Biggem History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Biggem

What does the name Biggem mean?

The Biggem name has descended through the generations from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name comes from having lived in Bikome, a town in the county of Somerset.

Early Origins of the Biggem family

The surname Biggem was first found in Somerset where Kirby's Quest listed the first two entries for the name: Walter de Bikome, Somerset, 1 Edward III and Godfrey de Bycorobe, Somerset, 1 Edward III. 1 In both cases, these poeple lived "1 Edward III," or in other words "during the first year of King Edward III's reign."

Early History of the Biggem family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Biggem research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1350, 1743, 1747, 1758 and 1769 are included under the topic Early Biggem History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Biggem Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Biggem has undergone many spelling variations, including Bickham, Bickam, Bigham, Biggam, Bigholme, Bighone, Begholm, Beghome, Biggem and many more.

Early Notables of the Biggem family

George Bickham the Elder (d. 1769), writing-master and engraver, born about the end of the seventeenth century. "He was the most celebrated penman of his time, and published in 1743 a folio volume entitled 'The Universal Penman . . . exemplified in all the useful and ornamental branches of modern Penmanship." 2 His...
Another 52 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Biggem Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Biggem migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Biggem were among those contributors:

Biggem Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Biggem, who settled in New England in 1804
William Biggem, who arrived in America in 1804 3

Sources +

Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)