Higgens History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The 19th century saw a great wave of Irish families leaving Ireland for the distant shores of North America and Australia. These families often left their homeland hungry, penniless, and destitute due to the policies of England. Those Irish immigrants that survived the long sea passage initially settled on the eastern seaboard of the continent. Some, however, moved north to a then infant Canada as United Empire Loyalists after ironically serving with the English in the American War of Independence. Others that remained in America later joined the westward migration in search of land. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, though, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America, and those who arrived were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. In fact, the foundations of today's powerful nations of the United States and Canada were to a larger degree built by the Irish. Archival documents indicate that members of the Higgens family relocated to North American shores quite early:

Higgens Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

• Thomas Higgens, who landed in New York in 1646 1
• Tomas Higgens, who landed in New Netherland(s) in 1646 1
• Hum Higgens, who landed in Virginia in 1653 1
• Michael Higgens, who arrived in Maryland in 1656 1

Higgens Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

• Andrew Higgens, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1806 1

Higgens Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

• William Smith Higgens, Scottish convict from Glasgow, who was transported aboard the "Adelaide" on August 08, 1849, settling in Van Diemen's Land and Port Phillip, Australia 2

• Joseph C. Higgens, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Tennessee, 1936, 1944 (alternate) 3