Higgins

The name Higgins in Ireland is derived from either Anglo settlers who arrived in the seventeenth century or from native Gaelic Septs who adopted it as the Anglicized version of their name. The name is an ancient one, uigín meaning "knowledge", although I've also seen it described as meaning "viking". The original Uigin from whom they claim descent was grandson to Niall of the Nine Hostages, the 5th century king who founded the powerful tribal grouping the Ui Neill, and they are therefore regarded as part of that grouping. Originally based in the midlands, part of the southern Ui Neill, they moved west over the centuries to Sligo and Mayo, and more than half of those bearing the surname today still live in the western province of Connacht. The name is still among the one hundred most commonly found in Ireland.

From the 13th to the 17th century there were eight Ó hUigín poets, including one who was a bishop. Following the submergence of the poets and bards, the O'Higgins changed to medicine and the sciences where they excelled.

Perhaps the most well known O'Higgins was the Co. Meath O'Higgins, Ambrosio O'Higgins, and his perhaps even more famous son, Bernardo O' Higgins. The son of Charles Higgins, Ambrosio was born about 1720. Ambrosio added the ’O’ to his name later in life. In 1787, the Spanish Crown appointed him Governor of Chile, and in January 1796 he became Viceroy of Peru.

Having married Isabel Riquelme in Chile, his son Bernardo was born August 20, 1778. Ambrosio died in Lima in 1801, and Bernardo subsequently went on to declare Chile's independence from Spain on February 12, 1818. Bernardo would eventually be exiled to Peru in 1823 and it was only after much time that he would again be recognized as the "Liberator of Chile" and seen as a hero. Bernardo himself had a son, Pedro Demetrio O'Higgins, who was born about 1802 and accompanied Bernardo to Peru when he was exiled. To this day, there are descendants of these O’Higgins in Peru and Chile.

In our family, the story of how we are related to these famous O'Higgins constantly comes up & there are a large number of clues suggesting the story may be true. Both Ambrosio and our Higgins were from Summerhill parish in Co. Meath. The names Charles and Ambrose are not common, yet they recur in a Higgins family from Moy. Most recently, an interesting death certificate for one of the Moy Higgins was found. It shows that present at his death was a cousin, William Higgins. This William was a child of Thomas Higgins, one of the Higgins from Clondoogan and a direct ancestor. It appears that Thomas Higgins and Charles Higgins (from Moy) were likely brothers. This would tie both families together and give more credence to the family story that there was at least one Ambrose Higgins that was a cousin or uncle of Laurence Higgins.

The story that our Higgins family is related to Ambrosio O’ Higgins is intriguing and I believe the definitive proof will be eventually discovered.