The Australian Migration of the Biggs Family from Bromham Mill

The Australian Migration of the Biggs Family from Bromham Mill

This page is currently being written. Outline of the migration will start with Abraham Biggs to Tasmania with letters that were written back to the family in the United Kingdom. I have had many inquires and emails with regards to when this page will be online and what families will be there.I will do my best to get parts up as soon as possible.

Currently I only have the Biggs family but during my research other name have cropped up that are part of the over all family tree. If you have any other families information with regards to the family migration please feel free to drop me an email .I will do my best to include anything I can find.

In the mean time the transcription of the letters is taking some time but I will put up the individual letters as we go.
The opening letter below was passed onto me with copies of the letters.

Thanks
David

April 23rd 1833, October 2nd 1833

COPIES OF LETTERS FROM ABRAHAM AND ELIZA BIGGS
1833 – 1853 VAN DIEMEN’S LAND

These letters are copied from the original letters sent by Abraham and Eliza Biggs formerly of Bromham Mills, Bromham, Bedfordshire, England, to his brother William of Bromham Mills, and kept by Auguste Biggs and her sister as being of historical interest to the Australian Biggs family.

Abraham and Eliza Biggs sailed from Gravesend in 1^st May, 1833, with their six children, for Van Diemen’s Land. Their passage ticket was issued by the Secretary of State, Downing Street, London, on the 30^th of April, 1833, for the sum of 20 pounds for Abraham and Eliza Biggs and their six children, to sail on the “John Rae Reid”, a sailing ship on its second last voyage to Van Diemen’s Land, captained by Capt. A. Haig who owned property at Salamanca Place, Hobarton and built his home at Hampden Road, Battery Point, known now as the Van Diemen’s Land Museum, Harryna. An oil painting of the “John Rae Reid” is in this museum.

These original letters, now frail but mostly in good order, were given to Winifred Brown and are now in the possession of her sister, Gwen Brown, great-granddaughter of Thomas Biggs . The letters, are being carefully preserved and were copied by Winifred Brown after being given them in England in the 1940’s(?).

It is hoped these letters will be preserved as family history and will be passed on to a member of the Biggs Family who will then pass them on to another suitable member of the family requiring this historical records to be pushed on.

Madge A??nes, great-granddaughter of Abraham and Eliza Biggs is compiling a history of the Biggs Family. Her grandmother was Harriet Burville married to Alfred Barrett Biggs, astronomer, inventor of the first telephone in Australia, schoolmaster, and musician, son of Abraham Biggs (his eldest son).

The preservation (of these letters) is earnestly requested as they will go on as history, and many members of the family will probably want to read them.