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TombstoneTuesdayLycurgus Dinsmore Bigger was born September 19, 1843 in Blue Ball, Warren County, Ohio to parents James and Elizabeth (McCandless) Bigger.  I wouldn’t pretend to know the origin of his first name.  Lycurgus, however, is a common name in Greek mythology and in Greek the name is derived from “lycos urgos” or “he who keeps the wolves away.”  Dinsmore is probably a family name as it was customary to give children middle names which were family names or surnames of ancestors.

I ran across this name when I was researching last week’s Tombstone Tuesday article for Bigger Head. The history of Lycurgus Dinsmore Bigger presented a challenge to find meaningful (and accurate) information about his life. It does appear that at some point that either he decided to drop “Lycurgus” or there was someone else named “Dinsmore Bigger”. I found a couple of books on the genealogies of the Loomis and Williams (wife’s ancestors) families which included a brief record for Lycurgus and his family.

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  • The Burr Conspiracy:  Treason or Prologue to War
  • Finding War of 1812 Records (and the stories behind them)
  • Sarah Connelly, I Feel Your Pain (Adventures in Research: 1812 Pension Records)
  • Essential Skills for Genealogical Research: Noticing Notices
  • Bullets, Battles and Bands:  The Role of Music in War
  • Feisty Female Sheriffs:  Who Was First?
  • The Dash:  Bigger Family: (A Bigger and Better Story)
  • Book reviews, research tips and more

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