, garter principal king at arms, was born in 1711, the son of Richard
, garter principal king at arms, was
born in 1711, the son of Richard Bigland, of Kendal, in
Westmoreland, the descendant of a family originally
seated at Bigland, Lancashire. The subject of this brief
notice, after going through all the offices in the College of
Arms, and executing also the office of registrar, to which
he was appointed in 1763, became the head of it in 1780,
but enjoyed his elevation a very short time, dying in
James-street, Bedford-row, March 27, 1784. He was
buried with his parents at Stepney. He was deservedly
esteemed and regretted, as a man of much skill in heraldry
and other branches of antiquities. The great collections
he had made for a history of Gloucestershire were intended
to have been arranged and given by him to the public,
and have since been partly published by his son Richard
Bigland, of Frocester, esq. under the title of “Historical,
monumental, and genealogical collections, relative to the
county of Gloucester,
” &c. fol.
In May 1677, our antiquary was solemnly created Garter principal king at arms, and the day after received from his
In May 1677, our antiquary was solemnly created Garter principal king at arms, and the day after received from
his majesty the honour of knighthood, much against his
will, on account of the smallness of his estate. In 1681
he published “A short View of the late Troubles in England; briefly setting forth their rise, growth, and tragical
conclusion, &c.
” folio. This is perhaps the least valued
of all his works, or rather the only one which is not very
much valued. He published also at the same time, “The
ancient usage in bearing of such ensigns of honour as are
co'i.monly called Arms, &,c.
” 8vo a second edition of
which was published in the beginning of the year following,
with large additions. The last work he published, was,
“A perfect copy of all summons of the nobility to the
great councils and parliaments of this realm, from the 49th
of king Henry III. until these present times, &e.
” 1685,
folio. He wrote some other pieces relating to the same
subjects, which were never published; and was likewise
the chief promoter of the Saxon Dictionary by Mr. William Somner, printed at Oxford in 1659. His collections
of materials for the Antiquities of Warwickshire, and Baronage of England, all written with his own hand, contained in 27 vols, in folio, he gave by will to the university of Oxford; together with sixteen other volumes, some
of his own hand-writing; which are now preserved in Ashmole’s Museum. He gave likewise several books to the
Heralds’ office, in London, and procured many more for
their library.