Bigglay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
The present generation of the Bigglay family is only the most recent to bear a name that dates back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name comes from having lived in the town of Bickleigh in the county of Devon. This place-name is derived from the Anglo Saxon personal name Bicca meaning pickaxe, and the Old English word leigh, meaning wooded area.
Early Origins of the Bigglay family
The surname Bigglay was first found in Devon, at Bickleigh, a parish, in the union of Tiverton, hundred of Hayridge, 4 miles from Tiverton.  Bickleigh is also a parish, in the union of Plympton St. Mary, hundred of Roborough in Devon. 
Bickley is a township, in the parish of Malpas, union of Nantwich, Higher division of the hundred of Broxton, S. division of the county of Chester. 
Early History of the Bigglay family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bigglay research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1400, 1661, 1754, 1415, 1426, 1529, 1582, 1670, 1623, 1681, 1644, 1687, 1667, 1746, 1518, 1596, 1569, 1585, 1586 and 1596 are included under the topic Early Bigglay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Bigglay Spelling Variations
Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Bigglay include Bickley, Bickle, Bickler, Bickleigh, Bigley, Bigly, Biglay and many more.
Early Notables of the Bigglay family (pre 1700)
Notables of this surname at this time include: John Bickley, Member of the Parliament for Huntingdon in 1415 and 1426; John Bickley, Member of the Parliament for Stafford in 1529; Sir Francis Bickley, 1st Baronet (c. 1582-1670); Sir Francis Bickley, 2nd Baronet (c. 1623-1681); Sir Francis Bickley, 3rd Baronet (1644-1687); and Sir Francis Bickley, 4th...
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bigglay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Bigglay family
Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Bigglay were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: Sarah Bickley who settled in Maryland in 1740; Philip Bickler arrived in Philadelphia in 1744; Adam Bickle arrived in Pennsylvania in 1751 with wife and children.
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- ^ Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- ^ Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
- ^ Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.