Surname Saturday: HIGBY

Higby is one of my paternal grandmother's adoptive lines. It is her adoptive maternal grandmother's maiden name. In doing a little digging, it appears that the Higby family was an early New England one. It is frequently seen with the Higbee spelling, and occasionally as Higbie. In England, it appears to have originally been Higbed. 

I use the letter "B" after each ahnentafel number to distinguish my adoptive family ahnentafel from my biological one.

Stories and History:

Ahnentafel #2944B - Edward HIGBY, the immigrant (1615/6 - 1699) - born in Ivinghoe Parish, Buckinghamshire, England, he had immigrated to North America by about 1646. He settled on Long Island, with his wife, Jedidah SKIDMORE (1624 - 1660). By 1663, he had settled in Middletown, Middlesex Co., Connecticut. He had 10 children with Jedidah; then later had six more children with his second wife, Lydia [?]. He appears to have been somewhat of controversial figure, as he is named as both defendant and plaintiff in a number of lawsuits over property as well as slander charges. He died in Jamaica, Long Island, New York. Note: I have seen a number of online genealogies tracing Edward's lineage into England, but I do not know how accurate they are.

Ahnentafel #1472B - John HIGBY (1658 - 1688) - He was born in Huntington, Suffolk Co., New York and married Rebecca TREADWELL (1658 - 1708) in 1679 in Middletown, Middlesex Co., Connecticut. They had five sons.

Ahnentafel #736B - Edward HIGBY (1684 - 1775) - Born in Middletown, Middlesex Co., Connecticut, he married Rebecca WHEELER (1686 - 1771) there in 1706 and had eight known children. He died in Westfield, Middlesex Co., Connecticut.

Ahnentafel #368B - Isaac HIGBY (1709 - 1766) - He spent his entire life in Middletown, Middlesex Co., Connecticut. He married Dinah ELTON (1713 - bet. 1793-7) in 1730 and they had 13 known children.

Ahnentafel #184B - Daniel Elton HIGBY (1739 - 1829) - Born in Middletown, Middlesex Co., Connecticut, he married Martha IVES (b. 1742) there in 1766. They had four known sons and perhaps two others. In 1758, Daniel enlisted in the 7th Connecticut Company (Captain Timothy Hierlehey's company), during the French and Indian War. He died in Lewis Co., New York after moving there with his son Benjamin.

Ahnentafel #92B - Silas HIGBY (c. 1777 - c. 1855) - Not much is known about Silas, other than his birthplace of Middletown, Middlesex Co., Connecticut. His wife's name is unknown. They had 10 known children. It's not clear exactly when and where Silas died, although it likely was in New York, perhaps Constableville, Lewis County, where his first four children supposedly were born.

Ahnentafel #46B - Stephen HIGBY (1810 - 1873) - He was born in Constableville, Lewis Co., New York and married Hannah "Matilda" OSBORNE in 1840 in Ohio, probably in Bedford, Cuyahoga County. They had 11 known children, eight of whom survived childhood. About 1853-4, they removed to Alleghan Co., Michigan, and then again about 1857 they settled in Byron Twp., Kent Co., Michigan, where they lived out their lives and eventually died.

Ahnentafel #23B - Anna Matilda HIGBY (1861 - 1903) - She supposedly was born in Augusta, Carroll Co., Ohio, although that doesn't fit into her parents' migration journey, unless she was born on a trip back to Ohio to visit family. Both her immediate older and younger siblings were born in Byron Center, Byron Twp., Kent Co., Michigan, where her family had settled several years before her birth. She married John Dennis CONCIDINE (1854 - 1925) in 1879 in Kent Co., Michigan. They had seven children, five of whom survived childhood. Anna died at the age of 42 in Byron Township, due to septic periotonitis, usually caused by a ruptured appendix.

Ahnentafel #11B - Nellie Mae CONCIDINE (1883 - 1953) - my paternal grandmother's adoptive mother; She was born in Byron Center, ByronTwp., Kent Co., Michigan and married Alfred Henry HOLST (1882 - 1952) in 1905 in Byron Center. She died in Coopersville, Ottawa Co., Michigan. Nellie and Alfred had three children, with only one surviving infancy, before they adopted my paternal grandmother.

Ahnentafel #5 - Jane Marie YORK (a.k.a. Jeanne Marie HOLST) (1924 - 2012) - my paternal grandmother, an adoptee. She was born Jane Marie YORK, and was adopted by Alfred Henry HOLST and Nellie Mae CONCIDINE. Her name was changed at adoption. She married Robert Louis ROBBINS (1920 - 2003) in 1940.

Ahnentafel #2 - my father (living)

Ahnentafel #1 - myself

More About the HIGBY Family:

1. Online database (I update this at least once a month): HIGBY ancestors and relatives (no info on living persons available)

2. Posts about HIGBY ancestors and relatives on this blog

3. Some scanned HIGBY photos

4. Edward Higby and His Descendants by Clinton David Higby, Ph.D., 1927. Still under copyright, available in many genealogy libraries.