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Thomas Biggs of Stourbridge, sometimes called the first Thos. Biggs of Pedmore, married Elizabeth Pierpoint of Pedmore
at Hartlebury in 1737. Her name is sometimes spelt Pearpoint and Pearpoynte. With her he got the Hamer Hill estate at Cradley.
In his marriage bond dated 18th July 1737 he describes himself as of Stourbridge in the parish of Old Swonford as about 37
yrs of age, so was presumably born 1700 or the end of 1699. In the same bond he under estimates his future wife's age by
2 yrs. in the marriage allegation he is described as a 'barber', which is probably a mistake for 'banker', which we have
always understood he was. The records of his children and grandchildren are in the registers of Old Swinford till about 1747
and then at Pedmore.
He had 3 sons and 7 daughters:-
John, born 1744 d.1753;
William, b. 1749, d. also, died young, date not known;
Thomas, b. 1750, d. 1831;
Mary, b. 1738, d. 1813;
Dorothy, b. 1739, d. 1820, (married F. Hudford);
Ann, ( apparently twin to Dorothy) b. 1739, (married Best);
Elizabeth b. 1741, d. 1753;
Martha, b. 1746, d. 1747;
Martha, b. 1748, d. 1748;
Sarah, b. 1752, d. 1753.
It is stated two of his daughters married one a Lee and another a Harrison; if so he must have had at least onne more daughter
of whom we have no record. He died at Pedmore on 7-1-1778 (7 Jan 1778), aged about 78 yrs. There is however no monument
or tombstone to him either in the church or churchyard. There was an old Biggs grave in the S.E. corner of the latter which
was apparently lost or destroyed, along with many others when the church was restored in 1869. The Biggs vault is at the
S. end of the W. wall of the church, but the only names on it are those buried since the restoration, and probably the old
stone of this was also destroyed or lost. He is stated to have been a banker, and is believed to have owned property at Kings
Swindore, Stourbridge, Dradler, Birmingham and Pedmore. Also that he altered and added to the house at the latter place known
as Pedmore House. This was an old coaching inn converted into a residence.
From the fact of the family births etc. being first entered in the Pedmore registers in 1747, but Mr. King who now lives in
the house and has investigated its history emphatically stated that it must have been long before then. It is a high red
brick building on the E. side on the main road from Hag.ley to Stourbridge, almost due W. of the church, and between it and
close to, the road. It is stated to have been rented from the Trustees to the Old Swinford Hospital for a term of 200 years,
but was taken back by them some time between 1840-1850, owing it si believed to the lease being lost. It is supposed to have
been in the family for some 80 yrs. in which it sould have been taken over 1760-70.
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