Biggnal History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Biggnal is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from a family once having lived in one of two places. Some bearers of the surname Biggnal 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 Biggnal family

The surname Biggnal 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 Biggnal family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Biggnal research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1948, 1611, 1660, 1629, 1645, 1695, 1723, 1796, 1788, 1861, 1788, 1349, 1310 and 1318 are included under the topic Early Biggnal History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Biggnal Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Biggnal has been recorded under many different variations, including Bicknell, Bicknall, Bickenell, Bickenall, Bickenhall, Bickwell, Bignell, Bignall, Bignold, Bicknoll, Bignal, Bignel, Bignoll and many more.

Early Notables of the Biggnal family (pre 1700)

Notables of the family at this time include Henry Bignell (1611-1660?), English divine, born in the parish of St. Mary, Oxford, in July 161, son of Foulk Bignell of Souldern, Oxfordshire. In 1629 he became a servitor of Brasenose College, and subsequently entered at St. Mary's Hall. After taking the degree of B.A. he was ordained and set up as a schoolmaster. In 1645 he was made rector of St. Peter-le-Bayly, Oxford, but was ejected from his benefice for scandalous conduct...
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Biggnal Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Biggnal family to Ireland

Some of the Biggnal family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Biggnal family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Biggnal or a variant listed above: Zachary Bicknell, originally of Somerset, England, who settled in Weymouth, Massachusetts in 1635; Thomas Bicknell settled in Providence, Rhode Island in 1770.

Citations +

Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)