History Is Present

The Bigod Family

The Bigod Shield

The Bigod family were a medieval Norman family who were created the second Earls of Norfolk who were renowned for their great castles in Suffolk, which still grace the county's skyline today. In the 12^th century, Norwich Castle became a stronghold for their political dealings and treacherous manoeuvrings, for which the Bigods are famous for.

They had a taste for rebellion against the King which is ironic that their power in the East Anglia was built on loyalty to the crown.

Roger Bigod was a second rank Norman nobleman, who following the

Norwich Castle

conquest of England in 1066 became a royal advisor to King William I. The rebellion of Ralph Guader, Earl of Norfolk at the time, from Norwich in 1075 had created a vacuum in the east, and Bigod’s lands, combined with those from other forced dispossessions, allowed Bigod to establish himself in the east. His allegiance and landholdings further elevated the Bigods status in the king's court.

Following William’s death in 1087, the throne of England became a precarious position in the Anglo-Norman Kingdom. William’s lands were divided between his eldest son Robert 'Curthose', who became Duke of Normandy, and his second son William 'Rufus' who was made King of England. Robert was ambitious, impatient to claim his inheritance; he had been a thorn in the side of his father and was never likely to settle for only a share of the kingdom. This division put magnates such as the Bigods in a dilemma. Twenty years after the conquest they had to choose between loyalty to their king, or their duke, and their Norman roots.