Ralph Bigland (born 1757)

Sir Ralph Bigland (né Owen; 1 May 1757 – 14 July 1838) was an English herald. He was the son of Joseph Owen of Salford, Lancashire, and Elizabeth-Maria Owen (née Bigland).

In 1774, he received royal licence to take the surname and arms of Bigland.^[1] He did this out of respect to his maternal uncle, Ralph Bigland,^[2] English Officer of Arms, at his uncle's desire.^[3] That same year, he became Rouge Dragon Pursuivant,^[4] the first of five heraldic appointments he was to hold in the College of Arms.

Like his uncle, he rose to the most senior office, being appointed Garter Principal King of Arms from 1831^[5] (the same year he was created Knight Bachelor^[6]) until his death. He was the last to hold all three Kingships of the College of Arms in succession.^[3]

Arms

Coat of arms of Sir Ralph Bigland

Notes Same arms as his uncle and namesake. Adopted Exemplified 1774 Crest On a torse or & azure a lion passant looking backwards gules & holding in the dexter paw an ear of big or. Escutcheon Quarterly with a crescent for difference; (1) azure, 2 ears of big (wheat) or (Bigland); (2) argent, 2 bars with 3 scallops in chief gules (Errington); (3) argent, 10 roundels gules (Babington); (4) or, a fret sable (Ward).[7] Motto Spe Labor Levis ("Hope for light work")

References

1. "Tables: January to December 1774 : British History Online". British History Online. University of London. 1899. Retrieved 14 December 2015. Owen, Ralph Bigland, to take surname and arms of Bigland. 21 [Oct]
2. Edward Cave; John Nichols (1838). The Gentleman's Magazine, and Historical Chronicle, for the Year ... Edw. Cave. pp. 226–234.
3. Walter H. Godfrey; Sir Anthony Wagner; H. Stanford London (1963). The College of Arms. p. 65.
4. Mark Noble (1804). A history of the College of Arms: and the lives of all the Kings, Heralds, and Pursuivants from the reign of Richard III, founder of the College, until the present time. Printed for J. Debrett and T. Egerton. p. 442. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
5. "No. 18876". The London Gazette. 22 November 1831. p. 2424.
6. "No. 18882". The London Gazette. 9 December 1831. p. 2572.
7. Godfrey, Walter H; Wagner, Anthony (1963). "'Garter King of Arms', in Survey of London Monograph 16, College of Arms, Queen Victoria Street (London, 1963), pp. 38-74". british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 1 November 2018.

Heraldic offices
Preceded by Thomas Locke	Rouge Dragon Pursuivant 1774–1780	Succeeded by Benjamin Pingo
Preceded by Peter Dore	Richmond Herald 1780–1803	Succeeded by Joseph Hawker
Preceded by George Harrison	Norroy King of Arms 1803–1822	Succeeded by Edmund Lodge
Preceded by Sir George Nayler	Clarenceux King of Arms 1822–1831	Succeeded by Sir William Woods
Preceded by Sir George Nayler	Garter Principal King of Arms 1831–1838	Succeeded by Sir William Woods