Matthew was born in Invercargill, the 5th of 14 known children to Matthew Biggar (1860-1936) who came to NZ with his parents in 1861 from Arbroath, Scotland) & Jessie Harriet Johnston (1865-1919) who was born in Otago to James & Mary Johnson.
His parents married in 1885. They were living in Kaponga at his enlistment and were at Makirikiri, Wanganui at the time of his death in 1917
his siblings
1884 - 1983 Mary Jane Biggar (+Simmons)
1888 - 1949 Janet Biggar (+Stratton)
1889 - 1957 John Charles Biggar (+Mills)
1891 - 1982 Gertrude Ella Biggar (+jamieson)
1893 - 1917 Matthew James Biggar
1895 - 1982 Jessie Edith Biggar (+Bewley +Milham)
1896 - 1974 Catherine Erina Biggar (+Lynch)
1898 - 1966 Peter Edgar Biggar (+Peapells)
1899 - Margaret Ethel Biggar (+Peapells +Wedderspoon)
1900 - 1971 Alexander McKay Biggar (+Austin)
1901 - 1993 George Donald Biggar (+Buller)
1903 - 2003 Elsie Harriet Biggar (+Edwards)
1905 - 1973 William Oliver Biggar (+Goodgame)
1907 - 1962 Helen Biggar (+Oakes)
Matthew was a Contractor and was single when he enlisted for WWI from Kaponga, Taranaki and served as Private 39744 with the New Zealand Training Unit, 22nd Reinforcements, B Company.
His next of kin was his father at Kaponga, Taranaki
Wairarapa Age, 17 Feb 1917
Suicide Mr E. G. Eton, District Coroner, held an inquest on Friday morning at Featherston, on the body of Private Matthew James Biggar, twenty-three years of age, of 'B' Company, 22nd reinforcements. The evidence showed that the deceased had been missing from camp since February 4th. On Thursday some soldiers who were returning from the river, found the body lying face downwards in some scrub with a piece of pull-through cord tied tightly round the neck. Another portion of the cord was attached to the bough of a manuka tree. The deceased had evidently tied the cord round his neck and then to the bough of the tree and strangled himself, the cord subsequently breaking. The medical evidence showed that death was due to strangulation and that death had probably occurred at least a week previously. There was no evidence to show that the deceased had suffered mentally. The Coroner returned a verdict that the deceased committed suicide by hanging himself. Deceased's people reside at Kaponga, Taranaki
His parents married in 1885. They were living in Kaponga at his enlistment and were at Makirikiri, Wanganui at the time of his death in 1917
his siblings
1884 - 1983 Mary Jane Biggar (+Simmons)
1888 - 1949 Janet Biggar (+Stratton)
1889 - 1957 John Charles Biggar (+Mills)
1891 - 1982 Gertrude Ella Biggar (+jamieson)
1893 - 1917 Matthew James Biggar
1895 - 1982 Jessie Edith Biggar (+Bewley +Milham)
1896 - 1974 Catherine Erina Biggar (+Lynch)
1898 - 1966 Peter Edgar Biggar (+Peapells)
1899 - Margaret Ethel Biggar (+Peapells +Wedderspoon)
1900 - 1971 Alexander McKay Biggar (+Austin)
1901 - 1993 George Donald Biggar (+Buller)
1903 - 2003 Elsie Harriet Biggar (+Edwards)
1905 - 1973 William Oliver Biggar (+Goodgame)
1907 - 1962 Helen Biggar (+Oakes)
Matthew was a Contractor and was single when he enlisted for WWI from Kaponga, Taranaki and served as Private 39744 with the New Zealand Training Unit, 22nd Reinforcements, B Company.
His next of kin was his father at Kaponga, Taranaki
Wairarapa Age, 17 Feb 1917
Suicide Mr E. G. Eton, District Coroner, held an inquest on Friday morning at Featherston, on the body of Private Matthew James Biggar, twenty-three years of age, of 'B' Company, 22nd reinforcements. The evidence showed that the deceased had been missing from camp since February 4th. On Thursday some soldiers who were returning from the river, found the body lying face downwards in some scrub with a piece of pull-through cord tied tightly round the neck. Another portion of the cord was attached to the bough of a manuka tree. The deceased had evidently tied the cord round his neck and then to the bough of the tree and strangled himself, the cord subsequently breaking. The medical evidence showed that death was due to strangulation and that death had probably occurred at least a week previously. There was no evidence to show that the deceased had suffered mentally. The Coroner returned a verdict that the deceased committed suicide by hanging himself. Deceased's people reside at Kaponga, Taranaki
Matthew was born in Invercargill, the 5th of 14 known children to Matthew Biggar (1860-1936) who came to NZ with his parents in 1861 from Arbroath, Scotland) & Jessie Harriet Johnston (1865-1919) who was born in Otago to James & Mary Johnson.
His parents married in 1885. They were living in Kaponga at his enlistment and were at Makirikiri, Wanganui at the time of his death in 1917
his siblings
1884 - 1983 Mary Jane Biggar (+Simmons)
1888 - 1949 Janet Biggar (+Stratton)
1889 - 1957 John Charles Biggar (+Mills)
1891 - 1982 Gertrude Ella Biggar (+jamieson)
1893 - 1917 Matthew James Biggar
1895 - 1982 Jessie Edith Biggar (+Bewley +Milham)
1896 - 1974 Catherine Erina Biggar (+Lynch)
1898 - 1966 Peter Edgar Biggar (+Peapells)
1899 - Margaret Ethel Biggar (+Peapells +Wedderspoon)
1900 - 1971 Alexander McKay Biggar (+Austin)
1901 - 1993 George Donald Biggar (+Buller)
1903 - 2003 Elsie Harriet Biggar (+Edwards)
1905 - 1973 William Oliver Biggar (+Goodgame)
1907 - 1962 Helen Biggar (+Oakes)
Matthew was a Contractor and was single when he enlisted for WWI from Kaponga, Taranaki and served as Private 39744 with the New Zealand Training Unit, 22nd Reinforcements, B Company.
His next of kin was his father at Kaponga, Taranaki
Wairarapa Age, 17 Feb 1917
Suicide Mr E. G. Eton, District Coroner, held an inquest on Friday morning at Featherston, on the body of Private Matthew James Biggar, twenty-three years of age, of 'B' Company, 22nd reinforcements. The evidence showed that the deceased had been missing from camp since February 4th. On Thursday some soldiers who were returning from the river, found the body lying face downwards in some scrub with a piece of pull-through cord tied tightly round the neck. Another portion of the cord was attached to the bough of a manuka tree. The deceased had evidently tied the cord round his neck and then to the bough of the tree and strangled himself, the cord subsequently breaking. The medical evidence showed that death was due to strangulation and that death had probably occurred at least a week previously. There was no evidence to show that the deceased had suffered mentally. The Coroner returned a verdict that the deceased committed suicide by hanging himself. Deceased's people reside at Kaponga, Taranaki
His parents married in 1885. They were living in Kaponga at his enlistment and were at Makirikiri, Wanganui at the time of his death in 1917
his siblings
1884 - 1983 Mary Jane Biggar (+Simmons)
1888 - 1949 Janet Biggar (+Stratton)
1889 - 1957 John Charles Biggar (+Mills)
1891 - 1982 Gertrude Ella Biggar (+jamieson)
1893 - 1917 Matthew James Biggar
1895 - 1982 Jessie Edith Biggar (+Bewley +Milham)
1896 - 1974 Catherine Erina Biggar (+Lynch)
1898 - 1966 Peter Edgar Biggar (+Peapells)
1899 - Margaret Ethel Biggar (+Peapells +Wedderspoon)
1900 - 1971 Alexander McKay Biggar (+Austin)
1901 - 1993 George Donald Biggar (+Buller)
1903 - 2003 Elsie Harriet Biggar (+Edwards)
1905 - 1973 William Oliver Biggar (+Goodgame)
1907 - 1962 Helen Biggar (+Oakes)
Matthew was a Contractor and was single when he enlisted for WWI from Kaponga, Taranaki and served as Private 39744 with the New Zealand Training Unit, 22nd Reinforcements, B Company.
His next of kin was his father at Kaponga, Taranaki
Wairarapa Age, 17 Feb 1917
Suicide Mr E. G. Eton, District Coroner, held an inquest on Friday morning at Featherston, on the body of Private Matthew James Biggar, twenty-three years of age, of 'B' Company, 22nd reinforcements. The evidence showed that the deceased had been missing from camp since February 4th. On Thursday some soldiers who were returning from the river, found the body lying face downwards in some scrub with a piece of pull-through cord tied tightly round the neck. Another portion of the cord was attached to the bough of a manuka tree. The deceased had evidently tied the cord round his neck and then to the bough of the tree and strangled himself, the cord subsequently breaking. The medical evidence showed that death was due to strangulation and that death had probably occurred at least a week previously. There was no evidence to show that the deceased had suffered mentally. The Coroner returned a verdict that the deceased committed suicide by hanging himself. Deceased's people reside at Kaponga, Taranaki
Inscription
Pte 39744 N.Z.E.F.
M. J. BIGGAR
22nd Reinforcements
Died 4 - 2 - 1917
Aged 32
Family Members
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