Biggar

This ancient and interesting surname is Scottish. Recorded in various ways including: Biggare, Bigare, and Bygar, it is locational from an area known as 'The lands of Biggar', formerly a barony, but now a parish, in Lanarkshire. Like many locatiuonal surnames, when first used it identified the lord of the manor, in this case Baldwin de Bigir, who was the sherrif of 'Bigir' during the short reign of King Mlacolm 1V of Scotland, 1153 - 1166. It is said that in 1174 Waldeve de Bigir, given as being the son of Baldwin, was captured by the English whilst serving with King William 1st of Scotland, known as 'The Lyon'. His later life is unknown, but he in turn did have a son and a grandson because a charter of 1227 gives the recording of Hugo de Bygris, the son of Robert, the son of Waldeve de Bigris. In yet another spelling form, but one nearer to the 'modern' spelling, is that of Sir Nicholas de Bygir, who was a deed witness in both 1269 and 1273. He is actually a knight, rather than simply a horse soldier who were known as 'knihts'., and he also have possessed the title of 'Viscount Lanark'. It seems that he died even earlier than usual for those times, and that his widow married Robert, bishop of Glasgow. Later through his daughter (Margaret?) marrying the earl of Wigtown in circa 1310, whose family name was Fleming, the lands and honours of the family passed to the Flemings. It is said that the surname has continued down through a junior branch of the original family. What is known is that in 1330 Sir Henry de Bygar, held the position of Royal Chaplain, and for many years thereafter members of the family served in the church, Thomas Biggar being recorded as 'The Reader of Kinghorn' in 1621.