1. Joseph Biggar served as an MP in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland as member of the Home Rule League and later Irish Parliamentary Party for Cavan from 1874 to 1885 and West Cavan from 1885 to his death in 1890.
Joseph Biggar was the eldest son of Joseph Bigger, merchant and chairman of the Ulster bank, by Isabella, daughter of William Houston of Ballyearl, Antrim.
Joseph Biggar was educated at the Belfast Academy, and, entering his father's business of a provision merchant, became head of the firm in 1861, and carried it on till 1880.
Joseph Biggar's surname was originally spelled Bigger, but he changed the spelling upon conversion and taking up his political career; which caused some confusion about his namesake Francis Joseph Bigger.
Joseph Biggar became a wealthy Belfast provision merchant and city councillor.
Joseph Biggar is believed to have converted to Catholicism in 1875 in solidarity with Irish nationalism.
Joseph Biggar is reported to have said that he took Catholic communion to "annoy his sister".
Joseph Biggar is known for introducing in 1874 a new, more aggressive form of obstructionism in the British House of Commons.
Mr Joseph Biggar sank down victorious, and Mr Chaplin rushed in anger from the House.
Joseph Biggar brought into the House from the Library bundles of parliamentary papers and Blue Books, and from these he proceeded to read copious extracts.
Mr Joseph Biggar tendered respectful apologies, said he felt conscious that his voice was growing somewhat indistinct, remarked that he was at rather too great a distance from the chair, but said he would be happy to improve matters by drawing nearer.
Joseph Biggar sympathised with Fenianism but considered reliance on physical force Irish republicanism to be unrealistic.
Joseph Biggar joined the Irish Republican Brotherhood after his election to parliament in 1874 and accepted a seat on its Supreme Council, but 'only with a view to winning fenian support for parliamentary politics'.
Joseph Biggar served as a nominal joint treasurer on the executive of the Irish National Land League from its formation on 21 October 1879, and was charged on 2 November 1880, together with the other Land League leaders, with conspiracy to prevent the payment of rent as violence broke out in the Land War.
Healy, who initially opposed the nomination together with Joseph Biggar, describes Joseph Biggar's attitude to the issue:.
Parnell's intrigue should not, Joseph Biggar said, be allowed to stand in the way of political obligations, and no seat should be sold to a worthless woman's husband.
Joseph Biggar was not a purist, but urged that private vices should be kept private, and ought not to be imported into political issues.
Joseph Biggar was prepared to bring about the downfall of Parnell, in spite of the fact that Gladstone was in treaty with him for a Home Rule Bill.
Joseph Biggar did so alongside William Johnston, the unionist MP, nominee of the town's "Protestant Workingmen's Association", and a senior Orangeman, who, in the nineties, revived the legislative struggle for women's suffrage.