Bignod History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Anglo-Saxon name Bignod comes from when the family resided in one of two places. Some bearers of the surname Bignod 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 Bignod family

The surname Bignod 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 Bignod family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bignod 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 Bignod History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bignod Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Bignod include Bicknell, Bicknall, Bickenell, Bickenall, Bickenhall, Bickwell, Bignell, Bignall, Bignold, Bicknoll, Bignal, Bignel, Bignoll and many more.

Early Notables of the Bignod 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 Bignod Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bignod family to Ireland

Some of the Bignod 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 Bignod family

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: 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)