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Frederick James Higgs (abt. 1864 - bef. 1920)

Frederick James Higgs
Born about [location unknown]
Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of — married about 1885 in Ragged Island, Bahamasmap
Descendants descendants
Father of , , , , , , , , and
Died before before about age 56 [location unknown]
Problems/Questions Profile managers: Marion Ceruti private message [send private message] and Catherine Newbold-Kelley private message [send private message]
Profile last modified | Created 14 Jul 2019
This page has been accessed 483 times.

Contents

Biography

Bahamas Project
Frederick Higgs is part of a Bahamian family.
Africa Project
Frederick Higgs has African ancestry.
English flag
Frederick Higgs has English ancestors.
Frederick was a Laborer on Ragged Island.

Frederick was born about 1864. He married Catherine Matilda Ceruti and raised a family of ten children on Ragged Island, Bahamas. Frederick was employed as a laborer on Ragged Island at the time of Lucinda's birth. Catherine immigrated to Miami Florida in 1919 with their daughter, Laura. It is not yet know whether Frederick immigrated to Miami with Catherine and Laura. Frederick passed away some time before the 1920 US Federal Census.

Research Notes

1. So far, not much is known about Frederick's parents, grandparents, or his birthplace, but most likely he was born in the Bahamas, England, or Wales. Based on age and location alone Peter Higgs, b. 1808 d. 1864 could have been Frederick's grandfather.[1]

The mother of Frederick James Wallace is Jursha Higgs Wallace, who gave birth to her son in 1911 on Ragged Island.[2] His father, Eraspmis Wallace, was a seaman. Could Frederick Higgs be the uncle of Frederick James Wallace? More research is needed to answer this and other questions about family connections on Ragged Island.

A son of a Jeremiah Higgs, a mariner, and Mary Jane Saunders was born on 15 Sep. 1864 on Harbour Island, Eleuthera, Bahamas. This was their second child, the oldest having been a daughter named Florence Jane Higgs born 30 Jan 1860.

  • "Bahamas Births, 1850-1891", database, FamilySearch [11] entered 16 December 2019, Jeremiah Higgs in entry for (unnamed son) Higgs, born 15 Sep. 1864. Registrar: J.B. Hall, registered on 14 Sep. 1864, image 91 of 620.
  • "Bahamas Civil Registration, 1850-1959", database with images, FamilySearch [12] entered 22 February 2021, Jeremiah Higgs in entry for Florence Jane Higgs, 30 Jan 1860 on Harbour Island, Bahamas. Mother: Mary Jane Saunders.

More research is needed to prove or disprove the following hypotheses:

A. Jeremiah Samuel Higgs is the same man who married Mary Jane Saunders and had at least two children on Harbour Island, Eleuthera, Bahamas.
and
B. The son born on 15 Sep. 1864 on Harbour Island, Eleuthera, Bahamas is the same man as Frederick James Higgs, who married Catherine Matilda Ceruti.

2. Another possibility is that Samuel Johnson Higgs b. 1820 Bahamas d. 1880 Harbour Island, Bahamas, was Frederick's father. This hypothesis also is based only on age and location with no other supporting documentation.

3. The following man could be the father of Frederick James Higgs: James Higgs, b, 1832, African laborer of age 38 died 29 Oct 1870 on Ragged Island, Bahamas. Evidently there was some question about whether or not his death was the result of a crime. However, a jury determined that the cause of his death was "swallowing a fish bone while eating."

  • "Bahamas Death Records," images, FamilySearch [13] accessed December 22, 2023, image 518 of 525; Bahamas. Registrar General. James Higgs, African laborer, age 38 d. 29 Oct 1870, Ragged Island, Bahamas. Cause of his death: "swallowing a fish bone while eating." Mary A. C. Scott, Registrar.

This possible candidate for Frederick's father seems the most likely so far.

4. The following men could not be excluded as Frederick's father:

George Higgs, Mariner died at age 50, 14 Jan 1858, Island Of Harbour Island, Bahamas.[3]
Jeremiah Higgs died of apoplexy at age 42, 26 Dec. 1867 in the town of Dunmore, Bahamas. [4]
Based on age and location alone and with no other source information, Jeremiah Samuel Higgs b. 27 Dec 1834 on Harbour Island, Bahamas. As of 2 April 2023, wife and children were not listed on Jeremiah's profile.

5. Sarah Frances Johnson Higgs, wife of Robert Thomas Higgs died 26 Sep 1861. Could Robert have remarried and fathered Frederick?

6. Alternately, FamilySearch.org lists multiple men with the name, "Frederick Higgs" born in England and Wales in and around 1864, so birth information can neither be confirmed, nor ruled out based only on name and date. Some of these birth records are listed below in estimated decreasing probability of applicability to this profile.

  • "England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008," database, FamilySearch [14] entered 1 October 2014, Frederick James Higgs, 1863; from "England & Wales Births, 1837-2006," database, findmypast [15] entered 2012; citing Birth Registration, Wandsworth, London, England, Apr-May-Jun, citing General Register Office, Southport, England.
  • "England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008," database, FamilySearch [16] entered 1 October 2014, Frederick J Higgs, 1866; from "England & Wales Births, 1837-2006," database, findmypast [17] entered 2012; citing Birth Registration, Hackney, London, England, citing General Register Office, Southport, England.
  • "England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008," database, FamilySearch [18] entered 1 October 2014, Frederick Higgs, 1864; from "England & Wales Births, 1837-2006," database, findmypast [19] entered 2012; citing Birth Registration, Aston, Warwickshire, England, Apr-May-Jun, citing General Register Office, Southport, England.
  • "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch [20] entered 24 February 2022, Frederick Higgs, 1863. Christening Place: Highworth, Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom; Christening Date: 13 Mar 1863; Parents: Thomas and Mary Higgs
  • "England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008," database, FamilySearch [21] entered 1 October 2014, Frederick Higgs, 1865; from "England & Wales Births, 1837-2006," database, findmypast [22] entered 2012; citing Birth Registration, Winchcomb, Gloucestershire, England, citing General Register Office, Southport, England.
  • "England, Middlesex Parish Registers, 1539-1988", database, FamilySearch [23] entered 11 July 2022, Frederick Higgs, Birth Date 3 Oct 1858; Baptism Date 18 Apr 1862; Baptism Place Charterhouse St Thomas, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom; parents William and Mary Higgs.

Update as of 9 Dec. 2023 regarding possible relatives in the Bahamas:

Lewis Higgs, African, b. 11 Mar. 1873 to David Higgs, Mariner, and Henrietta Curry Higgs in Dunmore Town, Harbour Island, Bahamas. Bahamas Births, Family Search.org, [24] Image 481 of 618, (John) J. H. Roberts recording.

Brother or cousin? David Higgs, seaman, m. Henrietta Curry on 1 Sep. 1869 in the Wesleyan Chapel, Parish of St. John, Harbour Island, Rev. Moon officiating. Witnesses: Joshua Higgs & James A. Mather[5]

Sister?: Julia Higgs, spinster, m. Thomas Davis, 4 Sep. 1869, Wesleyan Chapel, Parish of St. John, Harbour Island, Rev. Moon officiating. [6]

Update as of 29 Jan 2024 regarding possible relatives in the Bahamas:

Rebekah Higgs, female of mixed races, age 22 b. 1851 died of consumption on 05 Dec. 1873 in Gregory Town, Bahamas, local records page 110. [7]

The following women could not be excluded as Frederick's grandmother.

Diana Higgs, planter age 86, b. 1785, died on 26 April 1871 of "inflammation (or something illegible) complaint" in the Western District of Andros Island in the Parish of St. Stephen.[8]
Rose Higgs, African laborer age 87 years, b. 1786 died of "age" on 20 Jul 1873 in the District of Ragged Island, Bahamas, Local records page 92.[9]

The following men could not be excluded as Frederick's grandfather.

James Higgs, mixed race age 80 b. 1794 Death 24 Oct 1874 St Matthew, Bahamas, Local records Page 19 [10]

The following Higgs family cannot be excluded as relatives of Frederick's: Julean Estelle Higgs, African female, was born 8 July 1910, in the District of Ragged Island to Samuel Higgs, a seaman, and Saveletta Danes Higgs.[11]

Slavery and the Higgs Family

Members of the Higgs family are listed in the Legacies of British Slave-ownership, 1836. 17 distinct claims can be found: 11 in the Bahamas, five in Bermuda, and one on the Cape of Good Hope. These slave owners were compensated for freeing their slaves.

For example, the following individual members of the Higgs family lived in the Bahamas in 1836 and were compensated for freeing their slaves. The number of freed slaves is listed in parentheses. Some names are listed twice, each with a different claim number. It is not known whether these were the same individual with multiple claims or different individuals with the same names. Ann (13), Ann (1), Anthony (3), Frances S.(2), Henrietta (8), Jeremiah (7), Joseph (3), Joseph (3), Samuel (4), Sarah (7), and Thomas (16).

These data can be investigated to determine likely relationships among these former slave owners. Specific familial relationships are not listed on the web site, either because of the scope defined in the website's policy or because they were unknown. Therefore, a specific relation to Frederick James Higgs cannot be established based only on manumission-compensation data. However, the slave owners listed above were born in the generation that included Frederick's parents. This narrows the search space but does not enable anyone to pinpoint specific relationships.

Freed slaves often assumed the surname of their former owners, to whom some were related. More research is needed to determine relationships among the Higgs families of the Caribbean.

Do Not Merge

The Frederick James Higgs featured in this profile should not be confused with Frederick James Higgs born 1901 in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom.

Sources

  1. ↑ "Bahamas Death Records," images, FamilySearch [1] accessed December 23, 2023, image 73 of 412; Bahamas. Registrar General. Peter Higgs, mariner, b. 1808 d. 16 Aug. 1864, cancer, in the Chapelry District of St. Agnes, N.P. Bahamas. W.E. Thomson Registrar.
  2. ↑ "Bahamas. Birth Registers 1910–1911." Image 262 of 463, [2] Accessed 4 Mar. 2024. Frederick James Wallace, African, b. 17 Feb. 1911, District of Ragged Island. Father: Eraspmis Wallace, seaman. Mother: Jursha Higgs Wallace. George A. Wilson, Registrar.
  3. ↑ Bahamas Civil Registration, 1850-1959, Deaths 1858-1859, [3] Image 42 of 268
  4. ↑ "Bahamas Records," images, FamilySearch [4] December 20, 2023, image 130 of 525; Bahamas. Registrar General.
  5. ↑ "Bahamas Marriage Records," images, FamilySearch [5] entered January 15, 2024, image 153 of 744; Bahamas. Registrar General.
  6. ↑ "Bahamas Marriage Records," images, FamilySearch [6] entered January 15, 2024, image 154 of 744; Bahamas. Registrar General.
  7. ↑ "Bahamas Civil Registration, 1850-1959," database with images, FamilySearch [7] entered 20 May 2014, Deaths 1871-1874, 1886 > image 381 of 545; Registrar General, Nassau. 05 Dec 1873, District of Gregory Town, P.G. Pyfrom, Registrar.
  8. ↑ "Bahamas Civil Registration, 1850-1959," database with images, FamilySearch [8] entered 20 May 2014, Deaths 1871-1874, 1886 > image 62 of 545; Registrar General, Nassau. 1871. Western District of Andros Island in the Parish of St. Stephen. John H. Miller, Registrar.
  9. ↑ "Bahamas Civil Registration, 1850-1959," database with images, FamilySearch [9] entered 7 October 2014, Deaths 1871-1874, 1886 > image 362 of 545; Registrar General, Nassau. Rose Higgs, laborer age 87, b. 1786 d. 20 Jul 1873 District of Ragged Island, Bahamas, Local records p. 92. Mary A.C. Scott, Registrar.
  10. ↑ "Bahamas Civil Registration, 1850-1959," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RS5-ZSM?cc=1922411&wc=Q4ZG-RM9%3A216290001 : 20 May 2014), Deaths 1871-1874, 1886 > image 432 of 545; Registrar General, Nassau.
  11. ↑ "Bahamas. Birth Registers 1910–1911" Image 139 of 463. Accessed 6 Mar. 2024. [10] Julean Estelle Higgs, African female, 8 July 1910, District of Ragged Island. Father: Samuel Higgs, seaman, and Saveletta Danes Higgs. George A. Wilson, Registrar
  • "Bahamas Births, 1850-1891", database, FamilySearch [25] entered 16 December 2019, Frederick Higgs in entry for James Tadeious Higgs, 1886.
  • "Bahamas Births, 1850-1891", database, FamilySearch [26] entered 16 December 2019, Frederick Higgs in entry for Allon Joseph Higgs, 1888.
  • "Bahamas Births, 1850-1891", database, FamilySearch [27] entered 16 December 2019, Frederick Higgs in entry for Edmond Theophilus Higgs, 1890.
  • "Bahamas Civil Registration, 1850-1959", database with images, FamilySearch [28] entered 9 August 2017, Frederick Higgs in entry for Cleveland Benjeman Higgs, 1893.
  • "Bahamas Civil Registration, 1850-1959", database with images, FamilySearch [29] entered 22 February 2021, Frederick Higgs in entry for Earnest Laurel Higgs, 1895.
  • "Bahamas Civil Registration, 1850-1959", database with images, FamilySearch [30] entered 22 February 2021, Frederick Higgs in entry for Simeon Zeb Higgs, 1897.
  • "Bahamas Civil Registration, 1850-1959", database with images, FamilySearch [31] entered 22 February 2021, Fredrick J Higgs in entry for Laura Matilda Higgs, 1900.
  • "Bahamas Civil Registration, 1850-1959", database with images, FamilySearch [32] entered 22 February 2021, Frederick J Higgs in entry for Ellen Blanch Higgs, 1901.
  • "Bahamas Civil Registration, 1850-1959", database with images, FamilySearch [33] entered 24 September 2015, Fredk James Higgs in entry for Unis Alvira Higgs, 1905.
  • "Bahamas Civil Registration, 1850-1959", database with images, FamilySearch [34] entered 22 February 2021, Fredk James Higgs in entry for Lucinda Higgs, 1907.
  • Bahamas Civil Registration 1850-1959, Ragged Island, p. 180 from familysearch.org
  • Legacies of British Slave-ownership, 22 Feb 1836, Parliamentary Papers p. 144; 14 Mar 1836 and 21 Mar 1836, Parliamentary Papers p. 146; 18 April 1836 and 25 April 1836, Parliamentary Papers p. 149; . [35]
  • "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch [36] accessed 20 July 2019, Laura Higgs in household of Ernest Rolle, Miami, Dade, Florida, United States; citing ED 24, sheet 3B, line 61, family 89, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 216; FHL microfilm 1,820,216.




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Comments: 4

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Cherrie Williams
Hi, my name is Cherrie Adderley, I think my mom is related to you. my mom's name is Zelma Bethel (Williams) Her mom's name was Lucinda Louise Higgs, she was the youngest daughter of Fredrick Higgs and Catherine Higgs Ceruti Higgs. My mom just turned 98 yrs old. She still tell stories of her grandmother she calls (Momie) and describes her as being a white lady with long blond hair. you can contact me if you like at #786-290-1342. Thanks Cherrie Adderley
posted by Cherrie Williams
edited by Cherrie Williams
Catherine (Newbold) Newbold-Kelley
Hi Cousin Cherrie

WOW! Yes, I believe we are related. My mother's father, my grandfather, was the 3rd child of Catherine Matilda Ceruti Higgs and Frederick Higgs. My grandfather's name was Allen Joseph Higgs. He had 5 children, and one is currently living, my Aunt Allen. (Allen Joseph Higgs died before my aunt Allen was born and my mother was about 5 years old). I believe that would make your mother and my Aunt first cousins. There has been a lot of research done on the Ceruti family by Marion Ceruti Ph.D. on Wikitree. The Ceruti family originally came from Italy and the brothers were, I believe, pirates, thus, how they arrived on the Bahamas island marrying and having children. (There parents' names were Frederick Lin Ceruti Sr. and Lucretia Cristina Wilson Ceruti). From stories I heard, Catherine Ceruti Higgs was either white or passed for white. I remember going to Key West as a little child and meeting her or her daughters, my mom's Aunt. I just remember one of them looking white with long white hair. I was wondering if there was any Ceruti family in the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale area and Bahamas. I was born and raised in Miami and currently living in Georgia. Thanks for reaching out. Catherine

posted by Catherine (Newbold) Newbold-Kelley
Ceruti-7 Marion Ceruti Ph.D.
Hello Cousins Catherine and Cherrie,

Thank you both for posting here. It's always great to communicate with cousins and find out more about our extended family. Here are a few notes on our mutual ancestors and cousins:

1. At the time when my great grandfather, Theodore Ceruti (Ceruti-35), married Matilda Necks (Necks-1) in Nassau, the Bahamas on 1 Feb 1837, a unified Italy did not yet exist. The Kingdom of Sardinia later became part of the Republic of Italy in the Risorgimento period in the mid 1800s. Here is a cool animated map that shows the progress of Italian unification:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unification_of_Italy#/media/File:Italian-unification.gif

2. We cannot categorically rule out that GGrandfather Theodore Ceruti could have been a pirate, but we have no direct evidence to support this hypothesis. The known pirate in our family was my 6x GGrandfather, Matthew Lowe (Lowe-2422). Of course, this does not preclude others from having been pirates, but the era when pirates ruled the Bahamas, using Nassau as a base of operations, ended long before GGrandfather Theodore Ceruti's arrival.

3. The unknown origin of GGrandfather Theodore Ceruti and other family mysteries are documented here:

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Ceruti_Family_Mysteries

My brother's Y-DNA results does not indicate one single surname, Ceruti, but many named "Field" or "Fields." This could be because GGrandfather Theodore Ceruti had been an adopted child. Having recently learned more about GGrandfather Theodore Ceruti's history, as well as a study of the era of pirates in the Caribbean, it seems more likely that he probably was not a pirate. Evidence is posted GGrandfather Theodore's profile that he was a painter in Europe before coming to Nassau.

4. Cousins Frank D. Ceruti (Frederick Lin Ceruti Sr. descendant) and Cousin Burt Ceruti (Edward Burton Ceruti Sr descendant) at one time believed that GGrandfather Theodore came to the Bahamas with a brother. This is an intriguing hypothesis, but I have not been able to find any clear evidence that supports this idea, nor has either Cousin Frank or Cousin Burt explained why they think that this is true. I am not sure whether it is true or not, but it might be a possible explanation of why we are finding Ceruti descendants in the Bahamas whom we cannot connect to our family tree. Some of the known Ceruti family associated with the Bahamas are all documented on the mystery page, the URL of which is listed in number 3.

5. Whereas Catherine Ceruti Higgs was biracial, I think that she easily could have passed for white. First, everyone that I have met or heard of in our family and in other Bahamian families is or has been biracial. Second, a more recent communication from cousin Ann Morang Fillman included a photo of our cousins who appear to be white.

https://www.wikitree.com/photo/png/Ceruti-43

This photo is a result of a private communication on 23 July 2023 from Cousin Ann, the daughter of Lillian Olivia Bowe (Bowe-705). The family group photo is dated 1908.

Catherine Ceruti Higgs is the half sister, Lillian Amelia Ceruti Bowe (Ceruti-43), whose picture confirms the white appearance.

6. Our family has a huge connection to Florida, where my father was born. I know of at least two descendants of Frederick Lin Ceruti, Sr. (Ceruti-37) who still live there: my 2C4R Jonniece Ceruti (Ceruti-64), and Damien Brown, who keeps in touch with my niece, Carolyn Ceruti. Moreover, another cousin, Gary Bates, (descendant of Edward Burton Ceruti III (Ceruti-17) also lives in Florida.

At least three of our cousins live in the Bahamas. To my knowledge, they include on my grandfather's side: Tory Pinder (Pinder-1457) on Spanish Wells and Margo Rose and Krispin Pinder, on Nassau. I met Margo on Ancestry, where we established a DNA connection.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any additional data regarding our family. If you can help solve a mystery, it would be especially helpful.

Best regards, Cousin Marion

posted by Marion Ceruti Ph.D.
edited by Marion Ceruti Ph.D.
Ceruti-7 Marion Ceruti Ph.D.
Higgs-2408 and Higgs-1712 appear to represent the same person because: The birth dates and death dates match. The wife matches (Catherine Ceruti Higgis is my cousin.) The children match. Please approve the merge.
posted by Marion Ceruti Ph.D.

Rejected matches › William Frederick Higgs (1866-1907) › Frederick Higgs (abt.1864-abt.1953) › Frederick James Haggas (abt.1864-1924) › Frederick Hughes (1866-) › Frederick Charles Hughes (1862-1950) › Frederick Walter Hicks (1863-1944) › Frederick Hughes (1866-1940) › George Frederick Hughes (1865-1930) › James William Hicks (1866-bef.1911)

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