CHARLES H. BIGGAR OF LUNDY’S LANE

Niagara Falls Village

[Welland Tribune, 4 February 1898]

On the 28^th January last, the above named old resident of Lundy’s lane departed this life in peace, at the age of 80 years and two weeks. For more than a year his health had been failing, and for about four months his ailments were most severe, yet borne with much patience and religious trust. Charles Biggar was a loyal son of a U.E. Loyalist pioneer, who settled with others at or near what is now known as Lundy’s Lane, and although born after the famous battle, he inherited all the spirit of loyalty of his father and maintained the same principles in support of the integrity of the British Empire and this portion in particular. He was an intelligent and diligent reader of political history, and so his convictions became strong in support of the constitutional government which his father and thousands of others had fought in their lifetime to uphold and establish in Canada. Charles was born Jan. 14, 1818, in Stamford, on the old farm north of Lundy’s Lane, about one mile west of the battle ground. His father, William Biggar, was born in 1777, and soon after came with his parents to this country when a young man. He was married but a short time when his wife died; he married again-Miss Rebecca Green-she lived long, to 94 years of age. It has been said that she was the first white child born in the Niagara peninsula. There is a long and interesting history connected with her family name-Green-in this county. William Biggar, her husband died before her, 14^th May 1858; he had fought at the battles of Queenston, Beaver Dam, Chippawa and Lundy’s Lane, and received honorable mention for his bravery on several occasions. The following were children of William and Rebecca (Green) Biggar: James, Reuben, Eliza Ann, Richard, Robert, Lewis, Charles, John, William, Isaac and Elizabeth. The last four are living at this date.

Charles H. Biggar, the subject of our present notice, was married to Miss Caroline Sumner, daughter of a loyalist family in Oakville. She died five years ago, Feb. 5, 1893. They have left many family relics of the old days-plates, metal cups, saucers, knives and forks-which had been hidden buried in the garden attached to the homestead by his parents, William and Rebecca Biggar, during the invasion of the country in July 1814. An old tall clock is in the possession of Miss Phoebe S. Biggar. It has struck the hours when death came to great grand-father Green, grandfather Wm. Biggar, and her late father, Charles H. Biggar. A valuable watch once carried by a British officer at Lundy’s Lane, July 25^th, 1814, is now carried as a good time-keeper by young Charles L. Biggar.

The mortal remains of Mr. Biggar were interred last Tuesday, Feb. 1, among kindred graves in the old cemetery of Lundy’s Lane. Notwithstanding the severely cold and stormy day, there was a very large gathering of friends and relatives from Toronto, Oakville, Port Colborne, the townships south and west of the Lane, also from Niagara Falls and Buffalo, from whence came a memorial wreath of flowers. The Rev. Canon Bull, who had been visiting Mr. Biggar for a few months, officiated at the burial. Owing to the great storm prevailing, the chief portion of the service was said in George Biggar’s house, next to his father’s late residence.

In a brief address, the chief subject was on “Pilgrims and strangers of earth who can have no continuing city here, but should ever seek one to come, whose Builder and Maker is God.” Mention was made of several names of early pioneers of this district besides the name of Biggar, as Green, Lundy, Cook, Bender, Pew-interred together on the hill, awaiting the resurrection of the dead. The pallbearers were his grandsons: Two sons of Mrs. Cooper, Port Colborne; two sons of Wm. J. Biggar and two sons of Geo. C. Biggar.  The family now left are two sons and three daughters-Wm. Johnson Biggar, Eva (Mrs. Mulholland, Toronto), Phoebe S., George Chalmers, Rebecca (Mrs. Cooper).