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The ancient roots of the Biggarstome family name are in the Anglo-Saxon culture. The name Biggarstome comes from when the family lived in one of several places named Bickerton. Bickerton is the name of various townships including the parish of Malpas in Cheshire 1 in the parish of Rothburg in Northumberland, 1 and in the parish of Bilton, in the West Riding of Yorkshire. 2
The toponym Bickerton is derived from the Old English beocere, which means bee-keeper, and tun, which originally denoted a fence or enclosure. 3 However this came to mean enclosure round a house, homestead, village or town at an early date. Thus the name can be understood to mean village of the bee-keeper.
The surname Biggarstome was first found in Yorkshire where Adam de Bikerton was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1191. Almost a century later, William de Bykerton was similarly listed in Yorkshire in 1287. 4
The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had only entry for the family, that of Thomas de Bigerton, Yorkshire, while the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included Johannes de Bykerton; and Willelmus de Bikerton. 2
The source Wills at Chester included the following: Edmund Bickerton, of Sound, Cheshire, 1617; and Humphrey Bickerton, of Wrenbury, 1594. 2
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Biggarstome research. Another 273 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1296, 1401, 1429, 1451, 1456, 1464, 1479, 1525, 1526, 1530, 1533, 1549, 1574, 1590, 1601, 1602, 1641, 1643, 1647, 1688, 1693, 1727, 1739, 1741, 1758, 1759, 1771, 1774, 1777, 1778, 1792 and 1832 are included under the topic Early Biggarstome History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Biggarstome has appeared include Bickerton, Bickertown, Beckertoun, Bikerton, Bikarton and many more.
Distinguished members of the family include Jane Howard, Duchess of Norfolk (née Bickerton) (1643-1693), the second wife of Henry Howard, 6th Duke of Norfolk. She was daughter of Robert Bickerton, Gentleman of the Wine Cellar to King Charles II.
Sir Richard Bickerton (1727-1792), Vice-Admiral, son of a Captain in the 4th dragoon guards, entered the Navy in 1739, on the outbreak of the war with Spain. In the following year he was appointed to the Suffolk, of 70 guns, with Captain Davers, and sailed in her to the West Indies, to form part of the expedition against Cartagena in the spring of...
Another 144 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Biggarstome Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Biggarstome arrived in North America very early: Joan Bickerton who settled in Barbados in 1675; George Bickerton settled in Pennsylvania in 1772; John in Philadelphia in 1773; Thomas settled in New England in 1753..