Bathsheba Crickerly

## Bathsheba Higgs (née Crickerly)

**Bathsheba Higgs** (née **Crickerly**) (**30 August**, **1880** - **21 July**, **1968**) was an English pure-blood witch and member of the Crickerly family. She attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from 1 September, 1891 to 1898 and was a member of Ravenclaw House. She was the niece of Minister for Magic Venusia Crickerly, who was in office from 1903 to 1912.

She married Bartholomew Higgs on 21 October, 1901, and they had one son together, Alwin Higgs. Through her son, Alwin, she was the paternal grandmother of Bathilda Corran (née Higgs), wife of Wizengamot member David Corran.

Bathsheba was the great aunt by marriage of Albert "Bertie" Higgs, who was a close personal friend of Minister for Magic Rufus Scrimgeour in the year 1996. Also by marriage, she was the second great-aunt of Terence Higgs and his sister Theresa, both of whom attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the 1990s.

## Biography

### Early life

Bathsheba Crickerly was born on 30 August, 1880, in the city of Preston, Lancashire, England. The River Ribble provides a southern border for the city. The Forest of Bowland forms a backdrop to Preston to the northeast while the Fylde lies to the west. Preston is approximately 27 miles (43 km) north west of Manchester, 26 miles (42 km) north east of Liverpool, and 15 miles (24 km) east of the coastal town Blackpool.

She was born into the Crickerly family. She was the niece of Minister for Magic Venusia Crickerly, who was in office from 1903 to 1912 before dying in office following a Mandrake-related freak gardening accident.

#### Hogwarts years

She received her Hogwarts letter in the summer of 1891. That same summer, she visited Diagon Alley, located in London, and purchased a wand made of vine and dragon heartstring from Ollivander's Wand Shop. On 1 September, 1891, she boarded the train for Hogwarts and was sorted into Ravenclaw House that same night.

Not much is known about her Hogwarts years: she left the school in 1898.

### Later life

Bathsheba Crickerly married Bartholomew Higgs on 21 October, 1901, and they had one son together, Alwin Higgs, in the year 1902. Alwin Higgs was their only son. A year later, Bathsheba's aunt succeeded Faris Spavin as Minister for Magic: Venusia Crickerly, a former Auror, was appointed to the office in 1903.

Bathsheba's husband, Bartholomew Higgs, became an employee of the Ministry of Magic sometime between leaving school and marrying Bathsheba: he became a member of the Wizengamot in 1912. That same year, Bathsheba's aunt, Venusia, died in an unfortunate Mandrake-related gardening accident.

Bathsheba Higgs (née Crickerly), her husband, Bartholomew, and son, Alwin Higgs, were political guests at the wedding of Arcturus Black III and Melania E. Macmillan, which took place on 12 August, [[1923]. Also invited was her brother-in-law, Bartemius Higgs.

Bathsheba's son, Alwin Higgs, married Elspeth Abbott in 1930, and they had a daughter together, Bathilda, in 1932. Her granddaughter, Bathilda, married Wizengamot Member David Corran in 1958. They had a son together, Rupert Corran, who was Bathsheba's great-grandson, in 1960.

#### Death

Bathsheba Higgs (née Crickerly) died on 21 July, 1968, at the age of 87. She died at St. Mungo's, and was survived by her husband, Bartholomew, her son, Alwin Higgs, daughter-in-law, Elspeth Higgs (née Abbott), her granddaughter, Bathilda Corran (née Higgs), and a great-grandson, Rupert Corran.

## Etymology

The name Bathsheba means "daughter of the oath" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a woman married to Uriah the Hittite. King David seduced her and made her pregnant, so he arranged to have her husband killed in battle and then married her. She was the mother of Solomon.

The name Crickerly first arose amongst the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from their having lived as dwellers at the *crosslea.* The surname Crickley originally derived from the Old English word *cruche* which meant *cross* or *crucifix.*