The Higham Family
of Highams Farm
In the 15th and
16th centuries various members of the Higham or Heigham family resided at
Highams Farm, which is in Goldhanger Parish but right on the border with
Tolleshunt Major Parish. The most notable local record of their involvement
within the village is in St Peters Church as the
family are said to have been responsible for the building of the South isle and
Lady Chapel, and one of their tombs remains in that chapel. There is also a
family tomb and a plaque in St. Nicholas Church, Tolleshunt Major.
Highams Farm in the early 1900s
The family seems to
have built or acquired Highams Farm before the time of the Reformation, which is when Henry VIII gave what was
to become Beckingham Hall and its estates, to Sir Thomas Seymour, and then
subsequently gave it to Stephen Beckingham in 1543. Although Highams Farm was
later included in the Beckingham Hall estate it is uncertain if it was gifted
at the time by Henry VIII.
In 1975 a member of
the Higham family wrote a 78-page booklet on the family history. Four pages of
the booklet refer to Highams Farm and the members of the family who lived
there. Extracts from these pages are available on
this website...
Family
members known to live at Highams Farm...
Robert Higham
d:1427+ Letecia Heigham, buried in St. Nicholas (Morant)
Robert Higham
d:1429 + Margaret Heigham, buried in St. Nicholas (Morant)
Robert Higham
d:1460 + Johanna, buried in St. Nicholas (Morant)
Thomas Heigham
d:1531 + Awdie & Francis Heigham, buried in in St Peters (Morant)
Anthonye
Heigham/Heyham d:1540, buried in St Peters (Morant)
Anthonye
Heigham/Heyham d:1540 + Anne Heigham, buried in St Peters (Frickl)
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Highams Manor as described by Philip Morant in
1768... |
a brass effigy of Awdie Heigham in St Peters Church... |
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Family
members identified elsewhere...
There were many
members of the Higham family, particularly in Suffolk at around the same time,
and that also had the first names of Thomas and Robert, making it difficult to
track the family relationships. However, it highly likely that the family came
from the village of Higham near Dedham in the early 1400s and returned to the
hamlet of Cowlinge/Cooling near Bury St Edmunds in the mid 1500s...
from... http://www.welbank.net/norwich/hist.html
There were several
generations of Thomas Heighams in the
village of Higham near Dedham in Suffolk, they were born in: 1368, 1398, 1400,
1420
In Goldhanger -
an Estuary Village, Maura Benham wrote on page-32...
"...but the Heighams
went back to their family seat in Suffolk in 1545"
from... http://members.iinet.net.au/~trig/web/familyhis/pafg09.htm#1391
Antony HIGHAM died
on 15 Nov 1540 in Goldhanger.
He had the
following children:
Robert
HIGHAM died in Cowlinge.
Robert
married Margaret.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/52219527@N00/6014231919/in/photostream/
Cowlinge
Church, Suffolk,
"Robert Higham Esq
died the 10 day of May AD 1571 aged 45"
"Robert's father
Antony and Anne and grandfather Thomas are in brass at Goldhanger Essex"
From
The Visitation of Suffolk...
Other
references found to the family have included...
The
earliest reference found to a Heigham family member in Goldhanger, dated
1417...
from... http://www.british-history.ac.uk/letters-papers-hen8/vol19/no1/pp71-87
Letters &
Papers of Henry VIII: February 1544...
Grants
in February 1544
Wm. Tooke.
Annuity of 20l. out of the manors of Battell Herons, Higham and Wikham, and
lands in Bradwell, Tollesbunt Major, Goldhanger, Althorne and Danberye, Essex,
which belonged to Ant. Higham, dec, and are in the King's hands by the minority
of Robt. Higham, s. and h. of the said Anthony; with wardship and marriage of
the said heir.
from Kelly' s
Directory - Essex 1882...
Tolleshunt Magna (or Major or
Beckingham), Essex
The Church of
St Nicholas is half a mile south east of the village and comprises a chancel,
nave and brick tower with 3 bells: in the church is a memorial with effigies and
an inscription to Robert Higham and his wife: he died 23 June 1427: and other
inscriptions to Robert Higham, secondus, 10 August 1429 and Margaret his wife:
and Robert Higham, tertious, 4 February 1460 and Johanna his wife, daughter of
Thomas Barrington.
Many persons with
the surname of "Heigham" have been found
associated with the parishes of Heigham in Norwich city and Potter Heigham in
Norfolk from around the same period, however it is not known if there were
family connections.