Contents [hide]

Pigot History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Pigot History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Pigot is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Pigot comes from the Old English given name Picot or Pigot. The surname Pigot was originally derived from the Old English word pic, meaning a hill with a sharp point at its top, and would originally have indicated that its bearer lived near such a landmark.

"Picot was a personal name is clear, for Picot, a chief tenant in Hampshire, and Picot de Grentebrig', both occur in Domesday [Book]. It is curious, too, to observe that two families in Cheshire, the Pigots and Pichots, ran side by side for some generations, and Dr. Ormerod long ago surmised that both sprang from one common ancestor - Gilbert Pichot, Lord of Broxton." 1

Another source notes that "the name of Pickett may be a corruption of Pickard, though we must remember that there is an estate of this name in the parish of South Perrott, Dorset." 2

Early Origins of the Pigot family

The surname Pigot was first found in Cheshire and Cambridgeshire where Picot of Cambridge (c.1022-1090), born in Saye, Normandy, was a Norman landowner and rose to become Sheriff of Cambridgeshire (c. 1071-1090.) His son Robert, became implicated in a conspiracy against King Henry I, fled the country and the family estates were forfeit. 3 "Pygot occurs in Leland's supposed copy of the Roll of Battle Abbey." 4

The Lincolnshire Survey listed Picotus de Laceles, temp. 1109 and later the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Picot de Flexbergh, Wiltshire; Elis Pyket, Buckinghamshire; and Walter Pycot, Cambridgeshire. 1

Another reference claims "the family originally came from Cheshire; William Pigott of Butley in the parish of Prestbury in that county, who died in 1376, was grandfather of Richard Pigott of Butley who married the heiress of Peshall." 5

Early History of the Pigot family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pigot research. Another 208 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1109, 1210, 1333, 1630, 1640, 1645, 1657, 1686, 1697, 1713, 1716, 1719, 1720, 1734, 1777 and 1796 are included under the topic Early Pigot History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pigot Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Pigott, Piggot, Piggett, Piggott, Piggot, Pigot, Picot and many more.

Early Notables of the Pigot family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Thomas Pigot (Pigott, Piggott) (1657-1686), an English cleric, academic and Fellow of the Royal Society
George Pigot, 1st Baron Pigot (1719-1777), former Governor of Madras
Sir Robert Pigot, 2nd Baronet (1720-1796), British Army officer during the American Revolutionary War

Pigot Ranking

In France, the name Pigot is the 8,373^rd most popular surname with an estimated 500 - 1,000 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Pigot family to Ireland

Some of the Pigot family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pigot migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Pigot or a variant listed above were:

Pigot Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Pigot, who landed in Virginia in 1654 7

Pigot Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Simeon Pigot, aged 20, who landed in New York in 1812 7
R N Pigot, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 7
Peter Pigot, who landed in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1858 7

Pigot migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Pigot Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Eliz Pigot, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
Lett Pigot, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
William Pigot, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750

Pigot migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Pigot Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

William Pigot, aged 38, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Brankenmoor" 8
William Pigot, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Branken Moor" in 1849 8
Mary Pigot, aged 19, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Nashwauk" 9
Mary Pigot, aged 23, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Admiral Boxer"

Pigot migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Pigot Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

J. J. Pigot, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Sir George Grey" in 1864

Contemporary Notables of the name Pigot (post 1700) +

Sir Robert Pigot (1720-1796), 2nd Baronet, British Army officer during the American Revolutionary War
Elizabeth Bridget Pigot (1783-1866), English friend and correspondent of Lord Byron from Derbyshire
Hugh Pigot (1769-1797), English officer in the Royal Navy who was killed by his own men during the mutiny on HMS Hermione in 1797
Admiral Hugh Pigot (1721-1792), English admiral and Commander-in-chief of the Royal Navy's West Indian fleet from 1782
David Richard Pigot (1797-1873), Irish Chief Baron of Exchequer in Ireland
George Pigot (1719-1777), Baron Pigot of Patshull Hall, County of Stafford, British governor of Madras
Neil Pigot (b. 1961), Australian actor, best known for his role as Inspector Falcon-Price on "Blue Heelers"
Sir Robert Pigot (1801-1891), 4th Baronet, British Conservative politician
John Edward Pigot (1822-1871), Irish music collector
Edward Pigot (1858-1929), Irish/Australian Jesuit priest, seismologist and astronomer

The Pigot 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: Tout foys prest
Motto Translation: Always ready.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The BRANKEN MOOR 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849BrankenMoor.htm
South Australian Register Monday 14th May 1855. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Nashwauk 1855. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/europa1855.shtml