The Biggin

Often wander past this and wonder what it was/is. Today curiosity got the better of me...

On the east side of the river Hiz The Biggin has a history stretching back to 1361.

In 1361 Sir Edward De Kendale, Lord of the Manor of Hitchin, gave land for a new religious house in support of three Canons or the order of St Gilbert.

In 1538, following Henry VIII's dissolution of the Monasteries, the King's Commissionaires took possession of the Priory Church and the Gilbertine order was dissolved. Little else is known of this only English House of the Gilbertine Order.

After eight years of neglect, the Priory buildings together with property in Bancroft were purchased by John Cocks of Broxbourne for just over two hundred and fifty four pounds (two hundred fifty four pounds twelve shillings and ninepence to be exact!)

'The Byggyn' was then sold to a local man William Croocar who passed it to his sons in 1570. They sold it during the next decade to Robert Snagge who pulled it down and erected the present structure towards the end of the 16th century.

It is thought that the window on the south front is from the 14th century and other parts of the old Biggin may survive. In room six, the date 1585 is cut into panelling together with initials that may be those of William Croocar Junior and his wife.

From 1635 the Biggin was owned by Joseph Kempe who used the building as a school. This had a great reputation in its day and pupils came from all over England to attend.

In 1654 Joseph Kempe died and left The Biggin on trust for the benefit of "Ten auncient or middle aged women" and "Four poor children of Hitchin to be apprentices in some honest occupation". His son took over the building which remained in use as a school into the 18th century.

Despite a short change of hands and use as a poor house, the building continued to house "Kempe's widows" until 1960 when Kempe's Trustees handed over responsibility to Hitchin Charities. By 1857, Kempe's original "ten poor women" had grown to eighteen and that year the Hitchin Charity Trustees resolved that in future they should be each paid a shilling a week.

In 1960 the Hitchin United Charities undertook major reconstruction at The Biggin during which the interior of the building was brought up to modern standards and the whole structure repaired and renovated. The number of residents was reduced to twelve, each living in a bed-sitting room with bathroom and kitchen attached.

The origin of the name 'Biggin' was given by one of the older residents as "the word Biggin is short for 'Beginning' for this was the first house to be built in Hitchin".

Unfortunately this is unlikely to be correct. A more plausible explanation could have been from the French word Beguine or a praying woman (the term Béguinage or Begijnhof is used in the low countries for religious almshouses for women).

However, the most likely origin is that it simply meas a building, as there are many 'new biggins' (i.e. new buildings) up and down the country. This very building was referred to in early documents as the "Priory of New-Biggin" long before it was used as an almshouse.