Higgenson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
England

The original Gaelic form of Higgenson was Ó hUgin, which is derived from the word uiging, which is akin to the Norse word Viking. 1

Early Origins of the Higgenson family

The surname Higgenson was first found in County Sligo (Irish: Sligeach), in the province of Connacht in Northwestern Ireland, where they held a family seat from early times.

Early History of the Higgenson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Higgenson research. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1588, 1616, 1629, 1630, 1652, 1692, 1698, 1708 and 1764 are included under the topic Early Higgenson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Higgenson Spelling Variations

Those scribes in Ireland during the Middle Ages recorded names as they sounded. Consequently, in this era many people were recorded under different spellings each time their name was written down. Research on the Higgenson family name revealed numerous spelling variations, including Higginson, Hickinson, Hickenson, Hickeson and many more.

Early Notables of the Higgenson family

Notable among the family name at this time was Isabel Hickinson who was buried at St. Johns Church, Dublin. Francis Higginson (1588-1630), was an English-born Puritan minister who led a group of about 350 settlers on six ships from England to New England in 1629, one year before the Winthrop Fleet. He became the first minister of Salem, Massachusetts. A portion of his diary was published in 1630 under the title, "New Englands Plantation, or a Short and True...
Another 79 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Higgenson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Higgenson migration to the United States +

During the 19th century thousands of impoverished Irish families made the long journey to British North America and the United States. These people were leaving a land that had become beset with poverty, lack of opportunity, and hunger. In North America, they hoped to find land, work, and political and religious freedoms. Although the majority of the immigrants that survived the long sea passage did make these discoveries, it was not without much perseverance and hard work: by the mid-19th century land suitable for agriculture was short supply, especially in British North America, in the east; the work available was generally low paying and physically taxing construction or factory work; and the English stereotypes concerning the Irish, although less frequent and vehement, were, nevertheless, present in the land of freedom, liberty, and equality for all men. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. Research into passenger and immigration lists has brought forth evidence of the early members of the Higgenson family in North America:

Higgenson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Higgenson, who arrived in Virginia in 1638 2
Robert Higgenson, who landed in Virginia in 1652 2
Ellenor Higgenson, who arrived in Virginia in 1655 2

The Higgenson Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Malo mori quam foedari
Motto Translation: I would rather die than be disgraced.

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
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)