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From: Reedpcgen< >
Subject: BIGOD of Settrington, co. Yorks., and Stocton, co. Norfolk [part 1]
Date: 02 Aug 2000 04:36:21 GMT


It was brought to my attention that Doug asked what immigrants descended from
the Bigod family, Earls of Norfolk. William Wentworth and his cousins descend
from the Bigod family of Settrington--a cadet branch of the Earls of
Norfolk--through Anne Calverley. I myself had posted reference to this some
time ago.

That the Bigods of Settrington, Yorks., and Stocton, co. Norfolk, are a branch
of the ancient Bigod family is not a new idea. A footnote to Sir John Bygod's
1388 will published long ago [Test. Ebor., 1] reads, "The Bigods, of
Settrington, were descended from Ralph Bigod, a younger son of Hugh Bigod, Earl
of Norfolk, which Ralph married Bertha, daughter of Thomas Furnival, Lord of
Hallamshire."

The descent from a certain Sir John Bigod [d. 1305] and his wife Isabella [d.
1311]--upon whom Settrington was settled in 1302 [see Feet of Fines for the
County of York (YAS 127:43 [no. 227])]--down to Anne Calverley is not in
question. The problem lies in the identification of this John’s parents.
Modern researchers [Early Yorkshire Families, etc.] have followed the
conclusions expressed in a detailed article which appeared some years ago in
the Yorkshire Archaeological Journal [Rev. Charles Moor, D.D., F.S.A.,
F.R.Hist.S., "The Bygods, Earls of Norfolk," YAJ 32:172-213]. This article
stated that this John was a younger brother of Roger Bigod, last Earl of
Norfolk of that line, rather than son of Roger’s uncle, Ralph, as others have
claimed.

Though I have not exhausted all records of the period in question, I’ll post
some of what I’ve found so far so that those interested won’t have to wait
until David Faris’s Magna Charta Ancestry book comes out sometime next year.

DESCENT FROM SIR JOHN BIGOD TO ANNE CALVERLEY:

[1] Sir JOHN BIGOD, knight, of Stockton, co. Norfolk (and of Settrington, co.
York, from 1302), died in 1305 [IPM, listing lands at Seething and Stockton,
co. Norfolk, Theberton, co. Suffolk, and Settrington, co. York], leaving a
widow, ISABELLA, and three sons,

(1a) Ralph Bigod, d. 1332 [leaving a son named John], who inherited the lands
in cos. Norfolk, Suffolk and Northampton; the marriage of Ralph son and heir of
John le Bygod of Stocton, a minor in the King’s custody, was granted on 16
July 1305 [CPR 1301-7, 374-5].

(1b) John Bigod, who succeeded to the manor of Settrington, Yorkshire, but
d.s.p. 1333. And

(1c)/[2] ROGER BIGOD, next in this line of descent.

Isabel, Sir John's widow, died in 1311 [IPM], holding part of Settrington in
dower; her heir in that property, according to the terms of the 1302
settlement, was found to be her son John, who was aged 30 and more [b. by
1281].

On 22 Sep. 1332, and on 12 Feb. 1333, John, son of (1a) Ralph Bygot of
Stockton, co. Norfolk, owed 100 pounds on his lands [Bugbrooke] in co.
Northampton to (1b) John Bygot, lord of Settrington, Yorks., his uncle. Though
this younger John [the son of the eldest legitimate brother (1a) Sir Ralph
Bigod (d. 1332)] was still then alive, at (1b) John's death without issue in
1333, his younger brother (1c)/[2] ROGER BIGOD was found his heir [heir to the
lands at Settrington by terms of a 1302 entail]. On 26 Feb. 1334, pardon was
given to Roger Bygot for the acquisition (without license) by John, son of John
Bygot of Stockton from Ralph Bygot son and heir of John Bygot of Stockton, of
lands within the manor of Seteryngton, to hold to John Bygot and his heirs,
remainder to his brother Roger, and for his [Roger’s] entry therein on the
death of the said John son of John [CPR 1330-4, 515 (a bit confused)].


[2] Sir ROGER BIGOD, of Settrington, Yorks., third son of Sir John [d.1305], b.
ca. 1300-3, died in 1362 [IPM]. His heir was his son:

[3] Sir JOHN BIGOD, MP, of Settrington, Yorks., b. ca. 1334, d. 1388. He was
father of a number of children, including a daughter named JOAN BIGOD, and his
heir John Bigod, b. say 1376-7, minor in 1388 and1396, received livery in 1397,
d. ca. 1427 [m. Constance de Mauley and was father of Ralph Bygod (b. ca.
1410), of Settrington].

[4] JOAN BIGOD, daughter of Sir John [d. 1388], married [as his third wife] SIR
WALTER CALVERLEY [b. ca. 1340, d. 1404]. The marriage settlements in 1401
involving her brother John Bigod, lord of Settrington, pinpoint the year of
marriage. She took the vow after her husband's death in 1404 and died in 1420.
She was mother of the son SIR WALTER CALVERLEY, b. ca. 1402, who m. 1415,
ELIZABETH MARKENFIELD, by whom he fathered the daughter in whom we are
interested, ANNE CALVERLEY.

[end of part 1 of 3]

Paul C. Reed, FASG

[copyright, hence to publication in sundry journals without my permission]

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