Bigland History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Bigland

What does the name Bigland mean?

The Anglo-Saxon name Bigland comes from when the family resided in an estate called Bigland, in the parish of Cartmell, North Lancashire.

Early Origins of the Bigland family

The surname Bigland was first found in Lancashire, where they were a very ancient family seated at Bigland Hall "from the time of the Conquest." 1

Now known as Biglands, with Gamblesby, this township, is in the parish of Aikton, union of Wigton, Cumberland ward, and E. division of Cumberland. 2 Bigland Hall survives today as a country house with the latest rendition built in the 16th century.

Early History of the Bigland family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bigland research. Another 158 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1485, 1509, 1559, 1620, 1647, 1650, 1672, 1689, 1690, 1704 and 1716 are included under the topic Early Bigland History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bigland Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Bigland include Bigland, Biglin, Biglen, Biglon, Biglande, Byglande and many more.

Early Notables of the Bigland family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Edward Bigland, rector of East Leake, Nottinghamshire

Bigland migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Bigland Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Patrick Bigland, who arrived in New York in 1824

Contemporary Notables of the name Bigland (post 1700) +

Ralph Bigland (1712-1784), English cheese maker, and herald, who was made Garter Principal King of Arms in 1780 3
John Bigland (1750-1832), English schoolmaster and a prolific author and historian 3
Alfred Bigland (1855-1936), English industrialist and politician, Member of Parliament for Birkenhead (1910-918) and for Birkenhead East (1918-1922)
Matt Bigland (b. 1985), Scottish singer and guitarist

Historic Events for the Bigland family +

Empress of Ireland

Lieut Joseph Stanley Bigland (1892-1914), Canadian Second Class Passenger from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 4

The Bigland Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Gratitude

Sources +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 17 June. 2019
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 16) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html