Bigertoun History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The ancestors of the bearers of the Bigertoun family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found 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.

Early Origins of the Bigertoun family

The surname Bigertoun 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]

Some of the Northumberland branch of the family moved north in Scotland, but "there is another Bickerton in the West Riding of Yorkshire. About the year 1200 Richard of Bickirtoune had a grant of lands in Dunypace, and in 1263 Sir Richard of Bigirthon witnessed an agreement anent pasturage of the moor of Kellin. Master Eustace of Bikerton was presented to the church of Duglas, Lanarkshire, in 1292, and in 1296, as Eustace de Bykretone, rector of the church of Hutremokedi (Auchtermuchty), he rendered homage. John de Bigerton held the castle of Luffenoc' in 1296, and a payment to Elisabet de Bikertoun by the custumars of Inverkeithing is recorded in 1331." [5]

Early History of the Bigertoun family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bigertoun research. Another 273 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1296, 1429, 1451, 1401, 1429, 1451, 1456, 1479, 1641, 1574, 1530, 1464, 1456, 1590, 1526, 1647, 1688, 1525, 1602, 1601, 1533, 1530, 1456, 1549, 1777, 1643, 1693, 1727, 1792, 1739, 1741, 1778, 1758, 1759, 1832, 1771, 1774 and 1777 are included under the topic Early Bigertoun History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bigertoun Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Bigertoun include Bickerton, Bickertown, Beckertoun, Bikerton, Bikarton and many more.

Early Notables of the Bigertoun family (pre 1700)

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 Bigertoun Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bigertoun family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Bigertoun or a variant listed above: 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..

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)