Norman Biggs
Encyclopedia
Norman Witchell Biggs was a Welsh
international rugby union
wing who played club rugby for Cardiff
and county rugby for Glamorgan
. Both Biggs and his brother Selwyn
played international rugby for Wales
, though they never played together in the same match for Wales. Biggs also played cricket
for Glamorgan
and in 1893 was part of a team that took on Cardiff in a two day match; he faced his brother Selwyn, who was a member of the Cardiff team.
Biggs is most notable for being a member of the 1893 Triple Crown
winning Wales team, being the youngest capped
player to represent the Wales international team and the unusual circumstances of his death by poison arrow.
to John and Emily Biggs. His father, who lived at Park Place in the centre of the city, was a brewer by trade who owned businesses in Cardiff and Bristol. Biggs was privately educated at several proprietary schools including Lewinsdale School in Weston-super-Mare
, before matriculating to University College Cardiff
and later Trinity Hall, Cambridge
, playing rugby for both university teams. On returning to Cardiff he joined his father's brewing business In 1887, Biggs played his first senior game for Cardiff RFC, in a match against Penarth
. Biggs came from a large sporting family and was one of six brothers to play rugby for Cardiff. His most notable brothers were Selwyn
, who also played for Wales, and Cecil
, who captained Cardiff during their 1904/05 season.
for Wales when he was selected to play against the touring New Zealand Natives
in 1888 at St. Helen's Ground. At the time Biggs was 18 years and 49 days old, making him the youngest Wales international, a record that would last for more than a century before being broken by Tom Prydie
in 2010. The New Zealanders were the first touring team from the Southern Hemisphere and brought with them a reputation for over-vigorous play. Biggs himself was described by the press as "palpably nervous" before the kick-off, though many of the backs appeared withdrawn, apart from William Stadden
and James Webb
appearing calm. Not only did Biggs have the Māori opposition to contend with, the Swansea
crowd were also hostile towards their own team, as they felt the Swansea
backs should have been selected instead. Biggs, as an inexperienced new cap from rivals Cardiff, was picked out by the crowd as one of those players unworthy of his place and was heckled. Nonetheless, the Welsh team were victorious, with tries
from Thomas
, Towers and Hannan
and a single conversion from Webb. A week later on the 29 December, Biggs faced the same tourists, this time as part of the Cardiff team. Biggs had been disappointing in his international debut, but regained his form on the pitch at the Cardiff Arms Park
. Within 90 seconds of the start of the match, Biggs scored a "sparkling try". Biggs should have scored again, but dropped the ball after crossing the line in the slippery conditions. Cardiff won by a goal and a try to one try.
. He was not chosen for the first game of the season against Scotland, but was accepted for the second and final game to Ireland. Under the captaincy of Arthur Gould, Biggs was partnered on the wing by Abel Davies
of London Welsh. Wales lost to Ireland by two tries to nil, the first time the Irish had won on Welsh soil. Biggs and Davies were both dropped for the next season.
It took Biggs until the 1892 Home Nations Championship
to regain his place in the national team, again he was chosen for the final game of the tournament against Ireland. Although the Welsh backs contained the talents of Billy Bancroft
, brothers Evan
and David James
and Arthur and Bert Gould
, the Welsh team were outclassed by Victor Le Fanu
's Ireland. It was the first time Wales had lost all three games in the Championship. Despite the loss Biggs was reselected for all three games of the 1893 tournament
, all under the captaincy of "Monkey" Gould. In a reversal of fortunes from the previous season, Wales managed to win all three matches, lifting the Triple Crown
for the first time in the country's history. Biggs played an important role during the Triple Crown winning season, scoring two tries, one each in the games against England and Scotland. The 1893 away game against Scotland is described as Biggs' best international match and 'his speed and general play were the main factors in securing the first victory of the Principality
over Scotland at Scotland'.
Biggs played in two more internationals for Wales, both in the 1894 Championship
and both resulted in losses. The first game of the 1894 Championship was against England, and Wales suffered a heavy defeat, losing 24–3. In an after match interview Biggs was asked why he had failed to tackle Harry Bradshaw
, who scored the first try; Biggs responded "Tackle him? It was as much as I could do to get out of his way!". In his final game against Ireland, Biggs was part of an all Cardiff three-quarters, along with Tom Pearson
, Dai Fitzgerald
and Jack Elliott
. The very next international saw Biggs' younger brother Selwyn selected for the first time, the brothers missing each other by just one match.
, London Welsh, Penygraig
, Exeter
and Cardiff & D.R.U. The 1893–94 season saw Biggs score 58 conversions, 25 tries and two dropped goals bringing his points tally to 199 points. This remained a club record until the 1972–73 season when it was surpassed by John Davies. Biggs ended his Cardiff career with 107 tries, four less than his brother Cecil.
Biggs played for several club teams throughout his career, including England's Richmond
and Welsh exile club London Welsh. On 24 December 1890, Biggs played for London Welsh in a match against his longterm club Cardiff. The London Welsh team produced a 'devastating display' to beat Cardiff by a single try. At county level he represented Glamorgan where he played alongside his brother, and later turned out for Somerset. During the 1893/94 season Biggs was made club captain of Cardiff, and in the same season he lead Cardiff against the invitational team the Barbarians
, not only winning the game but also scoring two tries and kicking a successful conversion. The same season as he faced the Barbarians with Cardiff, Biggs was invited to join the tourists; one of four of the Biggs brothers to play for the team. The last notable club Biggs represented was Bath
, captaining the senior team during the 1899–1900 season.
, Biggs volunteered for active service and was posted as a private
to the Glamorgan Yeomanry
, which formed 4 Company, 1st Battalion Imperial Yeomanry
for service in South Africa. He was wounded near Vrede
on 11 October 1900. He was returned to England on the hospital ship Simla which left Cape Town
26 November and arrived at Southampton
on 18 December. He was then commissioned as a second lieutenant
on 16 February 1901. On 17 April he was promoted lieutenant
and attached to 4th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry. Later in the year he either received a further wound, or fell ill, since The Times
reported on 26 September that he had been discharged from hospital and returned to duty in the week ending 8 September. He returned home on the steamship Goorkha, which left Cape Town on 19 July. He relinquished his commission on 12 September, and was granted the honorary rank of lieutenant, and permission to continue wearing his uniform.
Biggs was then commissioned as a lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion Welsh Regiment on 13 June 1903. He was appointed an Instructor of Musketry on 10 May 1905, He was then seconded to the Colonial Office
and posted to Northern Nigeria
as a superintendent of police in a military area on 10 February 1906, by that time he had also been promoted captain
. He was killed in 1908 when he was struck by a poison arrow, while on patrol in Kebbi State
, Nigeria.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
international rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
wing who played club rugby for Cardiff
Cardiff RFC
Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since...
and county rugby for Glamorgan
Glamorgan County RFC
Glamorgan County RFC is a Welsh rugby union club that manages an invitational team, known as Glamorgan that originally played rugby at county level...
. Both Biggs and his brother Selwyn
Selwyn Biggs
Selwyn Hanam Biggs was a Welsh international rugby union fly-half who played club rugby for Cardiff and county rugby for Glamorgan. Both Biggs and his brother Norman played international rugby for Wales, though they never played in the same match for Wales together. Biggs was described at the time...
played international rugby for Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
, though they never played together in the same match for Wales. Biggs also played cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
for Glamorgan
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
and in 1893 was part of a team that took on Cardiff in a two day match; he faced his brother Selwyn, who was a member of the Cardiff team.
Biggs is most notable for being a member of the 1893 Triple Crown
Triple Crown (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, the Triple Crown is an honour contested annually by the four national teams of the British Isles who compete within the larger Six Nations Championship: England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. If any one team manages to win all their games against the other three they win the...
winning Wales team, being the youngest capped
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
player to represent the Wales international team and the unusual circumstances of his death by poison arrow.
Early history
Norman Biggs was born in CardiffCardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
to John and Emily Biggs. His father, who lived at Park Place in the centre of the city, was a brewer by trade who owned businesses in Cardiff and Bristol. Biggs was privately educated at several proprietary schools including Lewinsdale School in Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare is a seaside resort, town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which is within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located on the Bristol Channel coast, south west of Bristol, spanning the coast between the bounding high ground of Worlebury...
, before matriculating to University College Cardiff
Cardiff University
Cardiff University is a leading research university located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. It received its Royal charter in 1883 and is a member of the Russell Group of Universities. The university is consistently recognised as providing high quality research-based...
and later Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the fifth-oldest college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich.- Foundation :...
, playing rugby for both university teams. On returning to Cardiff he joined his father's brewing business In 1887, Biggs played his first senior game for Cardiff RFC, in a match against Penarth
Penarth RFC
Penarth Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club based since 1924 at The Athletic Field, Lavernock Road, in Penarth, in the Vale of Glamorgan in Wales.-Origins and early history:...
. Biggs came from a large sporting family and was one of six brothers to play rugby for Cardiff. His most notable brothers were Selwyn
Selwyn Biggs
Selwyn Hanam Biggs was a Welsh international rugby union fly-half who played club rugby for Cardiff and county rugby for Glamorgan. Both Biggs and his brother Norman played international rugby for Wales, though they never played in the same match for Wales together. Biggs was described at the time...
, who also played for Wales, and Cecil
Cecil Biggs
Cecil Frederick Biggs was a British sportsman who played rugby union at centre for Cardiff and the Barbarians, and as a Cricketer represented Glamorgan. Biggs was one of six brothers to play rugby for Cardiff, and captained the team for a season in 1904/05...
, who captained Cardiff during their 1904/05 season.
International debut
Biggs gained his first capCap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
for Wales when he was selected to play against the touring New Zealand Natives
1888-1889 New Zealand Native football team
The 1888–1889 New Zealand Native football team was a New Zealand football team that toured Britain, Australia and New Zealand in 1888 and 1889. The team was composed mainly of players of Māori ancestry, although several Pakeha were included in the squad. The tour was a private endeavour, and was...
in 1888 at St. Helen's Ground. At the time Biggs was 18 years and 49 days old, making him the youngest Wales international, a record that would last for more than a century before being broken by Tom Prydie
Tom Prydie
Tom Prydie is a Welsh rugby union player. A fullback who can also play on the wing, Prydie is the youngest player in the history of Europe's top club competition in the sport, the Heineken Cup, and the youngest player ever to represent the Wales national team.-Early life:Born in Porthcawl, a...
in 2010. The New Zealanders were the first touring team from the Southern Hemisphere and brought with them a reputation for over-vigorous play. Biggs himself was described by the press as "palpably nervous" before the kick-off, though many of the backs appeared withdrawn, apart from William Stadden
William Stadden
William James Wood "Buller" Stadden was a Welsh international rugby union half back who played club rugby for Cardiff and Dewsbury. Stadden won eight caps for Wales over a period of seven years and is most remembered for scoring the winning try in 1890 to give Wales their first victory over England...
and James Webb
James Webb (rugby player)
James 'Jim' Webb was an English-born international rugby union player who played club rugby for Newport and international rugby for Wales.-Rugby career:...
appearing calm. Not only did Biggs have the Māori opposition to contend with, the Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
crowd were also hostile towards their own team, as they felt the Swansea
Swansea RFC
Swansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. Its home ground is St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea. The team is sometimes known as The Whites because of the primary colour of the team strip...
backs should have been selected instead. Biggs, as an inexperienced new cap from rivals Cardiff, was picked out by the crowd as one of those players unworthy of his place and was heckled. Nonetheless, the Welsh team were victorious, with tries
Try
A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
from Thomas
George Thomas (rugby player)
George Thomas was a Welsh international rugby union wing who played club rugby for Newport and international rugby for Wales...
, Towers and Hannan
Jim Hannan (rugby player)
Jim Hannan was a Welsh international rugby union player who played club rugby for Newport. A strong tactical forward his scrummaging work was excellent and could pivot the whole scrum around him....
and a single conversion from Webb. A week later on the 29 December, Biggs faced the same tourists, this time as part of the Cardiff team. Biggs had been disappointing in his international debut, but regained his form on the pitch at the Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park , also known as The Arms Park, is primarily known as a rugby union stadium, but it also has a bowling green, and is situated in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. The Arms Park was host to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1958, and hosted four games in the 1991 Rugby World...
. Within 90 seconds of the start of the match, Biggs scored a "sparkling try". Biggs should have scored again, but dropped the ball after crossing the line in the slippery conditions. Cardiff won by a goal and a try to one try.
Home Nations Championship matches
Later in the 1888–89 season, Biggs was reselected for the Welsh team as part of the 1889 Home Nations Championship1889 Home Nations Championship
The 1889 Home Nations Championship was the seventh series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Three matches were played between 2 February and 2 March. It was contested by Ireland, Scotland and Wales...
. He was not chosen for the first game of the season against Scotland, but was accepted for the second and final game to Ireland. Under the captaincy of Arthur Gould, Biggs was partnered on the wing by Abel Davies
Abel Davies
Abel Christmas Davies was a Welsh international rugby union wing who played club rugby for London Welsh and international rugby for Wales...
of London Welsh. Wales lost to Ireland by two tries to nil, the first time the Irish had won on Welsh soil. Biggs and Davies were both dropped for the next season.
It took Biggs until the 1892 Home Nations Championship
1892 Home Nations Championship
The 1892 Home Nations Championship was the tenth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 2 January and 5 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales....
to regain his place in the national team, again he was chosen for the final game of the tournament against Ireland. Although the Welsh backs contained the talents of Billy Bancroft
Billy Bancroft
Billy Bancroft was a Welsh international fullback who played club rugby for Swansea and a county cricketer for Glamorgan, becoming their first professional player in 1895....
, brothers Evan
Evan James (rugby player)
Evan James was a Welsh rugby half back who played club rugby for Swansea under the rugby union code, and professional rugby league for Broughton Rangers. While playing with Swansea, James was paired with his brother, David James and together they were nicknamed the 'Swansea gems' and the 'Curly...
and David James
David James (rugby player)
David James was a Welsh international rugby union half back who played club rugby for Swansea. While playing with Swansea, James was paired with his brother, Evan James and together they were nicknamed the 'Swansea gems' and the 'Curly haired marmasets'.- Rugby career :James was first capped for...
and Arthur and Bert Gould
Bert Gould
George Herbert 'Bert' Gould was a Welsh international rugby union centre who played club rugby for Newport Rugby Football Club and won three caps for Wales...
, the Welsh team were outclassed by Victor Le Fanu
Victor Le Fanu
Victor Charles Le Fanu was an Irish international rugby union flanker who played club rugby for Landsdowne.Le Fanu was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge and would later play for Cambridge rugby team...
's Ireland. It was the first time Wales had lost all three games in the Championship. Despite the loss Biggs was reselected for all three games of the 1893 tournament
1893 Home Nations Championship
The 1893 Home Nations Championship was the eleventh series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 17 January and 11 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales...
, all under the captaincy of "Monkey" Gould. In a reversal of fortunes from the previous season, Wales managed to win all three matches, lifting the Triple Crown
Triple Crown (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, the Triple Crown is an honour contested annually by the four national teams of the British Isles who compete within the larger Six Nations Championship: England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. If any one team manages to win all their games against the other three they win the...
for the first time in the country's history. Biggs played an important role during the Triple Crown winning season, scoring two tries, one each in the games against England and Scotland. The 1893 away game against Scotland is described as Biggs' best international match and 'his speed and general play were the main factors in securing the first victory of the Principality
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
over Scotland at Scotland'.
Biggs played in two more internationals for Wales, both in the 1894 Championship
1894 Home Nations Championship
The 1894 Home Nations Championship was the twelfth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 6 January and 17 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.-Table:-Results:...
and both resulted in losses. The first game of the 1894 Championship was against England, and Wales suffered a heavy defeat, losing 24–3. In an after match interview Biggs was asked why he had failed to tackle Harry Bradshaw
Harry Bradshaw (rugby)
Harry Bradshaw was a rugby union footballer of the 1890s who at representative level played for England, and at club level for Bramley, playing in the Forwards, e.g. Front row, Lock, or Back row...
, who scored the first try; Biggs responded "Tackle him? It was as much as I could do to get out of his way!". In his final game against Ireland, Biggs was part of an all Cardiff three-quarters, along with Tom Pearson
Tom Pearson (rugby player)
Thomas William Rory Pearson was a Welsh international wing who played club rugby for Cardiff and Newport and county rugby with Middlesex. He won 13 caps for Wales and captained the team on one occasion, against England. Pearson was an all-round sportsman, representing Wales not only in rugby, but...
, Dai Fitzgerald
Dai Fitzgerald
David "Dai" Fitzgerald was a Welsh rugby centre who played club rugby under the union code for Cardiff and later switched to professional rugby league team Batley...
and Jack Elliott
Jack Elliott (rugby player)
John "Jack" Elliott was a Welsh rugby union scrum-half who played club rugby for Cardiff and international rugby for Wales, winning three caps....
. The very next international saw Biggs' younger brother Selwyn selected for the first time, the brothers missing each other by just one match.
Club and county
Biggs played for Cardiff from the 1886–87 season through to 1898–99, though not continuously, spending some time in the early 1890s in London. He played in 166 matches for Cardiff, was one of the highest scoring players the club had produced. He scored five or more try conversions in a single match on seven occasions, six in the same season (1893–94), against Gloucester, BristolBristol Rugby
Bristol Rugby is a rugby union club based in Bristol, England. The club currently plays in the RFU Championship and competes in the British and Irish Cup. They rely in large part on the many junior rugby clubs in the region, particularly those from 'the Combination'...
, London Welsh, Penygraig
Penygraig RFC
Penygraig Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in Penygraig, Wales. Penygraig RFC formed in 1877, one of the earlier rugby clubs to emerge, and by 1890's were a strong voice in the Welsh Rugby Union, one of four clubs from the Rhondda Valley that held WRU representation.-Early...
, Exeter
Exeter Chiefs
Exeter Rugby Club are a rugby union club based in Exeter, Devon.The Exeter club was formed around 1871 and played its first match in 1873. The first team has been rebranded as the Exeter Chiefs and play in a strip of Black , White ....
and Cardiff & D.R.U. The 1893–94 season saw Biggs score 58 conversions, 25 tries and two dropped goals bringing his points tally to 199 points. This remained a club record until the 1972–73 season when it was surpassed by John Davies. Biggs ended his Cardiff career with 107 tries, four less than his brother Cecil.
Biggs played for several club teams throughout his career, including England's Richmond
Richmond F.C.
Richmond Football Club is a rugby union club from Richmond, London. It is a founding member of the Rugby Football Union, and is one of the oldest football clubs...
and Welsh exile club London Welsh. On 24 December 1890, Biggs played for London Welsh in a match against his longterm club Cardiff. The London Welsh team produced a 'devastating display' to beat Cardiff by a single try. At county level he represented Glamorgan where he played alongside his brother, and later turned out for Somerset. During the 1893/94 season Biggs was made club captain of Cardiff, and in the same season he lead Cardiff against the invitational team the Barbarians
Barbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
, not only winning the game but also scoring two tries and kicking a successful conversion. The same season as he faced the Barbarians with Cardiff, Biggs was invited to join the tourists; one of four of the Biggs brothers to play for the team. The last notable club Biggs represented was Bath
Bath Rugby
Bath Rugby is an English professional rugby union club that is based in the city of Bath. They play in the Aviva Premiership league...
, captaining the senior team during the 1899–1900 season.
Later life and military career
After the outbreak of the Second Boer WarSecond Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
, Biggs volunteered for active service and was posted as a private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
to the Glamorgan Yeomanry
Glamorgan Yeomanry
The Glamorgan Yeomanry were formed in 1797, when King George III was on the throne, William Pitt the Younger was the Prime Minister of Great Britain, and across the English Channel, Britain was faced by a French nation that had recently guillotined its King and possessed a revolutionary army...
, which formed 4 Company, 1st Battalion Imperial Yeomanry
Imperial Yeomanry
The Imperial Yeomanry was a British volunteer cavalry regiment that mainly saw action during the Second Boer War. Officially created on 24 December 1899, the regiment was based on members of standing Yeomanry regiments, but also contained a large contingent of mid-upper class English volunteers. In...
for service in South Africa. He was wounded near Vrede
Vrede
Vrede a is town in the Free State province of South Africa that is the agricultural hub of a 100 km² region. Maize, wheat, mutton, wool, beef, dairy products and poultry are farmed in the region. The town was established here after a dispute arose regarding as to where to set up the town in...
on 11 October 1900. He was returned to England on the hospital ship Simla which left Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
26 November and arrived at Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
on 18 December. He was then commissioned as a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
on 16 February 1901. On 17 April he was promoted lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
and attached to 4th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry. Later in the year he either received a further wound, or fell ill, since The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
reported on 26 September that he had been discharged from hospital and returned to duty in the week ending 8 September. He returned home on the steamship Goorkha, which left Cape Town on 19 July. He relinquished his commission on 12 September, and was granted the honorary rank of lieutenant, and permission to continue wearing his uniform.
Biggs was then commissioned as a lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion Welsh Regiment on 13 June 1903. He was appointed an Instructor of Musketry on 10 May 1905, He was then seconded to the Colonial Office
Colonial Office
Colonial Office is the government agency which serves to oversee and supervise their colony* Colonial Office - The British Government department* Office of Insular Affairs - the American government agency* Reichskolonialamt - the German Colonial Office...
and posted to Northern Nigeria
Northern Nigeria
Northern Nigeria is a geographical region of Nigeria. It is more arid and less densely populated than the south. The people are largely Muslim, and many are Hausa...
as a superintendent of police in a military area on 10 February 1906, by that time he had also been promoted captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
. He was killed in 1908 when he was struck by a poison arrow, while on patrol in Kebbi State
Kebbi State
Kebbi State is a state in north-western Nigeria with its capital at Birnin Kebbi. The state was formed from part of Sokoto State in 1991. Kebbi State is bordered by Sokoto State, Niger State, Dosso Region in the Republic of Niger and the nation of Benin. It has a total area of...
, Nigeria.
External links
- National Library of Wales Profile of Norman Biggs
- Cricket Archive Cricket biography of Norman Biggs with portrait
- Captain Norman Biggs' grave A video interview with Markus Yabani at Norman Bigg's graveside, explaining the local beliefs towards the reason for his murder.