Bignell History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe name Bignell is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived in one of two places. Some bearers of the surname Bignell derive their name from the parish of Bickenhill, which lies seven miles from Birmingham in the county of Warwickshire. 1 Bickenhill Church is a parish, in the union of Meriden, Solihull division of the hundred of Hemlingford, N. division of Warwickshire. "This place is of considerable antiquity, and included Kington, or Kingsford, now partly in this parish and partly in that of Solihull." 2 Other members of the family come from the parish of Bickenhall, otherwise known as Bicknell, which is near Taunton in the county of Somerset. 2 Early Origins of the Bignell familyThe surname Bignell was first found in Somerset and Warwickshire, where Thomas de Bikenhulle was the first on record in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1214. Later, John de Bikenhull and Walter Bykenhulle were listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Somerset in 1327. 3 Early History of the Bignell familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bignell research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1310, 1318, 1349, 1611, 1629, 1645, 1660, 1695, 1723, 1788, 1796, 1861 and 1948 are included under the topic Early Bignell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Bignell Spelling VariationsIt is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Bignell are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Bignell include: Bicknell, Bicknall, Bickenell, Bickenall, Bickenhall, Bickwell, Bignell, Bignall, Bignold, Bicknoll, Bignal, Bignel, Bignoll and many more. Early Notables of the Bignell familyNotables of the family at this time include
Migration of the Bignell family to IrelandSome of the Bignell family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Bignell or a variant listed above: Bignell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Bignell Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Bignell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
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