Anne (Duff) Biggar (abt. 1784 - 1876)

Ancestors

Wife of Walter Biggar — married 13 Dec 1822 in Banff, Banffshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

Descendants

Died 30 Nov 1876 at about age 92 in Newington, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom

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Biography

Anne (Duff) Biggar was born in Scotland.

Anne Duff is thought to have been born in Banff around 1784: as found on her memorial stone^[1] as well as a book written about the Duff family ^[2] and a near contemporaneous genealogical tree ^[3] where she is also identified as the daughter of James Duff. Although no official record of her birth or baptism is extant, there are family sources that prove she was a child of James, Sheriff Clerk of Banff and Margaret Ogilvy Dunbar ^[4]. Despite there being another woman of the same name (Anne Duff), parental first names (James and Margaret) and approximate age, also born in Banffshire, it seems clear, from the family tree cited above, that Margaret Dunbar was her mother. ^[3] This is further confirmed in the historical work 'The book of the Duffs',^[5] as well as newspaper obituaries,^[6] official records of her death^[7] (although her mother's maiden name appears to have been mis-transcribed as 'Duncan' rather than 'Dunbar') as well as Margaret Dunbar's grave stone, where she is identified as her daughter^[8]

Anne was born into a family with three older half-siblings consisting a sister Helen Duff and two brothers Alexander Duff and George Duff: their mother being Helen Skene Duff who died in 1764 at the age of 30 ^[2] twelve years before Anne was born.

Anne is listed as the eighth child born to Margaret^[3]. The other full siblings listed are: ^[2] James, b. 1773; died young: Mary, b. 1774: James William, b. 1776; d. 28 Jul 1797; Fife, b. 1778; Isabella, b. ca. 1780; d. young; Catherine, b. ca. 1782; Sophia, b. 1785; d. young and another unnamed child, who also died young.

We know only a little about Anne before she reached the age of 36. In a memorial speech on the erection of a fountain to honour Anne and Walter whom she married, Dr William Garden Blaikie, her son-in-law, after extolling the virtues of Walter Biggar and his life story, talked about Anne in the following terms:

''….She was a native of the Borgh and was connected with many of the leading families the society , not excepting those of noble blood. In her early days she was a great favourite with fashionable society, which from her attractive person, cheerful disposition and lively manner, she was well fitted to adore. When however she came under the influence of Christian truth, it became the permanent object of her life, the prevailing desire of her heart, to do all the good she could, and especially among the poor..."^[9]

We do have more knowledge about the latter part of her life: Anne Duff married Walter Biggar on 13 Dec 1822 around the age of 36 in Banff, Banffshire.^[10]. Although we do not have a birth date for Anne, we can deduce from the stated age at her date of death^[11] and the fact that 1861 Census shows her to be about 2 years older than her husband, that she was around 36 when she married^[12] Walter aged 35 had arrived in Banff the year before their marriage having spent many years in Germany and as a merchant in Leith: this combination of influences affected the rest of his life and that of Anne as he became founder of the 'Scotch Continental Herring Trade' and based himself in Banff^[13]

Their only daughter Margaret Catharine was born on 6 Dec 1823 ^[14] and christened on 6 January 1824^[15] In 1841 the family relocated to Edinburgh as Walter then retired^[16] By the time of the 1841 Census^[17], Ann, her husband Walter who is described as a merchant, and their daughter Margaret were living at 15 Claremont Crescent, St Cuthbert's, Midlothian with Walter's mother Louisa Balfour Biggar who was widowed at a young age when her husband Robert Biggar died in 1795^[18]. Margaret married William Blaikie on 20 May 1845 ^[19] and by 1851 Anne and Walter were still living in the same house in Claremont Crescent, Midlothian, with Louisa ^[20] In 1861 Anne and Walter were shown still at the same address in Edinburgh^[21], ^[12]. Anne was widowed on 6 Aug 1867^[22] and soon after she moved to Newington, Edinburgh, where she is found living with her daughter, son-in-law and their family^[23]although in one mis-transcribed record she is described as mother-in-law aged 26 in 1871^[24] Anne died on 21 May 1877 at 9 Palmerston Road in Edinburgh Midlothian when she was 92 years old.^[25]

In 1878 an ornate memorial fountain was erected in Low Street, Banff with the inscription "Presented to the town of Banff in memory of Walter Bigger, Esquire, and Mrs Anne Duff, his wife, 1878". Newspapers in both Banff ^[13] and Aberdeen^[9] describe the Fountain, in addition to having two troughs for horses to drink, thus "on two sides of the die, those facing Carmelite Street and Mrs Nisbet‘s office are projecting search circular basins, into which water flows from an ornamental bronze head, to which drinking cups are attached. Round the basins are texts of scripture, cut in the stone in Roman letters – ‘Jesus said, if any man thirst, let him come onto me and drink.‘ John 7:37. ‘Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters. Isaiah 4:1"^[13]

Child of Anne & Walter:

• Margaret Catherine, born 6 Dec 1823 Banff, Scotland

Research Notes

See also:

Anne (Duff) Biggar's research page

Sources

1. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/150651987/ann-biggar : accessed 24 August 2021), memorial page for Ann Duff Biggar (1784–21 May 1877), Find A Grave: Memorial #150651987, citing Edinburgh Rosebank Cemetery, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, Scotland; Maintained by GariochGraver (contributor 47469430). (Includes gravestone photos.)
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} The book of the Duffs; by Tayler, Alistair Norwich, Tayler, Helen Agnes Henrietta, (Edinburgh, W. Brown, 1914), Vol.1:241-2 accessed 24 August 2021
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} "The Genealogy of the Duff Family” accessed 20 August 2021
4. ↑ as described in 'Genealogical memoirs of the Duffs' Genealogical memoirs of the Duffs by Baird, William, d. 1777, scottishfamilyhistory; nationallibraryofscotland; europeanlibraries, National Library of Scotland 1869, Page 98 https://archive.org/details/genealogicalmemo1869bair/page/98/mode/2up, accessed 17 August 2021
5. ↑ Tayler, Alistair Norwich, and Tayler, Helen Agnes Henrietta. The Book of the Duffs, (Edinburgh, W. Brown, 1914), Vol. 2:563
6. ↑ Banff Journal, Aberdeenshire Mail, Moray, Nairn and Inverness Review and Northern Farmer Obituary, Tuesday 22nd May 1877, accessed on Findmypast 12 August 2021, page 5 column 4.
7. ↑ "Statutory registers - Deaths" database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: accessed 24 Aug 2021) Anne Biggar Duff, age 92 m.n. Duncan,1877; Reference Number: 685/5/397, citing Newington
8. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/148987529/margaret-ogilvie-duff : accessed 17 August 2021), memorial page for Margaret Ogilvie Dunbar Duff (1754–1829), Find A Grave: Memorial #148987529, citing Banff Old Parish Churchyard, Banff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland ; Maintained by GariochGraver (contributor 47469430)
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} “The Biggar Fountain at Banff” The Aberdeen Journal , © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD, Thursday Oct 24th 1878 p3 column 1
10. ↑ "Church of Scotland: Old Parish Registers - Banns and marriages" database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: accessed 07 Aug 2021) Anne Duff, husband Walter Biggar, 13 Dec 1822, Banff; citing Parish Number 147 Reference Number: 90 121
11. ↑ ”British Newspaper Archive, Family Notices," database with images, in the Dundee Courier 25 May 1877, © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD accessed 8 August 2021: [1]
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} “Census Returns" database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: accessed 07 Aug 2021) Biggar, Anne 1861 age 76 Ref 685/2/78/17, citing district St Andrew, county Midlothian
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1 13.2} Banffshire Journal and General Advertiser 13 August 1867 © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD p 5 column 6 accessed 18 August 2021.
14. ↑ “Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950”, database, FamilySearch (12 February 2020), Ann Duff in entry for Margaret Catharine Biggar, 1824.
15. ↑ "Church of Scotland: Old Parish Registers - Births and Baptisms" database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: accessed 07 Aug 2021) Margaret Cathar, father Walter Biggar, mother Ann Duff, 6 Jan 1824, Banff; citing Parish Number 147 Reference Number: 90 64
16. ↑ Banffshire Journal and General Advertiser 13 August 1867 © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD p 5 column 6 accessed 18 August 2021
17. ↑ "Scottish General Register Office: 1841 Census Returns database, FreeCEN (https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/5a151f48f4040b9d6e2bb2a8 : viewed 4 Aug 2021), Walter BIGGAR in household of Louisa BIGGAR, Claremont Crescent, Midlothian, Scotland; from 1841 "England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images; citing The National Archives HO 107/685, Folio 124, Page 6, Schedule , The National Archives, Kew, Surrey
18. ↑ UK, Extracted Probate Records, 1269-1975
Ancestry.com. UK, Extracted Probate Records, 1269-1975 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2009.
19. ↑ "Scotland Marriages, 1561-1910", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XYWZ-CF3 : 11 February 2020), Walter Biggar in entry for William Garden Blaikie, 1845
20. ↑ "Scottish General Register Office: 1851 Census Returns database, FreeCEN (https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/5903d90de9379091b1fd8f4b : viewed 4 Aug 2021), Walter BIGGAR, 15, Claremont Crescent, Midlothian, Scotland; from 1851 "England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images; citing The National Archives /685, Folio 696, Page 2, Schedule 4, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
21. ↑ “Census Returns" database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: accessed 07 Aug 2021) Biggar, Walter 1861 age 73 Ref 685/2/78/17, citing district St Andrew, county Midlothian
22. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/150651908/walter-biggar : accessed 27 August 2021), memorial page for Walter Biggar (1787–6 Aug 1867), Find A Grave: Memorial #150651908 citing Edinburgh Rosebank Cemetery, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, Scotland ; Maintained by GariochGraver (contributor 47469430)
23. ↑ Ancestry.com. 1871 Scotland Census.Parish: Edinburgh St Cuthberts; ED: 98; Page: 14; Line: 23; Roll: CSSCT1871_166 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Scotland. Reels 1-191. General Register Office for Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland.
24. ↑ “Census Returns" database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: accessed 07 Aug 2021) Biggar, Anne 1871 age 86 Ref 685/5/98/14, citing district Newington, county Midlothian.
25. ↑ "British Newspaper Archive, Family Notices," database with images, in the Dundee Courier 25 May 1877, © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD accessed 8 August 2021: https://search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/viewarticle?id=bl%2f0000269%2f18770525%2f007&stringtohighlight=anne%20duff

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Sir William Arbuthnot for creating Duff-1186 on 23 Oct 13. Click the Changes tab for the details on contributions by Sir William and others.