Richard Bigge

1424 - 1474  (~ 50 years)

• Name	Richard Bigge  [1, 2, 3, 4]
  Birth	1424	Benenden, , Kent, England   [1, 3]
  Gender	Male
  Name	Richard BYGGE
  Death	Between 12 May and 14 Jun 1474	Benenden, , Kent, England   [1, 2, 3, 4]
  Burial	1474	Benenden, , Kent, England   [3]
  Notes	bRichard Bigge Richard/b was born in Beneden, Kent, England and died 5/1474 in Beneden, Kent, England. He married Agnes who died after 1414 in Beneden, Kent, England. Richard 's estate was probated June 14, 1474 in Archdeacon Court, Canterbury, Kent, England.(96) As he had two granddaughters born before 1474, it may be supposed that his eldest son was born around 1445, and perhaps Richard was born around 1420. That would have been just before the beginning of the forty year period when the last Lancastrian, Henry VI, was called King of England. He survived the royal uproars of that time, which most likely would have had little noticeable effect on a Kentish farmer. It's possible that he might have participated in the 1450 populist insurrection of Jack Cade, which arose in Kent, and ended with the participants, except the leader, returning unpunished to their homes. He died in the middle of the reign of the Yorkist King Edward IV. Elizabeth French (NEHGR, Jan. 1912) extracted his will: "The Will of Richard Bigge of the parish of Benynden, 12 May 1474. To be buried in the parish church of St. George of Benynden. To the fabric of said church, namely to the nave of it, 6s. 8d. To the high altar there 12d. I make my wife Agnes and Thomas Henley my executors to dispose of my goods for the health of my soul. Witnesses: John Bygge Senior , Richard Day , John Willarde Senior , and many others. [Translated from the Latin.]" " This is my last will regarding my lands. My feofees to make an estate to Robert my son his heirs and assigns in my tenement called Bowmannys containing seven acres, my lands and woods called Strodes containing five acres, lying betwext Euvyndens Crosse and Hellynden on the north side of the street, a piece of land called Pettefeld containing five acres, two pieces of land called Southlands containing eight acres, and one acre lying in Maythammys marsh, he paying to my wife every year during her life four loads of wood and 26s. 8d., and to Thomas Bygge my son 20 marks. " My feofees to make an estate to my son John in all my lands an tenements not before assigned, he to pay to my wife Agnes one hog, certain pulleyn,' and 26s. 8d. yearly during her life, and to my son Thomas 20 pounds. "My wife to have the west end of the hall of my principal tenement and her easement in the hall, kitchen, bakehouse, garden and lands, half the fruit in the garden during her life, pasturage for a cow and fire and fleet' by the custom of the country, to be found by the said John . "My feofees to sell a piece of land lying next to Thomas Frennche , and of the money to pay to Agnes , daughter of Robert Bygge, 26s. 8d., to Johane his daughter 6s. 8d., and the residue to amending the church way from the church to Walkhurst gate. " Proved 14 June 1474 by the executrix named in the will, the other executor, Thomas Henley, renouncing. (Archdeaconry of Canterbury, vol. 2, fo. 13.)" b leased land 1443 /bLease by John Wyllard, junior, and Richard Astyn of Benenden, Kent, to Richard Bigge of Benenden, of a messuage, a garden and four pieces of land and wood (location specified) upon the denes of 'Eslynden' and 'Everynden' in Benenden, for the term of 12 years, at the rent of 33s. 4d. Dated at Benenden, seal of Richard Bigge. Counterpart to this is Ward 2/47/172/55. Witnesses: Thomas Murleyn, Richard More, Richard Baker, Roger Bygge, John Hurle, and many others. Covering dates 1443 Apr 16 Held by The National Archives, Kew Legal status Public Record(s) Language Latin bDescendents of Richard Bigge and Agnes The Descendents of Richard Bigge and Agnes/b From: http://www.jaimeadams.com/bigge.html bI. Richard Bigge/b bRichard/b was born in Beneden, Kent, England and died 5/1474 in Beneden, Kent, England. He married Agnes who died after 1414 in Beneden, Kent, England. Richard's estate was probated June 14, 1474 in Archdeacon Court, Canterbury, Kent, England.(96) As he had two granddaughters born before 1474, it may be supposed that his eldest son was born around 1445, and perhaps Richard was born around 1420. That would have been just before the beginning of the forty year period when the last Lancastrian, Henry VI, was called King of England. He survived the royal uproars of that time, which most likely would have had little noticeable effect on a Kentish farmer. It's possible that he might have participated in the 1450 populist insurrection of Jack Cade, which arose in Kent, and ended with the participants, except the leader, returning unpunished to their homes. He died in the middle of the reign of the Yorkist King Edward IV. Elizabeth French (NEHGR, Jan. 1912) extracted his will: "The Will of Richard Bigge of the parish of Benynden, 12 May 1474. To be buried in the parish church of St. George of Benynden. To the fabric of said church, namely to the nave of it, 6s. 8d. To the high altar there 12d. I make my wife Agnes and Thomas Henley my executors to dispose of my goods for the health of my soul. Witnesses: John Bygge Senior, Richard Day, John Willarde Senior, and many others. [Translated from the Latin.]" "This is my last will regarding my lands. My feofees to make an estate to Robert my son his heirs and assigns in my tenement called Bowmannys containing seven acres, my lands and woods called Strodes containing five acres, lying betwext Euvyndens Crosse and Hellynden on the north side of the street, a piece of land called Pettefeld containing five acres, two pieces of land called Southlands containing eight acres, and one acre lying in Maythammys marsh, he paying to my wife every year during her life four loads of wood and 26s. 8d., and to Thomas Bygge my son 20 marks. "My feofees to make an estate to my son John in all my lands an tenements not before assigned, he to pay to my wife Agnes one hog, certain pulleyn,' and 26s. 8d. yearly during her life, and to my son Thomas 20 pounds. "My wife to have the west end of the hall of my principal tenement and her easement in the hall, kitchen, bakehouse, garden and lands, half the fruit in the garden during her life, pasturage for a cow and fire and fleet' by the custom of the country, to be found by the said John. "My feofees to sell a piece of land lying next to Thomas Frennche, and of the money to pay to Agnes, daughter of Robert Bygge, 26s. 8d., to Johane his daughter 6s. 8d., and the residue to amending the church way from the church to Walkhurst gate. "Proved 14 June 1474 by the executrix named in the will, the other executor, Thomas Henley, renouncing. (Archdeaconry of Canterbury, vol. 2, fo. 13.)" The 1 known child of bRichard Bigge and Agnes/b are as follows: bII. Robert Bigge/b bII. Robert Bigge/b bRobert/b was born Abt. 1449 in Beneden, Kent, England and died July 17, 1500 in Beneden, Kent, England. He married Agnes who was born Abt. 1451 in Beneden, Kent, England and died in Beneden, Kent, England. The 6 children of bRobert Bigge/b are as follows: bIII. Edward Bigge/b Elizabeth Bigge Agnes Bigge Thomas Bigge Parnell Bigge Johan Bigge bIII . Edward Bigge/b bEdward/b was born bef. 1479 in Beneden, Kent, England. He married Alice in Abt. 1500. She was born Abt. 1486 in Beneden, Kent, England. The 1 child of bEdward Bigge/b and bAlice/b is as follows: bIV. Robert Bigge/b bIV. Robert Bigge/b bRobert/b was born Bef. 1500 in Beneden, Kent, England and died on January 13, 1546/47 in Benenden, Kent, England. He is buried in St. George the Martyr of Benenden, Kent, England. He married Elizabeth in Benenden, Kent, England in ca. 1530. She was born Abt. 1510 in Benenden, Kent, England and died in Benenden, Kent, England. Robert's estate was probated June 2, 1548 in Archdeacon Court, Canterbury, Kent, England.(54) Born during the reign of the first Tudor, King Henry VII, he lived through all of the reign of Henry VIII, and died under the boy king, Edward VI. The identification of this Robert with the son of Edward Bigge is not proven, except by coincidence of place and age. His will was extracted by Elizabeth French (NEHGR, Jan. 1912): "The Will of Robert Bigge of Benenden, 13 January 1547/8. To be buried in the churchyard of the parish church of St. George the Martyr of Benenden. Alms to be distributed at the day of my burial. To wife Elizabeth, if she continue unmarried, all my stuff and household implements; if she marry again, half my stuff and household implements to my daughters, to be equally divided at age eighteen or day of marriage. To my wife all my corn and sundry livestock. To my son Walter two steers. To my sons Richarde and Thomas a heifer each at eighteen, and to my son John two steers at that age. All my cattle, wheat growing, and other moveables unbequeathed to be sold by my executrix and the money employed to pay my debts. I give to my wife Elizabeth my lease of churchfield, and make her executrix and William Fowle of Benenden overseer. My wife to redeem two pieces of land at Walkhurst, mortgaged to John Moyse of Byddenden for 10 pounds, and also to pay to Elizabeth Vsborne 40 pounds for which I stand bound. "My last will regarding the disposition of all my lands and tenements. I will to Elizabeth my wife for life my messuage and garden at Benenden forstall and four pieces of land at Walkhurst, she releasing all her right of dowry in all my lands. The messuage and garden at Benenden forstall to go to my son John and his heirs at my wife's decease. To my son Richard and his heirs at my wife's decease four pieces of land at Walkhurst. My executrix to take the profits of all my other lands and tenements until they amount to 40 pounds, to be paid to Elizabeth, Dorothe, Elionor, and Alyce, my daughters, to each 10 pounds at day of marriage or age of twenty years. If any die before such day or age, reversion to the survivors, to be equally divided. After the said 40 pounds be levied I give to my son Thomas and his heirs forever my messuage and lands at the lane of Rolvenden and my half of a meadow called dukes mede in Tentwarden [Tenterden], of which Lawrence Day holds the other half, and a piece of marsh land at Frencham containing ten acres, my executrix to have the said lands until son Thomas come to the age of twenty-two. After the said 40 pounds be levied, to son Walter and his heirs forever seven pieces of land called the sixe acres, Wadyfeld, gardeyn of begtylte, the porteke, the upper shurfeld, the Longfelde, and the nether shurfeld, lying upon the den of Begtilte in Benenden, he to pay to my son Richard 20s. a year during the life of my wife and after he enter into the said land. After the said 40 pounds be levied, I give to son John and his heirs a piece of land called the field about the house and another called Euerynden's felde, both upon the den of Bigtilte. Witnesses: Willm Fowle his mark, John Asten, Lawrence Davy, and Henry Asten. Proved 2 June 1548 by the executrix named in the will. (Archdeaconry of Canterbury, vol. 8, fo. 2.)" The 8 children of bRobert Bigge/b and bElizbeth/b are as follows: bV. Alice Bigge/b Walter Bigge Richard Bigge Thomas Bigge John Bigge Elizabeth Bigge Dorothe Bigge Elionor Bigge bV. Alice Bigge/b bAlice/b was born Abt. 1547 in Tenterden, Kent, England. and died May 13, 1593 and is buried in Tenterden, Kent, England. She married Thomas Tilden on 3/10/1575 in Tenterden Kent, England. Thomas was born Abt. 1541 in Tenterden, Kent, England and died in 6/1617 in Kent, England. He is buried in Wye, Kent, England. They had 7 children. Brief Family History Spelling variations of this family name include: Biggs, Bigg, Big, Bigge, Byggs, Bygges, Bigges and others. First found in Essex, where they had been granted lands by King William after the Norman Conquest in 1066. Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: William Bigg who settled in Maryland in 1774; John Bigg settled in Virginia in 1653; Thomas Bigge settled in Barbados in 1681; Mary Bigges settled in Salem Mass in 1630. Motto: Motto Translated: Crest: Description not available Coat of Arms: A shield divided per pale ermine and silver with a red lion passant, crowned gold, and a red border engrailed charged with fleus de lis.
  Person ID	I21272	McKenzie Genealogy
  Last Modified	11 Aug 2012

  
  

  Father	Roger Bigge,   b. 1395, Kent, England d. 1472, Benenden, , Kent, England (Age 77 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Mother	Joan Kent,   b. 1400, Benenden, , Kent, England d. 1472, Benenden, , Kent, England (Age 72 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Family ID	F09769	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Agnes Henley,   b. 1426, Benenden, , Kent, England d. 1480, Benenden, , Kent, England (Age 54 years)
  Children	1. Alice Bigge   d. UNKNOWN  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   2. Anne Bigge   d. UNKNOWN  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   3. Gervase Bigge   d. UNKNOWN  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   4. James Bigge   d. UNKNOWN  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   5. John Bigge,   b. Benenden, , Kent, England d. 1479, Benenden, , Kent, England  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   6. Katherine Bigge   d. UNKNOWN  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   7. Richard Bigge   d. UNKNOWN  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   8. Robert Bigge,   b. 1449, Benenden, , Kent, England d. Between 1 and 17 Jul 1500, Benenden, , Kent, England  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
  Family ID	F09764	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	30 Jun 2011

  
  

• Sources

  [S006670] meet0818, Harrelson Family Tree, (2010). [S003742] Archdeaconry of Canterbury. [S006057] FindAGrave.com. [S005707] English Origins of New England Families from the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Volumes I-III, Genealogical Publishing Co, Inc: Bal.