hall, the earliest known residence of the family, was in Cheshire,
a place previously owned by the Knight Hospitallers. It is pleasantly
situated in a beautiful, sequestered valley, under the shadow of the Peck-
ferton Hills. The old hall was evidently unimposing and dilapidated at
the time of the first possession of the Ridley family; but, as will appear
hereafter, it was rebuilt, and became one of the most stately and elegant
houses in the County. The ancient property continued in the main line
of the Ridley family till it ended in an heir female, who became the wife
of Robert Danyel; then the estate passed to the son and heir, Sir Robert
Danyel, who quartered his arms with those of Ridley. This Sir Robert
Danyel was an assistant of Sir William Standley, who became the hero of
the battle at Bosworth Field, in Scotland,-probably his Esquire, or one
of his body-guard, and a veil of mystery enshrouds his history. Le-
land, the antiquary, in his Itinerary, says, "Ridley 'longed [belonged] to
Danyel that was servant to Sir W. Standlie, and few men know what be-
came of this Danyel." The most probable explanation is, that the owner
of Ridley Hall and estate was either killed at the battle of Bosworth
Field, or was put out of the way by William Standley in order to gain
possession of his property. Standley went into the battle with three
thousand "tall men," and turned the tide in favor of King Henry; and
when King Richard died fighting, covered with wounds, Standley found
his crown trampled in the mire, and placed it upon the head of King
Henry. After this battle we find Sir William Standley rewarded with a
great property, including Ridley Hall and Manor; this was in the year
1494. There was an abstract of a fine on the manor of Ridley in the
thirty-second year of the reign of Henry VI, which intervenes between
the possession of Sir Robert Danyel and that of Sir William Standley, but
the parties named were probably only nominal possessors, and there is ob-
scurity about the transfer. At any rate, Standley did not live long to enjoy
his new acquisitions, for after "making it one of the fairest gentleman's
houses in all Chestershire," he was, in 1494, committed to prison, and in
1495 lost his head on Tower Hill.* We find no more mention of Ridley
* LONDON TOWER was built by Gundulph, Bishop of Rochester, in 1078. It ad-
joins the River Thames at the east end of the city. The walls, sixteen feet thick,
are of solid masonry. Gloomy memories associate with this ancient stronghold, in
consequence of the many hapless prisoners who have been executed there, and their
names on their dungeon-walls may still be seen, where they cut them centuries ago.
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