James and Owen Biggins from MonaghanJames and Owen Biggins from MonaghanCathi Biggins, Rosemary Biggins, Sean Biggins, Joan Carlin, and Virginia Biggins Carlin contributed to this story.
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An 1890 biography of James Biggins states that James and Owen Biggins were born in Co. Monaghan, Ireland, and immigrated to Illinois in 1840. This is important to me because my great great grandfather, Patrick Biggins, lived across the road from James and Owen in Will County, Illinois.
According to Cathi Biggins, great granddaughter of James, Owen and James came to Illinois through a Canadian port. They "worked on the Illinois & Michigan Canal and, with what they earned, bought their land from same." James BigginsJames Biggins was born in 1822. In the 1850 census, his last name was listed as Bagan. He was age 22, born in Ireland, worked as a laborer, and lived on the Hendricks farm in Northville Township, LaSalle County, Illinois (family 80). Northville is in the northeast corner of LaSalle County. In 1851, James purchased farmland from the Illinois-Michigan Canal Commission in Will Co., Illinois. His name was listed as Beagan. His land was on Normantown Road in what is now Romeoville. The James Biggins farm was next to a farm owned by his younger brother Owen Biggins. Romeoville is about 40 miles east of Northville. On February 9, 1861, James Beggins married Catherine Prior (1830-1913). They had six children: Mary Biggins, Owen Biggins, Eugene A. Biggins (1863-1937), James B. Biggins (1865-1908), Edward M. Biggins, and William F. Biggins. James died in Will County on June 15, 1884, at the age of 62.
The biography of James Biggins appears on pages 568 and 569 of Portrait and biographical album of Will County, Illinois: containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, together with portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States and governors of the state. Chicago: Chapman Bros., 1890. Cathi Biggins, a great granddaughter of James, says she was told that their name was Bennett before it was Biggins. "My great aunt who confirmed what my father had told us regarding our 'real' name. The story was that our name was O'Bennett and that James Biggins was an English soldier who was killed and his papers were taken by James O'Bennett and this is how he came to America. The story doesn't make sense as Owen came with James Biggins and he would have needed papers also. I do think the original name was other than Biggins and that the story of the English sailor was embellishment (blarney) added to enchant us as young children." Owen BigginsOwen Biggins was born in 1825. In the 1850 census, his last name was listed as Bagan. He was age 25, born in Ireland, worked as a laborer, and lived on the Rood farm in Mission Township, LaSalle County, Illinois (family 2182). Mission is the next township south of Northville, where his older brother James lived. In 1848, Owen purchased farmland from the Illinois-Michigan Canal Commission in Will Co., Illinois. His name was listed as Bagin. His land was on Normantown Road in what is now Romeoville. The Owen Biggins farm was next to a farm owned by his older brother James Biggins. Romeoville is about 40 miles east of Mission. In 1855, Owen Bagans married Rosanna O’Callaghan. They had no children. Sometime in the 1870s they were divorced. Owen died on April 20, 1885, at the age of 60. The April 23, 1885 issue of The Will County Commercial Advertiser contained an obituary: "Died:- At his residence in Dupage on Monday, April 20th, 1885, Mr. Owen Biggins. The funeral took place yesterday with a solemn high mass celebrated at St. Dennis church by Rev. Dr. McGovern."
Patrick BigginsAcross the road from the farms owned by James and Owen was a farm purchased by my great great grandfather Patrick Biggins on the same day as Owen. Patrick was 15 years older than James and 18 years older than Owen. The biography of James Biggins mentions his brother Owen, but not Patrick. Patrick came to America after first living in Ontario, Canada, where his second child, Ann, was born in 1835.
Name ConvergenceWhile the last name of James and Owen initially was different, it eventually converged on Biggins. There were no Biggins household in the Griffith's Valuation property survey of 1848-64 for County Monaghan. The prevailing names were Began (16 households) and Beggan (14 households).
DNA TestingIn 2008, I had my DNA tested. The next year, Sean Biggins, a descendant of James Biggins who lived across the road from my ancestor Patrick Biggins, had his DNA tested. The tests confirm that there is a fairly close relationship between our great great grandfathers Patrick and James Biggins. There are mutations in 5 of the 67 markers, the first 4 of which tend to be faster mutating markers. This suggests a common ancestor several generations before Patrick and James emigrated. They were first or second cousins rather than brothers. Sean is the son of William A. Biggins, grandson of James J.Biggins, and great grandson of Edward M. Biggins. Our DNA results compare as follows. Red indicates more rapidly mutating markers.
See also: DNA of the Three Collas. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
James and Catherine Prior Biggins: 6 children, 7 grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren
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