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Calling All Huguenots!

July 3, 2014
by the gentle author

Click to enlarge Adam Dant’s Map of Huguenots in Spitalfields

This week sees the inauguration of the Map of Huguenots in Spitalfields at Townhouse in Fournier St to which anyone with Huguenot ancestors in this neck of the works is invited to come along and add their forebears.

Cartographer extraordinaire Adam Dant has drawn a huge map as big as a wall and Stanley Rondeau, whose great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather Jean Rondeau arrived as an immigrant in 1685, put a pin in it to mark his ancestor. Undoubtedly, this was the first of many to come as the Huguenots converge upon Spitalfields again next week for the Huguenot Threads festival which runs from 9th until 20th July.

The plan is to collect as many stories of Spitalfields Huguenot ancestry onto the map as possible to create an archive, and the next steps will be an online version and a possible publication. In the meantime, if you are unable to come to Spitalfields in person to make your mark, you can follow the evolution of the map at the facebook page for Townhouse and submit stories of your Huguenot ancestors to be included. Later, everyone with forebears on the map will be invited to a party to meet each other and celebrate their shared history.

Spitalfields was the most concentrated Huguenot settlement in Britain of the twenty-five thousand French Protestants who fled across the Channel, to save their lives after the Revocation of the Act of Nantes, in 1685 – and who thereby introduced the word refugee into the English language.

Stanley places his ancestor Jean Rondeau on the map

Stanley Rondeau, Spitalfields’ most celebrated Huguenot

Stanley Rondeau congratulates Adam Dant on his Huguenot Map of Spitalfields

Stanley recounts the tale of the Rondeaus of Spitalfields for Adam

Photograph of map © Patricia Niven

Photographs of Stanley Rondeau & Adam Dant © Sarah Ainslie

The Map of Huguenots is at Townhouse, 5 Fournier St, until the end of August

Click here to learn more about the HUGUENOT THREADS festival

You make also like to read

Stanley Rondeau, Huguenot

Stanley Rondeau at the V&A

Remembering Jean Rondeau

The Huguenots of Spitalfields

Huguenot Portraits

13 Responses leave one →
  1. July 3, 2014

    Great ide, looking foard to seeing more as it fills out. Valerie

  2. Alison permalink
    July 3, 2014

    Jacob Bellett was born in Webb’s Square in 1765, son of John Bellett and Susanna Lemery; he was convicted at the Old Bailey in January 1785 of the theft of 51 ells of half-ell lining, one pound of unwound black silk and 32 ounces of double black silk wound. He was sentenced to 7 years’ transportation and arrived in Botany Bay on the ‘Scarborough’, a ship of the First Fleet, in January 1788. He died in Hobart, Van Diemen’s Land, in 1813 and was 4 x great-grandfather of my husband.

  3. Greg Tingey permalink
    July 3, 2014

    I wonder how well-recorded the Tingeys are?
    Lived in Spitalfiekds & Bethnal Green, until about 1890-1910.
    Parish records?
    I also wonder about my maternal grandmother’s family – Paramour – Par Amour as well ….

  4. Frances Colonna (nee Le Maitre) permalink
    July 3, 2014

    Dear Mr Dant,
    The earliest records I have concern my Great Great Grandfather, John Adrian Le Maitre. He was a goldsmith and he was born in about 1764.
    He married twice. The first marriage to Mary Spencer took place in St. Martin In The Fields, and the second marriage to Harriet Ann Cumming took place in Old Church, St. Pancras.
    I have the dates if you are interested.
    My Father gave me some good common sense thoughts to keep, that have helped me through life. Also, a sentence that has been passed down to me “We came to England with what we had in our pockets, and what we had in our heads” has helped me understand a little the significance of what it was like to leave everything behind when they left France .
    Yours Sincerely,
    Frances

  5. July 3, 2014

    Hi

    A great website! Below is, I assuming, is one of my Huguenot relations.

    Jean Doree
    3rd great grandfather of wife of grand uncle of husband of grand aunt
    Birth 1695 in Caen, Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France
    Death abt 1751

    Ian

  6. Robbie permalink
    July 3, 2014

    In our family : Joseph Hoyles, born about 1803, died 1891. Resided in Lewisham. Formerly city missionary. Joined the London City Mission in 1854. He was of Huguenot descent, and missionned among the Huguenots in London.

  7. Glen Hallett permalink
    July 3, 2014

    In the 1600 my great great great etc etc grandfather and mother came over Jacques cavalier married Marie chevalier anglicised to Mary knight ,,,,,,, whitechapel stepney bethnal green would love to hear from any other cavalier family

  8. Wendy Perry permalink
    July 7, 2014

    My grandmother’s maiden name was Gasson and I understand her grandparents were Huguenots. If there is anyone out there with that connection I would love to hear from them.

  9. Simon permalink
    October 29, 2014

    This may be a little late on this article but those looking for Huguenot cavaliers- an extensive family tree book was done by an Australian Huguenot cavalier about 11 years ago. There are family members all over the world. I don’t own a copy but family members do., so I can check when I see them. Private Message me on twitter @simoncmay if you want me to see if I can check the book.

  10. john cavalier permalink
    February 13, 2015

    Just discovered this site

  11. Chas Baker permalink
    January 24, 2017

    Probably too late for this thread now but my paternal ancestors were Cavaliers (also later spelled Cavalliers) who came from Normandy as Huguenot refugees. My first ancestor born in London was Corneille Cavallier (1686-1765). I would love to hear from any other Cavallier/Cavalier descendants.

  12. Ann Bickle permalink
    June 16, 2017

    I have just started to delve into researching my Huguenot ancestors as I came across baptisms at Threadneedle St. French Huguenot, Spitalfields for my 6th Great Grandfather Isaac Bataille. My 5th Great Grandmother married Isaac Stanton. It seems the Bataille family was from Sedan, France. Also my 3rd Great Grandmother was Elizabeth Le Maitre born 1789 and married my 3rd Great Grandfather Samuel Stanton in Whitechapel. I suspect her heritage is also Huguenot but haven’t found that solid connection yet. It would be great to hear from anyone who has more information that might tie in.

  13. Jeremy permalink
    March 27, 2022

    Wendy Perry: My mother’s name is Gasson, I am wondering if she is descended from the Gasson family who were Huguenots?

    I am going to try and research our family tree on her side. I anyone reading this has done any research into the Gasson family, please let me know.

    Thank you.

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