This name is of Northern English locational oringin from Ridsale or Redesdale in Northumberland, north east of Bellingham. Recorded as Redesdale in 1075, the place is so named from it's position in the valley of the river Rede. Originally spelt "Reade", the river name literally means "the red one", from the Old English pre 7th Century "read", red. The second element is the Medieval English "dale" (old English "doel"), a valley Recording of the surname occur earlier in London church registers than in those of the Northern English counties. One February 12th, 1604 John Ridesdale and Julian Haward were married in Saint Botolph's, Bishopsgate, London. William Ridsdale married a Sophia Peterakin in Manchester Cathedral, Lancashire, on February 14th 1774, and on August 7th 1785 Prudence Ridsdale, an infant, was christened in Rugeley, Staffordshire. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Thomas Rydsdale, (christening), which was dated April 19th 1568, St. Andrew's Undershaft, london, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Good Queen Bess 1558 - 1603. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.