Thomas Hanway Bigge Explained

Thomas Hanway Bigge (baptised 1784 – 1824) was an English banker in Newcastle upon Tyne. The Bigge family were gentry based at Longbenton in the later 18th century, and are well documented; but Thomas Hanway Bigge has been confused with another member of the family, Thomas Bigge (1766–1851), who had moved to the London area by about 1810.

Life

The son of Thomas Charles Bigge, he was born, according to his own Memoir, in 1776.^[1] He was baptised on 2 October 1784.^[2]

Bigge became a partner in the firm of Ridley, Bell & Gibson in 1807, shortly after his brother Charles William Bigge had.^[3] In 1812 he was living at Little Benton, a family manor, but Benton House had been sold.^[4] He died on 24 December 1824, and was buried at Ovingham; according to some sources, including a church register transcription, he was aged 41.^{[5] [6]}

Family

Bigge married Charlotte Scott, daughter of James Scott, Rector of Itchen Ferry;^[5] his first cousin and Foxite MP William Ord married her sister Mary,^[7] and Thomas Hobbes Scott was Charlotte's brother. Their children included Francis Edward Bigge. The youngest daughter, Fanny Cecilia, married Matthew Bell, son of John Bell.^[8]

After her husband's death, Charlotte moved to Benton White House, Little Benton.^[9]

Another Thomas Bigge

There is inconsistent information in the literature on the Bigge family.^[10] Thomas Bigge (died 1824) has often been confused with his near relation Thomas Bigge (1766–1851) who had an M.A. degree from the University of Oxford; they were in different generations, the older Thomas being a grandson of the Thomas Bigge who was a grandfather of Thomas Charles Bigge, the younger Thomas's father.^[11] They both knew James Losh, and are mentioned in his diaries.^[12] The information in Joseph Foster's Alumni Oxonienses, on Thomas (Hanway) Bigge, of Corpus Christi College, Oxford who graduated M.A. in 1791, is incompatible with that given above. The age 17 at matriculation is compatible with the date of birth January 1766 for Thomas Bigge who married Maria Rundell, daughter of Thomas Rundell of Bath, given in Hodgson's History of Northumberland.^[2]

Notes and References

1. Book: John Ritchie. The Evidence to the Bigge Reports: The written evidence. Index. 2. 260. 1971. Heinemann. 978-0-85561-027-2.
2. Book: John Hodgson. John Hodgson-Hinde. A History of Northumberland, in three parts. 1832. II.2. Printed by E. Walker. 99.
3. Web site: A history of banks, bankers and banking in Northumberland, Durham, and North Yorkshire illustrating the commercial development of the north of England, from 1755 to 1894; with numerous portraits, facsimiles of notes, signatures, documents, [etc.]. 1894.
4. Book: Anon.. The Picture of Newcastle Upon Tyne, Being a Brief Historical & Descriptive Guide. 1812. Akenhead. 169–.
5. Web site: A history of banks, bankers and banking in Northumberland, Durham, and North Yorkshire illustrating the commercial development of the north of England, from 1755 to 1894; with numerous portraits, facsimiles of notes, signatures, documents, [etc.]. 1894.
6. Book: Eneas Mackenzie. Eneas Mackenzie. An Historical, Topographical, and Descriptive View of the County of Northumberland, and of Those Parts of the County of Durham Situated North of the River Tyne, with Berwick Upon Tweed, and Brief Notices of Celebrated Places on the Scottish Border. 1825. Mackenzie and Dent. 462.
7. Web site: Ord, William (1781-1855), of Whitfield Hall, Northumb., History of Parliament Online. 29 April 2015.
8. Web site: The County Families of the United Kingdom. Walford. Edward. Edward Walford. 1871. 6th. Robert Hardwicke. 97. 24 June 2015. London.
9. Book: William Parson. William White (of Sheffield). History, Directory, and Gazetteer, of the Counties of Durham and Northumberland. 1828. W. White & Company. 403.
10. Book: Nigel Tattersfield. Bookplates by Beilby & Bewick: a biographical dictionary of bookplates from the workshop of Ralph Beilby, Thomas Bewick & Robert Bewick, 1760–1849. 285. 1999. British Library. 978-0-7123-4508-8.
11. Book: Sir Bernard Burke. A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain and Ireland. 1862. Harrison. 99.
12. Losh Diaries, Index