Highige History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsEtymology of HighigeWhat does the name Highige mean? The origins of the Welsh name Highige go back to the ancient Celtic culture that existed in the hills and Moors of Wales. The forbears that initially held the name Highige once lived in one of the various places named Huish in the English counties of Devon, Dorset, Somerset, and Wiltshire. The surname Highige belongs to the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Early Origins of the Highige familyThe surname Highige was first found in Somerset, Devon and Wiltshire where the name is derived from the Middle English "Hiwys." 1 Huish is a parish, in the union of Torrington, hundred of Shebbear, Black Torrington and Shebbear, in Devon and North Huish and South Huish are parishes in the union of Totnes, hundred of Stanborough and Coleridge in the same county. 2 "The estate of Trenans Austell, or Trenance Austell, [Cornwall] was formerly dignified with the name of manor; and no doubt it was particularly honoured with this appellation, when it gave in part that name by which the town was originally designated. In the reign of Edward III it belonged to the family of Hiwis of Devonshire, by whose co-heiress it was conveyed by marriage to the Coleshills." 3 Again in Cornwall, "the manor of St. Ewe, so early as the beginning of the fourteenth century, was in the family of Hiwis, from whom it passed with Tremoderet and other estates to the co-heiress of Arundell." 3 "The manor of Canalissey or Cannaligee, [in the parish of St. Issey, Cornwall] was in all probability the property of the Hiwis family so early as the reign of Edward III; since at that period they held a large estate in this parish." 3 "Sidbury [in Sidmouth, Devon] like many other villages and hamlets of the district, is a seat of the lace-manufacture. At Sand is the old Elizabethan mansion of the Huyshe family; and in the church, originally Norman, but rebuilt, is an inscription recording the death of one Henry Parson, * in the second-first climacteric year of his age;' and what that might have been in Arabic figures, no one has been able to decide. " 4 Early History of the Highige familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Highige research. Another 74 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1120, 1483, 1594, 1595, 1609, 1613 and 1668 are included under the topic Early Highige History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Highige Spelling VariationsCompared to other ancient cultures found in the British Isles, the number of Welsh surnames are relatively few, but there are an inordinately large number of spelling variations. These spelling variations began almost as soon as surname usage became common. As a result, people could not specify how to spell their own names leaving the specific recording up to the individual scribe or priest. Those recorders would then spell the names as they heard them, causing many different variations. Later, many Welsh names were recorded in English. This transliteration process was extremely imprecise since the Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh used many sounds the English language was not accustomed to. Finally, some variations occurred by the individual's design: a branch loyalty within a family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations were indicated by spelling variations of one's name. The Highige name over the years has been spelled Huish, Huysh, Hewish, Hywis, Huyse, Huyish and many more. Early Notables of the Highige familyProminent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Alexander Huish (1594?-1668), English biblical scholar, the son of John Hewish or Huish, and born in the parish of St. Cuthbert, Wells, Somersetshire, in... Migration of the Highige familyMany Welsh joined the great migrations to North America in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Like their Scottish and Irish neighbors, many Welsh families left their homeland hoping to find hope and prosperity in a land that the English did not exercise a tight rule over. Those Welsh immigrants that successfully traveled to North America went on to make significant contributions to the rapid development of both Canada and the United States in terms of the settling of land and the establishment of industry. They also added to the rich cultural heritage of both countries. An examination into the immigration and passenger lists has discovered a number of people bearing the name Highige: Joseph Huish who settled in Nevis in 1654.
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