Searching for Biggins's

[malki]

Hi everyone -

I'm building my family tree and come up against the buffers on my father's side with the "Irish connection". On the 31st December 1869 my great-grand parents married at St Mary's Catholic Church, Pollockshaws, Glasgow. Michael Biggins was aged 25 and a Quarry Labourer. His wife, Mary nee McFadyen was 22 and a Printfield(?) Worker. Neither could sign their name - "x" marks the spot! Parents are down as Bernard ( Agricultural Labourer ) and Catherine Biggins ( nee Currie? ) and Patrick ( Agricultural Labourer deceased ) and Mary McFadyen ( nee McGinlay deceased ).

I can find no record of Michael & Mary in the 1871 census in Scotland ( maybe they were "home" in Ireland - but they appear in 1881 with their 3 chidren. Birthplace for Michael & Mary  is Ireland - but where? I assume that neither of their sets of parents ever left Ireland but did Michael & Mary emigrate together and did both families come from the same area?

I have attempted to locate a possible birthplace and Co Mayo appears favourite - around the town of Shrule, where a sizable Biggins presence can be found, but can find no record of births, deaths or marriages. From a Griffiths Valuation search 1857 I've come across a Catherine Biggin in Kilmainemore, Killernan, Ballinrobe but is it likely that a woman and not the man  would be the occupier?

Then another Irish genealogy site suggests that Biggins's emigrated to Glasgow from Co Monaghan in the mid 19th century!! Ahhh the fun of tracing your roots - HELP!!!!!!!!!!  Any suggestions gratefully received - Thanks

[Ticker]

Hi Malki

Biggins is associated with County Mayo - so that does fit in with your thinking. 

Have you had a look at all the usual general resources I tend to suggest? 

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,83852.0.html

You could also look at these Mayo specific sites which may help.

CENSUS RETURNS

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,9011.0.html

PARISH RECORDS

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,9015.0.html

GRIFFITHS VALUATION

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,9020.0.html

Perhaps you would like to have a look at these resources to see if there is anything that might help you.

Please come back with any further queries or to let us know how you get on.

Best wishes

Ticker

[Christopher]

The Biggins family are mentioned in an article by Peter Spioneers A Trip to Ballinrobe, 2006.
Peter's great great grandparents were Patrick and Bridget Biggins, who emigrated from Co. Mayo to Ontario, Canada, in the latter 1820s and then to Illinois in the 1830s. Have a look at  Peter's website Biggins Irish Roots. for more information about the family. 

[maryderry]

sorry could'nt find them in ireland, found the births of michael & mary's three children.

BERNARD 16-10-1870. PATRICK 4-5-1872. OWEN 12-1-1874. ALL BORN EASTWOOD, RENFREW, SCOTLAND.

PARENTS. MICHAEL BIGGINS & MARY MCFADYEN.


                                                                     REGARDS MARY.

[malki]

Thanks to both of you, Christopher & Mary

I know of Michael & Mary's children - Owen was my Grandfather - and of all the other members of the family latterly. It was M & M's roots that I can find no trace of.

Since posting my original topic, though, I have found out that Michael had a brother, William. What I know is as follows:-

The first record I have is a Birth Certificate of a girl, Margaret, born on 19th January 1871 in Greenhill, Shotts, Lanark, Scotland. Parents are registered as William Biggins ( Drawer in Iron Pit ) and Elisabeth Winterson. Marriage is said to be " 1860(?) December, NewtonButler, County Fermanagh, Ireland ". William registered the birth with his mark - as had his brother Michael at the birth of his kids. William was killed in a mining accident by " falling among the machinery of a coal pit engine, died almost instantaneously " on 25th September 1871. Parents are confirmed as Bernard Biggins & Catherine Currie - apparently both still alive. Death was registered by his brother, Michael.

What is curious about the death certificate is that under name not only is William known as Biggins he is also stated to have the " alias Currie " ( ie his mother's maiden name ). An alias is something you would not normally broadcast (?) so why would it be on your death certificate?

So I now have Co Fermanagh as a possible origin for my GGFather - Nothing is ever simple in genealogy!!!!!!!!!

Malcolm 

[janedrury]

Hi - Just came across this website. My maiden name is  Biggins ( Margaret ). My great grandparents , James Biggins & Mary Gilsenan ran away from Ireland (Cavan in Co,Cavan) to get married in Scotland. Mary was a farmer's daughter and literate,James Biggins a farm labourer and illiterate( the union would have been frowned upon in those days in Ireland (1891) The coincidence is that they were married in the same church, St Mary's RC Chapel, Pollockshaws, as Michael & Mary Biggins albeit 20 years later  On the marriage certificate James is registered as a Boilerwork Labourer and gives his mark x. Mary signed her name and is registered as a Printfield Worker. I know that when they went to Scotland they went to live with relatives and it would seem likely that there is a connection there. They moved to Glasow - I assume for work - and while my greatgrandmother stayed in Glasgow my greatgrandfather lodged in Clydebank and worked in the shipyard there (registered in the 1891 Census of Scotland ) James and Mary eventually moved to Clydebank and had 6 children and we are nearly all scattered around the Clydebank area. As a child I remember visiting relatives in Parkhead and Rutherglen (both Glasgow )I think there is probably a connection there so maybe you should shift your search to Cavan - Good luck

[janedrury]

Hi Malcolm - I should have said that St. Mary's RC Church in Pollokshaws is in the Parish of Eastwood , Renfrewshire - where Mary and Michael's children where born.

[cannelle]

 Hi,
     Looking through some of my old Biggins,Beggans papers I have a death cert for a Micheal Biggins widower of Mary McFadyen October 1903 in Eastwood Renfrew Scotland.
Parents Bernard and Catherine Currie. not on my tree downloaded by mistake.
  I am looking for the first marriage of James Biggins married first to Mary Jane Ferguson,and then Janet Sellars.
  James died in 1900 in Govan Glasgow age 51 years,his parents Hugh Biggins and Catherine McCafferty,I have managed to trace this family to about 1795 with the help of another Biggins in Canada .
 The census said James was born in Ireland,perhaps the marriage took place there.

[Barneybiggins1994]

Hi I think this is my family, I'm a Biggins and my grandparents Kathleen and Michael Gerard biggins lived in shrule until their deaths. I've been there plenty of times