Early Days
My HIGGS ancestry has been traced back to a WILLIAM HIGGS who was
born in the small village of WOOTON UNDER EDGE in County Gloucester,
near Bristol, in 1775. Little is known of William, other than that he
was illiterate, and probably a farmer. He married Charlotte SAUNDERS
on Christmas Eve, 1799 at WOOTON UNDER EDGE. She was the daughter of
Charles SAUNDERS and Elizabeth PARK, who married in 1779.
The couple had six children as follows:
Daniel born 4.10.1801 North Nibley - a small village nearby
William born 13.2.1803 North Nibley
Lewis* born 25.5.1806 Wooton Under Edge
Sarah born 17.1.1809 Wooton Under Edge
Anne born 9.2.1812 Wooton Under Edge
James born 31.12.1813 Wooton Under Edge
I am descended from Lewis, the third son, who also resided at Wooton
under Edge. working as a builder and a mason. He married a Hannah
CHANDLER on 20.3.1825 at Wooton Under Edge. Nothing is known of her
ancestry. It is presumed that the wedding was " shotgun", as their
first child was born but three months after. Hannah was illiterate,
Lewis not. The couple resided at Yate, another small village in the
area. According to records, they only had two sons:
Henry born 27.6.1825 Wooton Under Edge
Thomas* born 21.7.1827 Wooton Under Edge
I am descended from Thomas Higgs.
THOMAS HIGGS, my great great grandfather, emerges as a rather
interesting character who moved frequently, had 12 (or possibly more)
children in all, with two different wives, and did not establish any
steaedy employment until into hos 30's, being trained as a hatter by
his brother HENRY HIGGS, who had a shop in BRISTOL, County Avon, near
Wooton Under Edge.
Thoases first wife was ELIZA SHAW, whom he married on Valentines Day
14.2.2848. She was a minor, the daughter of JAMES SHAW a teacher of
languages form BATH, and she was a seamstress. According to records,
they had two children: Lydia Sims HIGGS born 1850
Albert Lewis HIGGS born 1852
Both were recorded as living, aged 42 and 40 on Thomases death
certificate of 1896.
Thomas married ELIZABETH JANE BECK, daughter of a shoemaker EDWARD
BECK and his wife JANE HARTFORD, at the Bristol Registry Office on
3.8.1863. What became of his first wife is a mystery, bearing in mind
that the dates of birth of Thomas and Elizabeths first two children
are prior to their marriage date! Research is continuing to establish
whether Eliza Shaw died or if a divorce took place.
I am descended from Thomas Higgs and Elizabeth Jane Beck.
The children of Thomas Higgs and Elizabeth
Jane Beck
The Bristol Index - a site all
about the town the Higgs family came from
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