From The Surnames of Ireland by Edward MacLysaght (1887-1986), Barnes & Noble, Inc., 1969.

From Irish Names and Surnames by Rev. Patrick Woulfe, Dublin,1923. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co. in 1967, 1969, 1993.

From Irish Names and Surnames by Rev. Patrick Woulfe, Dublin,1923. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co. in 1967, 1969, 1993.

From Irish Names and Surnames by Rev. Patrick Woulfe, Dublin, 1923. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co. in 1967, 1969, 1993.

From Irish Names and Surnames by Rev. Patrick Woulfe, Dublin,1923. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co. in 1967, 1969, 1993.

From Irish Names and Surnames by Rev. Patrick Woulfe, Dublin,1923. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co. in 1967, 1969, 1993.

As kids growing in the Chicago area in the 1950s with mostly Irish Catholics, we were never quite sure we were one of them. My Dad said we were Irish, but the name Biggins just did not sound Irish compared with Murphy, Kelly, O'Connor, Maguire, etc. When you told people your name, they would ask how to spell it, or say it sounded English. Through my whole life, I only met one Biggins who wasn't related to us: John Biggins, an executive with the Elgin Watch Company, whom I caddied for around 1953 when he was a guest at Indian Hill Club in Winnetka.

In 2002, I retired and got hooked on genealogy. The first eye-opener was my great great grandfather's first name in the family Bible--Patrick. That sounded real Irish. I found books in the library by MacLysaght and Woulfe that not only listed the name Biggins but said it came from the Irish word beag which, ironically, means small. The U.S. censuse of 1850 said Patrick's wife was Bridget and the two of them were from Ireland. I found two other Biggins families living across the road from Patrick and Bridget. An 1890 biography for one of them said they were from County Monaghan but did not mention Patrick. One of their descendants, Cathi Biggins, said the name was not Biggins originally. My cousin Dan Biggins said we came from County Mayo.

In 2006, I started this Web page on Biggins/Beggan Irish Roots and made my first trip to Ireland. I decided to stay in Ballinrobe, County Mayo, because there was a Biggins Bar. I did research there every night. For the first time in my life, everybody knew my name. The Mayo County chairman for the Irish Farmers' Association was Michael Biggins, and he gave me a 2004 book celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Glencorrib National Schools: the name Biggins was practically on every other page.

I found the Web site of Al Beagan , and it included the baptism of Patrick Beggan near the Monaghan border in Drumgill, County Cavan, in 1807, the same year that my Patrick Biggins was born. I expanded my horizons. On my second trip to Ireland in 2007, I met with a Gerard Beggan in Carrickmacross, County Monaghan, and he told me he had a professor in college, Peadar Livingstone, who said that Beggans were descendants of Maguires.

In 2008, Daniela Moneta started a Biggins DNA project and asked me to have my DNA tested. I was skeptical because of the cost and doubtful that I would learn anything, but my wife Marilyn encouraged me to do it. Now, I really feel Irish--I match up closely with people named Beaghen, Beggan, and Little (John Little's father was nicknamed "Jimmy Beggins"). And, I match up with Sean Biggins, a descendant of the Biggins family across the road from Patrick.

Moreover, Biggins/Beggan DNA matches up fairly closely with Maguire DNA, confirming what Peadar Livingstone had said to Gerard Beggan of Carrickmacross that Beggans are descended from Maguires. Then I learned that ancient histories claim that Maguires are descended from the Three Collas who established the ancient kingdom of Oriel in Northern Ireland. The Maguire and Biggins/Beggan DNA matches fairly closely with other families said to be descended from Clan Colla: McMahon, Carroll, McKenna, McDonald, and McDaniel. See DNA of the Three Collas.

About Biggins/Beggan Irish Roots

The objective of Biggins/Beggan Irish Roots is to connect Biggins/Beggan descendants in America, Ireland, Scotland, and Australia with their ancestors and cousins. PetersPioneers is a Web site devoted to the ancestors of Peter and Marilyn Carroll Biggins, including Patrick and Bridget Biggins, who immigrated in the 1830s to Will County, Illinois, by way of Ontario, Canada, from counties Mayo, Monaghan, or Cavan in Ireland.

This material tends to be oriented to the name Biggins because it is the writer's name, but variations of the name are meant to be included.

For the history of the Biggins/Beggan/Beagan name, see the excellent Web site of Al Beagan. For the history of the ancient kingdom of Oriel, see the excellent Web site of Jim McMahon.

Participation in the Biggins DNA Project

Family Tree DNA, which has the largest DNA database in the field, started a Biggins DNA project in July 2008 for the Biggins/Beggan surname. The Group Administrator is Daniela Moneta, dmoneta@cox.net, and the Group Co-Administrator is Terry Barton, terry@worldfamilies.net

Following are the five participants with Irish roots in the Biggins DNA project. The first four have tested 67 markers. The last one has tested 37 markers.

• Myself Peter Biggins (127469), whose great great grandfather Patrick Biggins, 1807-1882, emigrated from County Monaghan or Cavan sometime between 1835 and 1838 to Ontario, Canada, and then to Will County, Illinois.
• Sean Biggins (146867), whose great great grandfather James Biggins, 1822-1884, emigrated from County Monaghan in 1840 to Will County, Illinois, across the road from Patrick Biggins
• John Little (69648), whose great great grandfather Patrick Beggan, born in 1779, lived in Cormeenmore, County Cavan, and changed his name to Little. John's great grandfather Bernard Little, born circa 1813, acquired a farm in Drumlane, County Cavan, through marriage. John's grandfather James Little was born in 1860. John's father James Little was born in 1898 and nicknamed "Jimmy Beggins" as a child. He emigrated to Ayrshire, Scotland. John himself was born and raised in Ayrshire, emigrated to Canada for fourteen years, and then to Perth, Australia.
• Michael Beaghen (N34030), whose great great grandfather Francis Beaghen, 1850-1899, emigrated from County Monaghan to Brooklyn, New York, circa 1860.
• Hugh Little (N50180), whose ancestor was born in 1819, probably in Ireland.

There also is a Keith Bigham (91030) who participates in the Bingham DNA project. His DNA matches the Bigginses and Clan Colla. The Griffiths Survey of 1848-64 shows Bighams in County Down, Ireland.

The Biggins/Beggan Genetic Distance Matrix shows the distance between the four Bigginses who have tested 67 markers, Keith Bigham (91030), and a modal for Clan Colla descendants. Genetic distance occurs because of mutations from one generation to another. If two people are identical in all markers except they are off in one marker by 1 point, the genetic distance would be 1. If they were off at 2 different markers by 1 point in each marker, then the genetic distance of those two samples would be 2. If they are off by 2 points at one marker and 1 point in a second marker, then the genetic distance would be 3. 12, but the genetic difference between 0 and 12 is treated as 1. Based on FTDNA practice, genetic distance for some markers is limited to 1. This method of computing genetic distance is called the hybrid mutation model.

By testing the yDNA, males can determine the origin of their paternal line. Note that the yDNA strictly checks the paternal line, with no influence of any females along that line. Females do not receive the Y-chromosome, and therefore females cannot be tested for the paternal line. If you are a female and would like to know about your paternal line, you would need to have a brother or a male relative from that line to be tested. By testing the mtDNA, males and females can determine the origin of their maternal line. Note that the mtDNA strictly checks the maternal line, with no influence of any males along that line. Both males and females receive the mtDNA from the mother.

I decided to participate in July 2008. I paid $271 for 67 markers. They sent me three scrapers that I used to swab the inside of my cheeks in four-hour intervals. I got final results in September. (The price is now down to $239.)

If you are a male with the name Biggins, Beggan, or another variant, you may benefit from particpating in the Biggins DNA project. Here are some of the questions you may be able to answer with your yDNA:

• Are you related to other people with the same name? I was able to learn that there is a close relationship between Patrick Biggins, my great great grandfather, and James Biggins who lived across the road from Patrick in Will County, Illinois. The DNA of Sean Biggins, a descendant of James Biggins who lived across the road, confirms that there is a relationship. An 1890 biography of James Biggins says he came from County Monaghan. Now I have reason to believe that my Patrick came from Monaghan.
• Are you related to people with the same name in other parts of the world? For example, if you are a Biggins from County Mayo, are you related to people with the same or similar name in County Fermanagh? We do not have any participants yet from County Mayo.
• Are people with variants of Biggins/Beggan related? Michael Beaghen, whose ancestors came from County Monaghan, is closely related to me. A man with an ancestor Patrick Bigham (1731-1796) from Ireland comes out closest to me of all paticipants so far. The Griffiths Valuation shows a number of people named Bigham from County Down.
• Are people named Little related to people named Biggins/Beggan? John Little whose family name was Beggins matches closely with my DNA. The Irish beag means small. John lives in Perth, W.A., Australia, but was born and raised in Ayrshire, Scotland, and previously lived in Canada fourteen years. His father was James Little, known as a child as Jimmy Beggins. He was born in 1898 in the townland of Drumlane in the Parish of Laragh, County Cavan. His grandfather was James Little, born in 1860, and his great grandfather was Bernard Little born circa 1813, who acquired the farm in Drumlane through marriage.
• Are you descended from Clan Colla? There is a theory that people named Beggan were a branch of the Maguire clan that were small in stature. See "Peadar Livingstone's Theory" below. I found that there are people named Maguire, McMahon, Carroll, McKenna, McDonald, and McDaniel who match fairly closely with my yDNA. People with these names are said to be descended from the Three Collas, who established the ancient kingdoms of Oriel and Uí Maine in Ireland. Jim McMahon has an excellent Web site on the Three Collas.
• Are people with English roots named Biggins related to people with Irish roots named Biggins? So far, there is one person named Biggins with English roots, and his yDNA does not match very closely with those of us with Irish roots.

To sign up for the Biggins DNA Project, go to this Web page: Biggins DNA project. I strongly recommend the 67-marker test because it will show whether you descend from Clan Colla.

Irish Origin of Name

The Irish word for little or small is beag. According to exerpts from the works of Edward MacLysaght and Rev. Patrick Woulfe, this is the origin of the name Biggins.

Variations of Biggins in the Griffith's Valuation property survey of 1848-64 were: Biggin, Beggins, Beggin, Beggan, Beggans, Beagin, Began, Beegan, Biggane, and Beaghan. The name was also translated fron the Irish beag into the English Little. In general, the name had evolved somewhat differently in different areas. See Irish Records. The most prevalent variations were:

• Little, Beggin, and Beggan in Co. Fermanagh
• Beggan, Began, and Litttle in Co. Monaghan and Co. Cavan
• Biggins, Biggin, and Beggins in Co. Mayo
• Biggane in Co. Limerick and Co. Cork
• Beegan in Co. Galway

Biggins is a relatively rare name. As far as we know, there never really was a Biggins clan, chieftan, or coat of arms.

Peadar Livingstone's Theory

In his 1969 book, The Fermanagh Story, Rev. Peadar Livingstone includes a list of the prominent families of Gaelic origin. One of these is Beggan. In 2007 and again in 2009, I met with Gerard Beggan in Carrickmacross, County Monaghan. Gerard's Beggan ancestors came from the Clones-Roslea area. As a young man, Gerard was working in Clones in 1969 and met Father Livingstone who told him that the Beggan family was originally a branch of the Maguire family. Maguire is the most common name in Fermanagh. The Maguires reigned as kings of Fermanagh from 1264 to 1602. See The Chiefs of Maguire. Thomas Maguire reigned from 1395 to 1430 and delegated the rule of half his kingdom to his brother Hugh. Thomas had three sons: Thomas, Philip, and Donall. Following his reign, the kings of Fermanagh were drawn from the descendants of his younger brother Thomas, the senior branch in Lisnaskea, and descendants of son Philip, the junior branch in Enniskillen.

From page 51 of The Monaghan Story by Rev. Peadar Livingstone, Clogher Historical Society, 1979. Note the name Beggan in the upper left of the map, which is the Clones area.

From Chapter 31, "Fermanagh Families," in The Fermanagh Story by Rev. Peadar Livingstone, Cumann Seanchais Chlochair, 1969.

From page 580 of The Monaghan Story by Rev. Peadar Livingstone, Clogher Historical Society, 1979. Note that Beggan is translated as "a descendant of the diminutive person." In Chapter 5, pages 72-73, Livingstone cites families other than McMahon "who figured in Monaghan in the Middles Ages." He lists those that migrated from Fermanagh to Monaghan in the later Middles Ages: Beggan, McCaffrey, MacManus, Maguire, and Monaghan. The Hearth Money Rolls relate to the years 1663 and 1665. N, W, and C refer to areas of Monaghan: north, west, and central.

A biography of Peadar Livingstone says Father Livingstone was a renowned scholar in both the Irish language and local history. He wrote comprenensive histories of two counties in Ireland:

• In 1969, The Fermanagh Story
• In 1979, The Monaghan Story

Peadar Livingstone was born in 1932 and lived in the town of Castleblayney in County Monaghan. His father was a jeweller. He entered St. Macartan's College in Monaghan in 1945. Following his secondary school education, he entered Maynooth College to study for the priesthood for the diocese. He studied Celtic languages--Irish and Welsh--and theology. He was ordained a priest in 1957. Father Livingstone entered University College Dublin to continue his studies in Irish; however, he was recalled to the diocese before he completed his studies. He was appointed to the teaching staff of St. Michael's College in Enniskillen, a diocesan seminary in Northern Ireland, where he served as President and taught Irish, history, and religion. He was appointed a curate to the parish of Donaghmoynero in 1977. In 1987 he was assigned to the parish of Clogher in County Tyrone where he died later that year at age 55.

Prevalence of households with the name Biggins or a variation thereof, by county

From the Griffith's Valuation property survey of 1848-64

Biggins/Beggan/Beagan Family Trees

• Al Beagan's "Genealogy Notes"
• Descendants of John (Beegan) Bagan
• Claire's Ancestry
• Biggins Konnections
• Candice Buchanan
• Jerry B. Blaine
• Ann Benston
• Patrick and Bridget Biggins
• James and Owen Biggins from Monaghan
• A Trip to Ballinrobe

Immigration to USA

• Beggan/Biggins Immigrants, 1834-1927, provided Claire McConville by Gerard Beggan
• Biggins Immigrants, born 1798 to 1898
• Irish Immigrant Advertisements Placed in the Boston Pilot, 1831-1920
• Passengers Arriving on Immigrant Ships at Castle Garden, New York, 1847 to 1889
• Passengers Arriving on Immigrant Ships at New York, 1827 to 1899, including Name variations
• Passengers Arriving on Immigrant Ships at Boston, 1837 to 1899, including Name variations

Irish Records

• Sir William Petty's Books of Survey and Distribution, Shrule and Mooragagh, County Mayo, 1653
• Flax Growers, County Mayo, 1796
• Tithe Applotments, Shrule, County Mayo, 1825
• Tithe Applotments, Counties Monaghan, Fermanagh, and Cavan, 1821-1834, from Gerard Beggan
• Griffith's Valuation, Southern County Mayo, 1855 to 1856
• Griffith's Valuation, Ireland, 1848 to 1864, from Gerard Beggan
• Census, 1901 and 1911
• Births and Baptisms
• Register of Attendance at Kilroe National School, Ballycurrin, Co. Mayo, 1870-1921+
• Marriages
• Deaths
• Name Variations, Griffith's Valuation, 1848 to 1864

English Records of Irish Born

• Census, 1901

Message Boards

• RootsWeb Message Board
• Genealogy.com Message Board
• Ancestry.com Message Board
• Ancestry.com UK Message Board
• CousinConnect.com Message Board

Other Sources

• Biggins DNA Project
• Linkpendium
• Mormon Family Search
• RootsWeb Site Search
• Find A Grave

Saint Bécán of Kilbeggan

Saint Bécán, one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland, founded a monastery in Kilbeggan in the 6th century, giving rise to the town's Irish name Cill Bheagáin, meaning "the church of St Bécán". Kilbeggan Parish is in the Diocese of Meath.

Biggins Family from The Neale and Ballynalty

On my 2006 Trip to Ballinrobe, I stayed at Riverside House, a very nice B&B on Cornmarket Street. It is run by Anne Mahon. Anne and her family had lived in Staten Island and New Jersey for a number of years before returning to Ballinrobe.

When I arrived at Riverside House, I told Anne that I was researching Biggins genealogy. To my surprise, she told me her aunt Katie Grimes married Thomas Biggins in Glencorrib. By the time I left, she was able to give me details of this Biggins family, which I posted on this Web site. It subsequently was seen by several relatives who were "Googling" their ancestors: Kathleen Biggins in The Bronx, New York, Helen Sullivan Peters and her mother Ellen Biggins Sullivan in Monroe, New York, and Mary Alexander in Basildon, Essex, England. These three, especially Mary Alexander, added greatly to the family tree shown below.

Sister M. Amatus Biggins. One member of the Biggins family from The Neale and Ballynalty was Ellen Biggins (1903-1972). She emigrated with 7 other women in 1929 to Villa de Matel, Houston, Texas, to join the Sisters of Charity. She became Sister M. Amatus and served in hospitals and orphanages in California, Texas, and Louisiana. Her ancestors were from County Mayo, Ireland. She is the daughter of Thomas and Mary Biggins Biggins from Turloughmore, The Neale, then in Cushlough (Lough Mask road), Ballinrobe. Her parents were first cousins.

Sister M. Amatus (Ellen Biggins), circa 1929.

Kathleen Biggins, host of A Thousand Welcomes on WFUV FM Saturday mornings from Fordham University.

Biggins Music. Kathleen Biggins hosts A Thousand Welcomes, an Irish music program on Fordham University's FM station, WFUV. You can listen to it live on your computer from 9 am to noon on Saturdays, Eastern time. In an e-mail on September 20, 2005, Kathleen wrote:

My father's parents both came to the U.S. from Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo in the 1920s, so I'm second-generation American. There are no Biggins relatives of mine left there (there's another Biggins family in the town, but they're not related that we know of). My grandmother's relatives are still in the town, though. Most of the other Biggins relatives are in The Neale.

I don't know of any Biggins geneolgists in Ireland, so I can't really help you there. But Mayo is a good place to start. It's really the only place in Ireland where you'll find the name.

Good luck!

Hazen Paper v. Biggins. In 1993, the Supreme Court of the United States reviewed an age discrimination case involving Walter F. Biggins (Hazen Paper v. Biggins, 507 U.S. 604). Justice Sandra Day O'Connor delivered the unanimous opinion of the Court. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy filed a concurring opinion, in which Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and Justice Clarence Thomas joined.

Hazen Paper Company manufactures coated, laminated, and printed paper and paperboard in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Hazen hired Walter as their technical director in 1977. They fired him in 1986, when he was 62 years old, just before he would have vested under the Hazen pension plan.

Walter is the great grandson of Patrick and Honor Thornton Biggins from the Neale. He is the grandson son of Thomas and Annie Crosby Biggins who emigrated in 1889 to Chelsea, Massachusetts. He is the son of Thomas and Ella Biggins.

Family Tree. A family tree for the Biggins family from The Neale and Ballynalty is shown below.

Biggins Family from Ballinrobe and Rostaff

Biggins Bar, Ballinrobe. Research prior to my 2006 Trip to Ballinrobe indicated that there was a Biggins Bar in Ballinrobe. The existence of this establishment was a major reason for selecting Ballinrobe as a base for Biggins family research. Biggins Bar is on Bowgate Street, which is an informal section at the south end of Main Street. The first night I went to Biggins Bar and introduced himself to John Biggins, the proprietor. I also met a first cousin of John Biggins, known as John Joe Biggins, who had returned not long ago from working in Dublin at The Stephen's Green Hibernian Club, founded in 1840 by Daniel O'Connell and others. My brother Jim had coincidentally gotten John Joe's phone number from staff at the club, when he and his wife Anne stayed there a year earlier.

I did research at Biggins Bar every night for six nights, enjoying a couple pints of Guinness each night. I was able to verify what my brother Bill had always told him, that Guinness tastes best in Ireland. Bill had traveled to Co. Mayo following his discharge from the Navy during the Viet Nam conflict.

Biggins Bar is a favorite place to purchase flies for fly fishing. John's father Sean was an avid fly fisherman. After his father's death in a car accident in 2003, John established the Sean Biggins Memorial Cup for the best Ballinrobe angler in the annual World Cup Trout Fly Angling Championship at Lough Mask, a few miles west of Ballinrobe.

Established 1863. John Biggins says that Biggins Bar is the oldest continuously operating bar in Ballinrobe. As indicated on the sign, it was established in 1863. It originally was in the Farragher family. The first Biggins proprietor was John Biggins, grandfather of the current owner, who married Mary Farragher. According to a 1987 guide to the history and folklore of Ballinrobe, Itchy Feet & Thirsty Work, by Bridie Mulloy, Biggins Bar "is possibly the oldest license in town. The license was originally for a house in Brewery lane - off Bridge Street - but through the goodwill of Colonel Knox, for whom Sean's maternal great grandfather was gardener, a house was leased in Bowgate Street which still prospers."

Biggins Bar on Bowgate Street, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo, Ireland, 2006. Just after the name on the sign, it says "Est. 1863." The left side of the sign says "Beer Garden." The right side says "Fishing Tackle." From left: Peter Biggins, researcher, and John Biggins, proprietor.

Deirdre Biggins drapery shop on Chapel Street in Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo, Ireland, 2006. Sign in widow announces "Wedding Feathers - Now in Stock."

D. Biggins, Ballinrobe. On my 2006 Trip to Ballinrobe, I went to the drapery shop of Deirdre Biggins Cameron (ladies' and children's wear) on Chapel Street in Ballinrobe. Deirdre is a sister of John Biggins of Biggins Bar. This Biggins family originally came from Rostaff, which is in Co. Mayo on the Galway border. Deirdre's grandfather, John Biggins moved to Ballinrobe and opened a drapery shop. My sister Emily and her husband Jack visited the John Biggins shop in 1971 and spoke with his wife Mary. Her husband John had died in 1962.

Family Tree. The family tree of the Biggins family from Ballinrobe and Rostaff is shown below.

The history of Mayo begins with the Synod of Whitby in 664, to resolve the conflict between the Celts and the Romans on the date of Easter. Having lost the debate St Colman left Lindisfarne and returned to Iona, later going to Innisboffin and from there to Maigh Eo, later to become known as Mayo of the Saxons.

Fr. James Biggins at Mayo Abbey

After seeing the mention of Fr. Biggins in the Mayo history, I drove to Mayo Abbey. A Castlebar library patron kindly escorted me to the Mayo Abbey road. Mayo Abbey is a small town where the ruins of the old abbey are. St. Colman founded a monastery there in 668 A.D. The abbey was regarded as a center of learning equal to that of Kells and Augsburg in Germany. In 1152, it became the seat of the Diocese of Mayo. In the 16th century, the diocese gave its name to Co. Mayo. In 1631, the seat of the diocese was changed to Tuam.

The parish church in Mayo Abbey is St. Colman's Church. Kathleen Delaney wrote in response to a telephone call that Fr. Biggins was born in Castlebar in 1872 to Denis and Mary Biggins. He was baptized on December 24. His mother was from the Killeen family in Claremorris. He was ordained at Maynooth in June 1898. In 1896 St Patrick's College Maynooth had attained the status of a Pontifical University for its courses in Theology, Philosophy and Canon Law. At one time, Maynooth was the largest seminary in the world.

Fr. Biggins became the Parish Priest (Pastor) at Mayo Abbey in 1931, having come from Castlebar. At Mayo Abbey, Fr. Biggins renovated the church interior, put down a boarded floor, studded the walls, and painted the inside. He built the curate's residence. An unassuming man, he was well liked by the people. For some years before his death he suffered from heart trouble. He died February 8, 1950, aged 77 years, and is buried in the New Cemetery where the tombstone to his memory was erected by the parishioners.

Sister Teresa Biggins

Sister Teresa Biggins is a member of The Sisters of St. John of God in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia.

Michael Biggins, Chairman of Mayo IFA

On my 2006 Trip to Ballinrobe, I visited with Michael and Bridie Murphy Biggins on their cattle/sheep farm in the townland of Ballynalty, which is 8 miles south of Ballinrobe, near Glencorrib. Ballynalty is just north of the Black River, which separates Co. Mayo from Co. Galway on the south. The post office for Ballynalty is Headford, which is in Co. Galway.

Michael Biggins with cattle on his farm in Ballynalty, Co. Mayo, Ireland, 2006.

Michael was Mayo County chairman for the The Irish Farmers' Association from 2002 to 2008. Michael and Bridie have five children.

The farm has been in his family for hundreds of years. Michael took me over to his mother's house for a visit. Her name is Norah and her maiden name was Biggins. Norah has a brother John Biggins in Boston. Her husband, Thomas Biggins, died in 2003 at the age of 82. I was served tea at Norah's house and then dinner at Michael's house. Following that, Michael took me on a tour of the farm and down to Headford to see his son who was working at the cattle sale.

Michael referred me to Eamon Martin who is doing genealogical research. Eamon, who is married to Frances Biggins and lives in Dublin, has provided some interesting information on Peeter Beaghan in the 1650s. Peeter who was given 673 acres of land in Co. Mayo to partially replace land confiscated in Co. Monaghan. Cromwell confiscated land owned by Catholics east of the river Shannon to compensate soldiers who helped put down a rebellion in 1641 and to reduce the influence of Catholics east of the River Shannon. Peeter's new land consisted of seven parcels in Shrule (Muckallgee, Balynalta, Carrownaheele) and Mooragagh (Killinebringe, Carrowmore). This information is included in the Book of Survey and Distribution on Martin Ryan's Shrule Web site. Peeter also received land back in Co. Monaghan. One explanation may be that he bought land from soldiers who had received it.

Michael also referred me to his niece Kathy Keane who is doing genealogical research. She has emailed me a family tree that allowed me to create a Biggins descendants chart for Michael's great great grandfathers on both his mother's and father's sides. Michael's parent are in italics on both sides of the chart.

Biggins Foodstore across from Glencorrib Church, 1847-1996. Source: Glencorrib National Schools, 1854-2004.

Biggins Foodstore in Glencorrib

In December 2006, I received a Christmas card from Michael and Bridie Biggins from Ballynalty, whom I had visited on my 2006 Trip to Ballinrobe. Included with the card was Glencorrib National Schools, 1854-2004, a book published in 2004 celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Glencorrib National Schools. Included in the book is an article about the Biggins Foodstore, which was situated directly across from the Glencorrib Church from 1947 to 1996. It was owned and operated by the Michael (Mick) Biggins (1909-1986) and Bridgie Diskin Biggins family. Initially, they sold ciarettes, papers, and general groceries, but oveer the years the store became more of a general store selling drugs, clothing, and hardware. Mick and Bridie had seven children who eventually helped out in the store: Michael, Mary, John, Bernadette, James, Bridget, and Patrick.

St. Mary's Church in Ballinrobe

On my 2006 Trip to Ballinrobe, Monsignor Thomas Shannon, of St. Mary's Church in Ballinrobe, provided a list of 27 Biggins baptisms. He had no record of Biggins marriages.

Based on baptisms in the 1870s and 1880s, it was possible to reconstruct five Biggins families from St. Mary's Church in Ballinrobe.

Based on baptisms in the 1910s, it was possible to reconstruct one other Biggins family from St. Mary's Church in Ballinrobe, first cousins Thomas and Mary Biggins. This family appears above under "Biggins from The Neale and Ballynalty." The father is a son of John and Ellen Rochford Biggins. The mother is the daughter of Patrick and Honor Thornton Biggins.

Biggins from Castlecarra

On my 2006 Trip to Ballinrobe, I visited Thomas J. Biggins and his wife Grace in Castlecarra, County Mayo, Ireland. Thomas' great great grandfather Patrick was from the townland of Cloondaver in Robeen parish. Before that the family lived in Roundfort, which is east of Ballinrobe and south of Hollymount. Before that, the family was from around Glencorrib in far south Co. Mayo.

I was the second Biggins from America to visit Thomas and Grace. The first was Brian Biggins of Hermitage, Pennsylvania, who visited them ten years earlier.

In October 2007, Mary Hughes Biggins, wife of Thomas Biggins' brother John, found this page while researching her husband's ancestry. In January 2009, she was able to make significant contributions to the tree below.

Biggin in Ballinrobe in 1782.

On my 2006 Trip to Ballinrobe, I spotted a stone sign embedded in the wall of a house saying "This House Built By Thomas Biggin - 1782." The sign was on a building just after you turn on the Ballyglass Road heading north out of Ballinrobe.

On my return trip to Ballinrobe in 2009, I talked to Tom Watson, who lives across the street from the sign. He said the row of buildings where the sign was were built by the Courtney Kenny family. The Kenny family had lived in the Ballinrobe area since the late 17th century and owned a brewery and flour mill there. The theory is that Thomas Biggin was a journeyman stone mason and chiseled the sign into the side of the building during construction. It was plastered over but uncovered when the plaster was redone in 2004. The former Kenny home, Robe Villa, is on High Street, around the corner from the Biggin sign.

Stone sign on Kenny building, 2006: "This House Built By Thomas Biggin - 1782."

Kenny buildings on the road to Ballyglass, with High Street to the right, 2009. The Biggin sign is on the building just to the left of the road signs that appear in the foreground. The ruins of the Kenny flour mill on the Robe River are in back of these buildings. The Kenny home, Villa Robe, is at the far right edge of the photo. Walking down the street in the middle of the picture is Tom Watson, perhaps on his way to lunch, not long after our conversation.

See Maggie Land Blanck's Web site for some great 2004 photos of the buildings above when they were being refurbished, as well as the Kenny home and flour mill and other places in Ballinrobe, and old photos of Ballinrobe.

Joe Biggins, The Inflatable Crowd Company

Joe Biggins started The Inflatable Crowd Company for the movie Seabiscuit in 2002. Since then, his Inflatable Crowds have been seen (but not noticed) in over 80 feature films and many TV shows and commercials.

Bob Biggins, Illinois General Assembly

Other Than Irish

While this page focuses on Biggins families of Irish descent, the name Biggins also is found among families of English descent. There also are descendants of African-American slaves with the name Biggins. In the 1870 United States census, there were 111 households with the surname Biggins. Of these, 44% were Irish, 36% English, and 20% African-American.

Biggin, a town in Derbyshire. Biggins is a small town in Derbyshire, England, about 5 miles south southwest of of Ashbourne and 10 miles northwest of Derby.

Biggin, another town in Derbyshire. Biggins is also a small town in Derbyshire, England, near Hartington.

Biggin, a town in Yorkshire. Biggins is a small town in North Yorkshire, England, about 13 miles south southwest of the city of York and 18 miles east of Leeds. Biggin is a farming community a mile east of Little Fenton. The road between Biggin and Little Fenton is called Biggin Lane. Little Fenton is about a mile south of Church Fenton.

Biggins Farm. On page 251 of Volume III of Surrey Archaeological Collections, there is a description of Biggin Farm: "A farm of some extent lying at the foot of Norwood hill. The name, in 1584, was bygin farm, and I think may fairly be deduced from Saxon bykan, or byge (whence are drived bay and bight), signifying a corner. The farm is situate in the angle, or corner, between the Selhurst wood and the great North wood." See 1832 map.

Biggin Hill Airport. Since 1917, there has been an airfield in Biggin Hill, about 45 minutes southeast of London. The air station played a major role in World War II, serving as a base for Spitfires and Hurricanes in the Battle of Britain. It is featured in Dan Brown's fiction, "The Da Vinci Code."

On The Late Captain Grose's Peregrinations Thro' Scotland. In Collecting The Antiquities Of That Kingdom, the poet Robert Burns (1759-1796) uses the word biggin in referring to an old, owl-haunted dwelling (italics added).

Oxford English Dictionary.

Hear, Land o' Cakes, and brither Scots,
Frae Maidenkirk to Johnie Groat's;—
If there's a hole in a' your coats,
I rede you tent it:
A chield's amang you takin notes,
And, faith, he'll prent it:

If in your bounds ye chance to light
Upon a fine, fat fodgel wight,
O' stature short, but genius bright,
That's he, mark weel;
And wow! he has an unco sleight
O' cauk and keel.

By some auld, houlet-haunted biggin,
Or kirk deserted by its riggin,
It's ten to ane ye'll find him snug in
Some eldritch part,
Wi' deils, they say, Lord save's! colleaguin
At some black art.

Ilk ghaist that haunts auld ha' or chaumer,
Ye gipsy-gang that deal in glamour,
And you, deep-read in hell's black grammar,
Warlocks and witches,
Ye'll quake at his conjuring hammer,
Ye midnight bitches.

It's tauld he was a sodger bred,
And ane wad rather fa'n than fled;
But now he's quat the spurtle-blade,
And dog-skin wallet,
And taen the—Antiquarian trade,
I think they call it.

He has a fouth o' auld nick-nackets:
Rusty airn caps and jinglin jackets,
Wad haud the Lothians three in tackets,
A towmont gude;
And parritch-pats and auld saut-backets,
Before the Flood.

Of Eve's first fire he has a cinder;
Auld Tubalcain's fire-shool and fender;
That which distinguished the gender
O' Balaam's ass:
A broomstick o' the witch of Endor,
Weel shod wi' brass.

Forbye, he'll shape you aff fu' gleg
The cut of Adam's philibeg;
The knife that nickit Abel's craig
He'll prove you fully,
It was a faulding jocteleg,
Or lang-kail gullie.

But wad ye see him in his glee,
For meikle glee and fun has he,
Then set him down, and twa or three
Gude fellows wi' him:
And port, O port! shine thou a wee,
And Then ye'll see him!

Now, by the Pow'rs o' verse and prose!
Thou art a dainty chield, O Grose!—
Whae'er o' thee shall ill suppose,
They sair misca' thee;
I'd take the rascal by the nose,
Wad say, "Shame fa' thee!"

Surname. The name Biggin appears in dictionaries of English names.

Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names by Mark Antony Lower, 1860, includes this entry:

BIGGIN. A common termination of local names, especially in the North. It means a building of considerable size — a house, as opposed to a cottage. A-Sax. byggan to build.

A Dictionary of English Surnames by P. H. Reaney and R. M. Wilson, 1991, includes this entry:

Biggin, Biggins: Thomas del Biggyng 1391 FrY[Register of the Freemen of the City of York (Surtees Soc. 96, 102, 1897, 1899]; William atte Byggyngge 1397 PN C[Place-Names of (e.g. PN Bk, Place-Names of Buckinghamshire, &c. English Place-Name Society)] 191, ME bigging 'dwelling-place, home', used also of an outbuilding as distinct from a house.

Coffee Biggin. According to "The Coffee Bean Queen," in 1780, Mr. Biggin became the revolution of the coffee world. Who is Mr. Biggin? Well, it is not a who, but rather, a what. Mr. Biggin was a coffeepot built with a filter, shaped like a tea cosy, which sat inside the pot. It was originally called “bagging” and it has been reported that the name “Mr. Biggin” allegedly came about because of the poor use of English. It was shaped like a tall, oval teapot with a spout at the bottom.

Oxford English Dictionary.

Coffee Biggin.

Biggin Manor House, now called The Priory, Cosgrove, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom.

According to All About Coffee, written in 1922 by William Harrison Ukers for the Tea and Coffee Trade Journal Company, "the coffee biggin, said to have been invented by a Mr. Biggin, came into common use in England for making coffee about 1817. It was usually an earthenware pot. At first it had in the upper part a metal strainer like the French drip pots. Suspended from the rim in later models there was a flannel or muslin bag to hold the ground coffee, through which the boiling water was poured, the bag serving as a filter. The idea was an adaptation of the French fustian infusion bag of 1711, and of other early French drip and filtration devices, and it attained great popularity. Any coffee pot with such a bag fitted into its mouth came to be spoken of as a coffee biggin. Later, there was evolved the metal pot with a wire strainer substituted for the cloth bag. The coffee biggin still retains its popularity in England."

The inventor of a forerunner of the percolator coffee pot was George Biggin, 1755-1808, who lived in Cosgrove, between Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire in southeast England. Cosgrove is 44 miles northeast of Oxford and is now part of a new town called Milton Keynes. George Biggin was a successful scientist of the time and close friend of the Duke of Bedford. He developed new techniques in the tanning process and was the inventor of the Coffee - Biggin, a coffee filter system which was a forerunner to the percolator. The Biggin Manor House in Cosgrove was built in the 17th century by the Rigby family. It became known as the Priory around 1810 and is now the UK headquarters of Pericom Plc.

The Oxford English Dictionary claims that this device was named after a "Mr. Biggin." Some sources surmise that the name came from the Dutch "beggelin", meaning to trickle. Confusingly, certain French coffeemakers are labeled as Biggins. These devices are essentially drip pots, whereas to be labeled a Biggin, the device must operate by the steeping method: holding the coffee and water together, then isolating the spent grounds after the period concludes.

Biggin Cap. The Biggin Cap (also called a "coif" or "arming cap") was worn by all classes, ages, and sexes. It can be worn alone or under a straw hat, a flat cap or a helmet. A biggins cap kept the wearers hair in place. It has a cord sewn in to tie at the throat. It was called earlier a begin or biggen and got its name because it was the "beginning" cap placed on infants.

Oxford English Dictionary.

Infant biggin from Two Centuries of Costume in America, Vol. 1 (1620-1820), by Alice Morse Earle.

Biggin under flat cap from Two Centuries of Costume in America, Vol. 1 (1620-1820), by Alice Morse Earle.

Henry IV, Part 2. In act IV, scene 5 of Part 2 of Shakespeare's Henry IV, written in 1597, Prince Henry has a soliloquy where he mentions his sleeping father's homely biggen (italics added).

Why doth the crown lie there upon his pillow,
Being so troublesome a bedfellow?
O polish'd perturbation! golden care!
That keep'st the ports of slumber open wide
To many a watchful night! sleep with it now!
Yet not so sound and half so deeply sweet
As he whose brow with homely biggen bound
Snores out the watch of night. O majesty!
When thou dost pinch thy bearer, thou dost sit
Like a rich armour worn in heat of day,
That scalds with safety. By his gates of breath
There lies a downy feather which stirs not:
Did he suspire, that light and weightless down
Perforce must move. My gracious lord! my father!
This sleep is sound indeed, this is a sleep
That from this golden rigol hath divorced
So many English kings. Thy due from me
Is tears and heavy sorrows of the blood,
Which nature, love, and filial tenderness,
Shall, O dear father, pay thee plenteously:
My due from thee is this imperial crown,
Which, as immediate as thy place and blood,
Derives itself to me. Lo, here it sits,
Which God shall guard: and put the world's whole strength
Into one giant arm, it shall not force
This lineal honour from me: this from thee
Will I to mine leave, as 'tis left to me.

Presencia-Biggins, Keel Court, Enterprise Close, Medway City Estate, Rochester, Kent, UK.

Biggins Lace. The Biggins Lace Company, which is now Presencia-Biggins, sells lace patterns, craft threads, and other lace-making equipment and supplies. They are located in Rochester, Kent, United Kingdom.

Wings. Wings was an American sitcom that ran on NBC from April 19, 1990 to May 14, 1997. The show was set at a small airport on the island of Nantucket, Massachusetts, where Joe Hackett operated Sandpiper Airlines. Roy Biggins (played by David Schramm) was the owner of Aeromass, the only other airline on Nantucket. Generally competitive, arrogant and unpleasant, Roy often belittles Joe for having a small-time operation, mocks Joe's business skills, and generally implies by his comments that Joe is inferior to him altogether. Despite this, Roy obviously feels threatened by Joe's presence as a competitor, and makes numerous attempts to either buy Sandpiper or put them out of business. Roy was married once to a woman named Sylvia; for several years he claimed that she died, but it was later revealed that she had actually left him, and is now living in Boston and married to a wealthy plastic surgeon. The couple have one son, R.J. (Roy Junior), who is gay.

Christopher Biggins. Christopher Biggins (born 16 December 1948 in Oldham, Lancashire) is a British actor well recognised on British television. A comedy actor, he was also a regular character in the popular situation comedy Porridge. Other comedy shows he appeared in include Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? (1973), Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1973 & 1978), Brendon Chase (1980) and a regular role in the children's television programme Rentaghost (1978-1983) as Adam Painting. He is more versatile than many people assume: he played Nero in the acclaimed BBC dramatisation of I, Claudius by Robert Graves, and also appeared in the BBC's famed adaptation of Poldark. He also appeared in the Big Finish Productions audio drama The One Doctor, based on the television series Doctor Who. His film roles include The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), and he is also known in the theatre; for example, he has recently appeared in the stage adaptation of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. He was co-host on Surprise, Surprise and hosted children's quiz On Safari (TV) in the 1980s.