The Huguenots of Spitalfields
The wooden spools that you see hanging in the streets of Spitalfields indicate houses where Huguenots once resided. These symbols were put there in 1985, commemorating the tercentenary of the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes which brought the Huguenots to London and introduced the word ‘refugee’ to the English language. Inspired by the Huguenots of Spitalfields Festival, I set out in search of what other visual evidence remains of the many thousands that once passed through these narrow streets and Dr Robin Gwynn, author of The Huguenots of London, explained to me how they came here.
“Spitalfields was the most concentrated Huguenot settlement in England, there was nowhere else in 1700 where you would expect to hear French spoken in the street. If you compare Spitalfields with Westminster, it was the gentry that stayed in Westminster and the working folk who came to Spitalfields – there was a significant class difference. And whereas half the churches in Westminster followed the French style of worship, in Spitalfields they were not interested in holding services in English.
The Huguenots were religious refugees, all they needed to do to stop the persecution in France was to sign a piece of paper that acknowledged the errors of John Calvin and turn up at church each Sunday. Yet if they tried to leave they were subject to Draconian punishments. It was not a planned immigration, it was about getting out when you could. And, because their skills were in their hands, weavers could leave whereas those whose livelihood was tied up in property or land couldn’t go.
Those who left couldn’t choose where they were going, it was wherever the ship happened to be bound – whether Dover or Falmouth. Turning up on the South Coast, they would head for a place where there were other French people to gain employment. Many sought a place where they could set their conscience at rest, because they may have been forced to take communion in France and needed to atone.
The best-known church was “L’Eglise Protestant” in Threadneedle St in the City of London, it dealt with the first wave of refugees by building an annexe, “L’Eglise de l’Hôpital,” in Brick Lane on the corner of Fournier St. This opened in 1743, sixty years after a temporary wooden shack was first built there. There were at least nine other Huguenot Chapels in Spitalfields by then, yet they needed this huge church – it was an indicator of how large the French community was. I don’t think you could have built a French Church of that size anywhere else in Britain at that time.The church was run by elders who made sure the religious and the secular sides tied up so, if you arrived at the church in Threadneedle St, they would send you over to Spitalfields and find you work.
It was such a big migration, estimated now at between twenty to twenty-five thousand, that among the population in the South East more than 90% have Huguenot ancestors.“
Sundial in Fournier St recording the date of the building of the Huguenot Church.
Brick Lane Mosque was originally built in 1743 as a Huguenot Church, “L’Eglise de l’Hôpital,” replacing an earlier wooden chapel on the same site, and constructed with capacious vaults which could be rented out to brewers or vintners to subsidise running costs.
Water head from 1725 at 27 Fournier St with the initials of Pierre Bourdain, a wealthy Huguenot weaver who became Headborough and had the house built for him.
The Hanbury Hall in Hanbury St was built in 1719 as a Huguenot Church, standing back from the road behind a courtyard with a pump. The building was extended in 1864 and is now the church hall for Christ Church, Spitalfields.
Coat of arms in the Hanbury Hall dating from 1740, when “La Patente” Church moved into the building, signifying the patent originally granted by James II.
In Artillery Lane, one of London oldest shop fronts, occupied from 1720 by Nicholas Jourdain, Huguenot Silk Mercer and Director of the French Hospital.
Memorial in Christ Church.
Memorial in Christ Church.
At Dennis Severs’ House in Folgate St.
Graffiti in French recently uncovered in a weavers’ loft in Elder St
Former Huguenot residence in Elder St.
The Fleur de Lis was adopted as the symbol of the Huguenots.
Sandys Row Synagogue was originally built by the Huguenots as “L’Eglise de l’Artillerie” in 1766.
Sandys Row Photograph copyright © Jeremy Freedman
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I would be keen to discover links between Spitalfield Huguenots and the southern part of France where silk worms were farmed and where mulberry trees are still part of the landscape. I went on a tourist visit of a small village in the Ardeche (Alba-la-Romaine) where the guide mentionned that the scars of those religious wars run so deep that people from the area are reluctant to talk about them to this day.
For French readers, there is a book by Jean-Pierre Chabrol, ‘Les fous de Dieu’ where the plot takes place against the background of such fierce divisions. The first time I visited Dennis Severs house over 25 years ago, he commented on the low chairs in the basement and tight shutters as Huguenots had developped the habit of praying (and reading the Bible) as well hidden as possible, and ensuring that the light of candles could not be seen from the outside lest the Kings Dragons came to exterminate them.
Anyone interested in following one of the silk thread linking back from Spitalfield to the Ardeche, I’d recommend Alba-la-Romaine which is also a medieval village built next to an ancient Roman site only excavated in the last five decades.
BTW where were silk worms bred in the UK for the Huguenots craft and trade?
PS: Fleur de Lis, if I’m not mistaken, have been part of French Royal coats of arms and was usually associated with royalists.
“…the population in the South East more than 90% have Huguenot ancestors.” Hard to believe. My great-grandfather and his father were silk weavers in Spitalfields (from at least 1770) and were also non-conformists but I can find no evidence yet of French ancestors.
Fascinating stuff and hopefully these places are better protected than a certain Georgian building next to the Geoffrye Museum!
Fascinating. Can’t imagine that there would be anything here in Ireland to mark the anniversary of the revocation of the Edict of Nantes! As an Engliswoman married to an Irish man with (as obvious from my surname) Huguenot connections I find it interesting that so many Irish people descended from Huguenot refugees have little curiosity about their forbears. My name is common in the small West Cork village that I live in but even in Cork city I often have to spell it. Since joining Facebook I was amazed at the number of Dukelows there are in the States – all eager to trace their ancestry. Because Ireland has such a small population and only about 3% are Protestant it is often easy to point people in the direction of their Irish connections as most of the Dukelows in the States and Canada came here first.
My family were orris (silk and gold and silver wire) master weavers in the East End. However, I believe they were English and continued in trade in the area until the last one died in 1921. They did narrow weaving (trimmings manufacture) and worked in a number of places around the area, including within the City and, finally, in Dalston where they had premises within their house (opposite the house later occupied by the Mole Man of Hackney). (If you live at 110 Mortimer Street, those were the final premises of W Appleby and Co.)
I’d love to know if anyone has any advice on places to search for information on orris/silk weavers who were not Huegenots please.
My father is convinced of our Huguenot heritage but our ancestral surnames of Dighton (Deighton, Dyton or Diton) and Taylor, don’t appear to be French in origin. The Dighton’s were pretty much all silk weavers with the rest as “fancy trimming” and jacket makers. Would love to know if anyone does recognise this name and if my Dad is correct. I enjoy speaking French at any opportunity so I do wonder…….
Could the Huguenot heritage come from the women folks therefore not given away by ancestral surnames. With such a high concentration of Huguenots in Spitalfield, it seems very likely that the english weavers joining in would have intermarried.
I’m descended from Sophia Camroux (my great-great-great grandmother), and her family were Huguenots originally from Nimes who settled in the East End and married into a family called the Hartlands. The Camroux family tree was researched by a lady in Switzerland, and it appears they came to England via Berlin. Other relatives came via Canterbury and were from Brittany and Normandy and I now have a fair list of French names in my family tree.
We visited the East End a couple of years ago, walking from Whitechapel up through Spitalfields and on to Shoreditch and it was quite emotional seeing where they lived. Although I have no relatives in the East End I know of there is still a very strong cockney thread in the family, especially with the older folk.
I believe the repression was quite strong round Nimes. For anyone speaking French there is a strong book, God’s madmen (les fous de Dieu) by Jean-Pierre Chabrol about the ‘dragonnades’, the persecussion by the king’s soldiers to the growing numbers of protestants. It is set in the Cevennes where a lot of Huguenots (Camisards) stem from.
THank you for this great, informative website!
I have just discovered that my ancestors were Hugeunots living in Bethnal Green. Their surnames were Debuse and Wallin.
I would love to hear from anyone searching these families.
Hi.
Good website.
I missed the Hugeunots of Whitechapel Festival.
I have walked all around the East End years ago and have always been interested in the history of areas that see big changes of cutlure over time. Liverpool had no shortage of this.
In Liverpool 13 there is a pub called ‘The Glass House’ which is said to remember the time when the area had a community of Hugeunot glass workers.
Through the work of cousins using ancestry.com I can trace my maternal grandfather’s family to Spitalfield. Their name “Field” was thought to be Anglicized from de la Field and were French Hugeunots. Interestingly enough, my great-grandfather, William Field, born in Spitalfield, has his named engraved on the Liver Building in Liverpool, a member of the committee of management and instrumental in seeing the building through to completion.
So, here in California I continue to search for more information about this family from Spitalfield.
Does anyone know if there is a listing of Huguenots living in Spitalfields in the period 1690-1720 or so. A city tax list, perhaps, or a French church membership list, or birth, marriage,death records?
I am trying to find from whence my Huguenot ancestor Peter Labaree (or Laboree or similar) came. He ended up in Salem and/or Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA where 2 or 3 daughters and at least one son (also named Peter) were born between 1710 and 1724.
Thank you for whatever help you can give me.
I have been amazed and fascinated by many of the comments above. Quite by chance my son has met a man with the same surname and spelling – living in Ballarat, about an hour from Melbourne in Australia. He is from the East End originally and told my son that his cousin, living in Bournmouth, had been tracing the Payton family tree, but the trail went dry when a branch of them moved to Surrey. Imagine the excitement when my son and I thought we could be that missing link, as my grandfather moved his family (his wife, my father and my aunt), from Bethnal Green to Surrey in the early 1930’s. My father had told me many times that we were Hugunotes from Flanders, settled in Spitalfields and were silk weavers……… I have searched all day today and have traced the family back to 1815 when Joseph Payton was born (so many Joseph Payton’s in my family tree!), and I can find a couple of references to ‘weavers’ but nothing that links us to Flanders, so I too have have reached a dead end – so to speak. I do know that we are not related to the Payton in Australia – they originate from Cambridge, although did move to the East End, which is a shame, as my son and I are the last of the Payton’s from my grandfather’s move to Surrey. Also, I have discovered that Payton is a very old English name and there are many around the West Midlands and Manchester area – so am I really descended from Hugunotes from Flanders at all………..
I am British born and descended from the Guildersleve family of silk weavers (possibly flemish), appearing on various censors at Bethnel Green. My paternal grandmother was french and her name was Cordell. I have now retired to the South of France near Perpignan. I am very interested in discovering more about my french and flemish connections, also from where my family originated. A very interesting website!
I just discover a baptism of Benjamin Lemonde in august 1617 whose parents seems to be Samuel Tont Lemonde and Marie ?Does anyone know more about them?
I forgot to mention that this happen from Chapel of the Hospital in Spitalfields, Benjamin family was Walloon or french protestant
i love it
Message for Christine Perez
I believe our Field ancestry derives from Hubertus De La Feld from near Colmar in France, he was a knight and came over to England with William the Conqueror and given lands in the North of England. My other French origins come from Peirre Dulieu from Nerac and his wife Marguerite Rouviere from Vesenobres. Both silk weavers in Bethnal Green. Regards Marilyn
This is a reply message for Irene Fisher.
I am a descendent of the Huguenots and have started researching my family tree. My grandmother on the maternal side was Susan Lillian Flemming and her Father George Thomas
Married Harriet Wallin and I believe the name Debuse appears some way back.
Would be very interested in communicating further with you.
My Huguenot ancestors were:
Judict Madalaine ‘Judith’ Raby.
Birth 18 Aug 1717 in Spitalfields.
Death 7 Apr 1792 in La Providence French Hospital, London.
She married Charles Cecil who was apprenticed as a Silk Weaver at the Bridewell Royal Hospital, which at that time was near the River Fleet in the west of the city of London. From 1730 to 1738. He set up a shop in St John Street, Spitalfields.
Judict Madalaine Raby’s Father was Daniel Samuel Raby, B: 1696 and his Father was Daniel Raby, B: 1658 in Lore, Cher, Centre, France. “He is my 7th Gt Grandfather”.
My Raby and the Cecil where ALL Silk weavers and lived in Spitalfield and Bethnal Green.
The Cecil’s have an “extensive family”.
I love this message board. It is fantastic hearing other peoples family stories.
Th
Hi Everyone, I am facinated to read your stories of your hugenot ancestors. I too believe that I have hugenot ancestors as my my mums maiden name is Duthoit which I think was derived from Dutoit. I have traced mmy ancestors back to about 1700 in Yorkshire but I have now come to a brick wall. Can anyone help? My Mum thinks her ancestor was a Jacques Dutoit who came over when the protestants were being persecuted but is vague about dates.
I have just discovered that my 5 x great grandmother could be descended from Huguenots. Her name was Marie Douxsaint and she was born in Spitalfields in 1754. Her father was Pierre Jacques Douxsaint and her mother Elizabeth Douxsaint, nee Pain. In 1775 Marie went to Canada and married a French Canadian, Pierre Lamontage. Their daughter Sarah Marie Lamontagne was born in 1777 and in 1799 Sarah returned to England and married my 4 x great grandfather, Walter Russell, in Bath. She died in Bath in 1857.
In articles I have read about the Huguenots in Spitalfields, I have not found any reference to the Douxsaint name.
Any help would be appreciated.
Anne Coletta
I have been tracing my family tree for years but recently have joined an online research site which has jumped the researches back amazingly. My family have always considered themselves “Cockneys” but it turns out that the oldest Londoners were in fact French . I have found a marriage between Abraham Reneau (surname spelling varies enormously) son of Isaac Reneau and Marie De La Mare and Marie De La Haye Daughter of Abraham De La Hay and Marguerite Wesson. Protestants despite what appear to be Jewish names Piece 4595: Eglise de Wheeler Street, Spitalfields (French Protestant), 1712-1727. married on Saturday 1st July 1721 If anyone has any information on the families mentioned I would be delighted to receive it
I have just come across this site whilst researching my Norton Folgate ancestors.
Really enjoyed reading all the interesting comments. My ancestors were called Beavis and they made Engine Looms in Blossom Street (10) other members of the family were silk weavers
They seem to have been living there from at least late seventeen hundreds. I am assuming they were of Huguenot decent. I have managed to obtain a copy of the will John Beavis(1814) he states he is leaving the Engine Loom Company to his sons and the oldest son Benjamin who was also the Beadle for Norton Folgate was to be the Executor. I would love to hear from anyone who may have heard of the Beavis family or anyone who knows anything about the making of Engine Looms. I was sorry I missed the Spitalfields festival, Ihope they do it again.
I noticed in the comments the name Payton. My Fathers brother, Alfred James Cecil, born Abt 1883. Killed in action , France Flanders 17 May 1917,husband of Catherine Hannah Née Payton of 11 Clare Street, Bethnal Green. Married 1908, Ref: Vol 1c ,Page 297.
Does anybody know if the Mulberry trees ( 2 ) are still growing in the playground of Morpeth Street School, reminders of a bygone age or have the Health and Safety mob had their way.
Great site, keep up the good work.
My ancestors were Gastineau’s. From what I know so far they came from Lusignan, Vienne, Poito-Charentes, France. They were stocking makers and weavers. Their shops were on Threadneedle Street.
Can anyone assist in tracing the family name of Vauqulin or Vauquelin or Vauquelin de la Fresnaye from Normandy many years ago.
Any family history or knowledge appreciated
Hi
I am researching the following person/family. Are there any photos of the said church where he was baptised?
Thanks.
Ian
Jean Dorée (1721 – 1798)
2nd great grandfather of wife of grand uncle of husband of grand aunt
Name: Jean Dore
Event Type: Baptism
Father: Jean Dore
Mother: Susanne
Baptism Date: 11 Jul 1721
Baptism Place: Spitalfields, Middlesex, England
Denomination: French Protestant
Piece Title: Piece 4591: Eglise de St Jean, St John Street, Spitalfields (French Protestant), 1713-1733
I am trying to track down the Duval family ( my paternal grandmothers family_ who it seems came from Normandey sometime during 1700,s – Pierre Duval (1710-1794) who married Marie Boulle (1713-1755) (parents Jean Boulee & Marie Goujat) We have believed (anecdotally) that this family was involved in the weaving – teddy bears.? Other family members have been silk importers. Would love to have some of this confirmed or otherwise – or any other information !!.
My husband’s ancestor was Isaac Ferrieres and he married Elizabeth Robinson. They lived in Islington but Isaac had his cotton business in the Centre of London. If anyone knows more about this family I would be very grateful. Isaac was born in 1718 and died in 1780 but I have found it impossible to trace his parents.
I think I may have Huegenot ancestry though could have been Jewish – Isaiah Harris born 1781
my father told me we had come from France, after reading how many ‘Jewish’ or old testament names used by Heugenots, this may be the link I am looking for and I notice a Harris name a list of names. Anyone Harris have Huegenot ancestry??
Any Jaycock, Jacoq? My grandpa born Hackney 1860s. Name could be waloon or hebrew.
These comments make fascinating reading. My Macaree (originally Macaré ) ancestors originated in Valenciennes, Pas de Calais and arrived in Canterbury between 1602 and 1611. They were mainly silk weavers. My branch of the family moved to Spitalfields between 1696 and 1702 when my 6 x great grandfather ( Etienne Macaree ) was born in Booth Street and was christened in L’eglise de l’hopital. The family carried on weaving for another 100 + years before my 3 x great grandfather Joseph, bucked the trend and became a watchmaker.
I am descendant from The Gauron and Lewling (Silkweavers) family. The Gauron name was so widespread in the local community. John Francis Nicolas Joseph Gauron, Lambert Boneventure Gauron and Ralph Lewling.
The Douxsaint Family,
I’am a descendant of Tobie Douxsaint, royal solicitor of Maringues in Auvergne, son of Daniel Douxsaint, royal solicitor of Maringues, and Jeanne Maigne.
His brothers emigrated in London and in Hamburg at the time of the revocation of the edict of Nantes.
You can contact me to exchange informations
Philippe Lacombe
My great grandmother was born in spitalfields and her surname was Lacohee or LaChoie and her family came from Wallonia. Does anyone have any information on the Lacohee family
Wonderful website! As a descendant of the Senecals, of 37 Spital Square, Spitalfields (my great grandfather Robert was a silk manufacturer there in the mid 19th Century) I am intrigued by the query subscribers have raised that Jewish names featuring in some of our Huguenot ancestors might actually point to a shared (or sympathetic) faith in earlier centuries?
My paternal grandfather was Joseph John Daniels, son of Joseph Samuel Daniels, also of Spitalfields (at one time Master of Spitalfields Market): I’ve always assumed Jewish blood on their side because of those Old Testament names, not to mention the surname. But perhaps the Daniels were Huguenots (D’ Aniels? D’Aniel?)), yet traditionally using Jewish first names? Certainly Protestant and Jewish faiths were closely linked, Catholicism possibly being alien to both faiths. Did Jewish people ‘marry out’ several generations back? If the Daniels were indeed from Jewish blood, then it’s interesting to note that my family name appears in early 19th Century records with the Senecal surname: i.e. Robert Daniels Senecal. And then again, two generations on, when my grandmother Rosabel Senecal married Joseph John. They lived in Fournier Street.
Of course, as the Jewish influx into the East End was reviled by hard working folk in Spitalfields fearing for their jobs by the late half of the 19th Century, maybe it was expedient for the Daniels to deny their bloodline and assume a French (Huguenot) background. I can remember with shame my father slightly decrying the Jews (as if flying the family flag) but what really lay behind that need to convince? Does anyone have any clues? It’s a mystery – and I would love to hear any connections, links or observations. I am happy for my email address to be given to responders.
I’m not sure if we have a Huguenot connection but my mother’s family were the Burman family who lived in Spitalfields from the 1600s to the early 1900s. I have had family living in Fournier St., Brick Lane, Fashion Street and others… My mother was born ‘under bow bells’ as she once told me, and was a true Cockney. If anyone has a connection to the Burman family please get in touch…
I think my ancestors landed in Spitalfields around 1745.
They then went to Oxford I have traced my great great grandmothers grave in Long Crendon
her name was Rebecca Basson she was the school mistress of the village. She died in 1876
I live in Nova Scotia Canada.The surname Roberts in my paternal line was originally
Rouviere.Matthew Rouviere and Anne Henriette Bauda were married 19 Jan 1749 in
Amsterdam,Netherlands.They very soon thereafter arrived in London England.Their
son Pierre Philippe Rouviere was born 23 Dec 1752 at London England. At some point
he appeared in the American colonies as a member of the British military.In 1778 he
was sent to Prince Edward Island .My paternal line came to the present Roberts.
My Father was born, I think in Shoreditch in approximately 1925 he passed away in 1981. He never spoke much of his Father Joseph O’Mossey , Mossey /Moss. He did however speak of my Grandmother Rose Amelia Moss Nee O’beney. He said her family were weavers and came to England from France and they made the costumes for and travelled with Madame Tussauds . Unfortunately I think all my fathers siblings have now passed away and I have no other means of traceing the family history .Other reletives in Australia have tried traceing the name O’beney and they just found watered down versions such as awbeney. no one has mentioned , Huguenots. I heard of this site this afternoon and it seemed to bear all the hallmarks of my maternal Grandmothers History.I Just wondered if anyone would recognise the names or the details I have put down here? I look forward to hearing from anyone who may be able to shed some light on the subject.
Thank you, Marilyn, for your response!
I have my dna results from ancestry.com and although my mother’s family lived in England for hundreds of years, and my father’s family lived in Latvia and Eastern Europe, I am more French than British. Other family surnames from Bethnal include Chambers, August, and Savage. My great-grandfather, William Field, was the CFO of the Liver Assurance Company, and his name is on the plaque on the Liver Building foundation and inside the foyer. He convinced the other members of the board to finance the building of what became the first European skyscraper. He was born in Spitalfield and his wife, my great-grandmother, Rebecca Chambers was born in Bethnal.
I would love to learn more about these ancestors .
Hi
My mother’s maiden name was Lecomber and when tracing her family tree I have found a connection with the Huguenots in Spitalfields – my 5 x grandfather was Daniel de la Combe born 1669 who was a silk weaver. He is registered as living in Spitalfields in 1708 in Angel Alley and he married Anne in 1705. His father was born in 1635 and came to London in 1680 – I can’t find a trace of his name.
I wonder if anyone can make a connection? I’d love to hear from you.
My maiden name is Ogier. I have Huguenot ancestors that were silk weavers in Spitalfields. I found this interesting UK archaeology site, CBA Research, where they had published a study of Huguenots from evacuated bodies buried in Christ Church. I am a direct descendent of Peter Ogier – and Ogier was one of the families they profiled. Anyway, you can download their findings and it gives insights about the lives and deaths of Huguenots. Actually has a pictures of several of my ancestor’s skulls. A portrait of Peter next to a picture of his skull is on the first page. The CBA research also offers genealogy information, photos (portraits ,skulls and bones,and silk samples), diary passages, wills, etc… from several Huguenot families.
http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/cba_rr/rr86.cfm
Peter’s son went to the colonies-even fought in the revolution against the Crown-so I am an American. I would love to go to London and see the Ogier home (19 Princelet Street) and spend time looking through the Huguenot Society resources. I emailed them and they even told me the museum where his bones were now housed-so I can make an appointment to pay my respects. I wish it wasn’t so far away and so much money too get there!
Anyway, please check out the link. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about how the Huguenots lived and how their contributions added so much beauty and compassion to their adopted country.
Hi, I’ve recently found out that my 6xgreat grandmother was Mary Alliaume. She married Samuel Haley. I’m not certain when she was born although I’ve found two baptisms for a Mary in 1729 – one in St Andrew by the Wardrobe to James and Elizabeth and the second in the French Hugeunot Church in Threadneedle Street to Pierre and Marthe. An Abraham Alliaume was a witness at Mary’s marriage to Samuel but the only Abraham I can find was baptised in the Savoy de Spring Gardens church in Westminster.
If anyone else has any information, please get in touch.
Merci!
Does anyone have any background on the Duce family ( ancestors on my maternal grad others side) who were weavers in whitechapel ?
Excellent, thank you. I am ensconced in genealogy research of my ancestors.
There were rumours about a Huguenot ancestor, Sarah MARTIN, and yesterday I found her ancestry. Father was Guillaume MARTIN, mother Elizabeth MASON, married 1740 in Spitalfields, and their children baptised at the “French Protestant Church” in Threadneedle Street. Your article has supplied my first understanding of what “being a Huguenot” was all about.
My former wife was a descendant of the MYNOTT family, which they also believed to be Huguenots – so I now have better understanding as I further research her lineage for our children.
Kind regards from Auckland, New Zealand.
Robert
Incidentally – my ex-wife’s father was a manufacturing goldsmith and jeweller. I found something he didn’t know: beginning with his grandfather, and for four generations back (so far) – each of his paternal line were goldsmiths and jewellers.
Fascinating website – most interesting! I am keen to make contact with Denise Golding as I am also descended from Charles Cecil of Bridewell Hospital. Is this possible?
Best wishes
Jane
Hi Jane (M W Hughes)
I have just seen your post about getting in touch with me.
I am not sure how this site works and weather it is possible for people to contact each other on here but I am also keen to talk to you ‘re Charles Cecil (Bridewell Hospital).
Perhaps the administrator could help.
I have Lecomber in my tree I have gone back to Barnard Lecomber 1715 who married an Elizabeth Guiller 1715
In response to Rosie March Smith’s posting of June this year, I wonder if she can contact me at drjohndaniels@yahoo.com. In brief, it is unlikely that her Daniels family members were of Jewish origin. A much more probable scenario is that they were of Protestant English background or perhaps of Huguenot origin.
My family were Huguenot silk weavers . Pierre Debuse arrived in 1685. Many of his descendants are listed in the records of the(now demolished) French hospital in Soho, I was born in the London Hospital as we’re my grand father,father and my thee children.
I now live in Australia .I would like to contact any other deBuse,debues or the other spellings
Diana Bush, I’ve just read your post of February 23, 2014. I have just followed a family connection back to Pierre Duval, born 1738. The Duvals were a family of weavers according to baptismal records.
Robert
This is a fascinating website, my father is Frank Henry Dupree his father was Frank Charles Dupree and his father was Harry Dupree descended from the Dupree silk weavers who fled France after the revocation of the edict of Nantes , I believe the family originally came from Lyon but I’m not overly sure the names Thomas Frank and Abraham were relations who settled in the spitalfields area originally and gradually dispersed gradually out to mile end stepney walthamstow , I think one of my ancestors had an oil shop in Bethnal green area and other ancestors who moved to the USA , I know this is all a bit sketchy the Dupree family was massive and did have property in spitalfields originally it would be interesting if anyone out there could help trace my genealogy feel free to contact me on daniel.dupree@hotmail.co.uk
Wonderful website – like a previous comment, I now understand much more about the Huguenots in London.
I am interested in the RENEAU family. My family tree might include LT HENRY RENEAU born 1792, married Sarah Pearce 1820 St Marylebone, buried 1847 St Martin in the Fields – and MARY RENEAU married Henry Constantine Jennings 1814 St Marylebone but I have no information about birth or death. I have suspected they might be brother and sister but, so far, haven’t been able to connect them – to each other – or to ABRAHAM RENEAU and MARIE DE LA HAYE and their family.
Does anyone have any helpful information?
I am a descendant of the huguenot Cazalar family from France who resided in Spitalfields and Soho. My direct ancestor is Etienne (Stephen) Cazalar and his brother is Bertrand Cazalar who lived in Crispin Street.
My mothers family are Mehews (spelled many ways) from Bedfordshire and Huntingdonshire. The name Meheui or Mahieu might have been the origin of the name. Mahieu were Huguenots from Spitafields. Jacques was born in 1591 at Artillery-French, Huguenot, in Spitafields. His father Abraham was in England and married Susanna Amille (?) and had Jacques. Their name is connected to Leiden, The Netherlands as well.
Message for Mike Crossley. My mother’s maiden name was Gildersleve and they originally were silk weavers in Bethnal Green. They themselves were not French, Flemish or Huguenots but they married into the Grimault family who did come over from Ile de France, Paris in the late 17th century. Enoc Grimault, his wife and his sons made reparation in the Savoy Church Westminster for having been forced to become nominally Catholic whilst still in France. One of his sons was Augustine Grimault and his son was Pierre whose daughter Mary Grimault married Samuel Gildersleve.
By the way the Gildersleve (Guildersleve or Gildersleeve) surname is one of the oldest recorded surnames in England dated back to the 13th century.
It is most interesting to read the comments following the article “The Huguenots of Spitalfields”. I am related to a family of Huguenots through my great grandmother Eliza Heudebourck. The Heudebourcks (more than 40 alternative spellings) arrived in England in the late 1600s. Mostly silk weavers, they first settled in Canterbury before moving to Spitalfields with some later movement to the West Country.
The names of Guillier (Guiller), LeComber and Silversleves are also remotely connected to my tree. Elizerbeth Guillier for example according to Ancestry.com, is my 1st cousin 1 x removed of husband of 3rd great grand aunt!
If anyone is researching the Heudebourck name, I would be interested in making contact.
Fantastic comments.
My Huguenot ancesters were CARLIER and LE FEVRE.
My family have inherited many of the huguenot skills such as clock repairs, gardening and even song birds!
I had an amazing time in Picardy, France where the CARLIERs lived and worshipped.
Je suis Huguenot (Well, a part of me is!)
and proud of my ancestors.
Hi
My Huguenot ancestors were Anthoine Lagache b 1560 in pas-de-Calais. married Marie Regnard?(12th great grandparents) Lagauche changed to Agache to Agass by 1827 all living in the Spitalfield,Hackney area.Still digging !! What an interesting era.If anyone has anything to help please feel free to add.
regards maddy
Hello
My late husband was Major Charles V.R. de-Bues. His family hail from the Hackney area of London. He was born in Witney and moved to Essex when he was 5.
His father was Arthur Robert de-Bues, son of Matlilda. He was born in Hackney, London.
If this is any help/ relevant to the gentleman in OZ… I have a little more.
Do contact me if I can be of any help.
Joan de-Bues
I noticed reference to Morpeth Street playground and mulberry trees, that was my school long ago and reference to the name Holford, I sat next to a boy same school same surname, Kenneth Holford.
I was also in my 20s in the Hon. Artillery Company T.A. Finsbury Barracks and they had mulberry trees in their gardens, I imagine possibly another Huguenot connection as it as a very old site.
Re surname Fisher we have a friend with that surname and he says his family (Swiss) are of Huguenot origin.
My sisters (twins, living in Brittany and South London) both attended Central Foundation School in Spitalfields and Eileen frequently visits the area.
My Moffat connection is my husband’s family and I maintain the Clan web site, there are French variants of the name,
the London/Chelsea part of family are Tirrell and my husband’s Telford
both of Norman origin (Taillfer and Tirel are both depicted on the Bayeux tapestry).
“No man is an Island!”
Betty nee Jacobs, formerly of Quilter Street E2
re Matthew’s comment from Aug 21 2014: my husband is descended from a family of weavers with the surname DUCE in Spitalfields and Bethnal Green. John DUCE migrated to Queensland in 1861 as did several other Duces in the mid 19th century.
I am trying to trace any instances of intermarriage between spitalfields jews ( particularly from spanish refugee families) and french huguenots. The girl is from the huguenot side.
my grate parents lived in Paris 1n700 and I need know if they were huougernows they lived in Bethnal green all so aunts and uncials. please can some tell me
.
there names Catharine le vior and thresea hatter
I believe my husbands family are decendents of hugenots living in Spitfields a Jonathan Dowsett married Rachel Orange born1740 her family goes back to Jean Orange Born 1560 living in France wpould anyone have information on this family regards J Dossett
I am married to a Burman and do have quite a bit of info on their family
I have recently been advised there is a distinct possibility that my Beavis ancestors may well have been Huguenots. My 2nd and 3rd great grandfathers, both named John Beavis were watch motion makers. My 4th great grandfather, another John Beavis has been difficult to identify. I have found evidence of his marriage, baptisms of his children and burial in a C of E church graveyard, and would have been born around 1741. I suspect that he may also have been a watchmaker. I have found earlier Beavis’s who were also watchmakers, but have not found a link between John born 1741 and the earlier Beavis watchmakers. All of the above were born in and around areas from Finsbury to Hackney. Does anyone know if there are records of Huguenot watchmakers living in East London that I could access to try to track down my ancestors? I live in Australia.
Stuart.
my father (surname Vernon) maintained his ancestors were French watchmakers from the town of Vernon in France. Is there any truth in the fact that many fleeing france took the name of the town that they were leaving?
To Sheila Priest (her message dd Feb 2015):
Your ancestor’s name may have been or come from the name LeVoi, Levoi or similar which is a Jewish surname and worldwide. The surname was probably derived from Levy and many are known as Levy LeVoi. There is a huge family tree of people of or connected to this surname, many of whom are in London and the rest of the UK. One of my uncles was the grandson of Mary LeVoi.
PS To Sheila Priest (Feb 2015)
The Levy/LeVoi/Levoi & their connected families married both within and without of their Jewish faith throughout the generations (at least, from the 1800s to the present day) & seemingly, without dispute. My uncle’s father William Kennedy was a Northern Irish Protestant. His wife had family connections to East London, Islington & Kent; At one time, c 1870, William & Mary lived in Bethnal Green. As far as I know, there is no Huguenot link.
I’m a Brit – in part. Father’s side is Norman / Breton French while my mother has Huguenot origins emanating from the East End. Like many others posting to this site- I’m eagerly searching family records.
I currently live in a small town in Hessen, Germany – called Friedrichsdorf. The town was given to the Huguenot refugees by Friedrich II. von Hessen-Homburg and the main street is called Hugenottenstraße.
The old houses in the town differ from that of the neighbouring (traditional German) villages and are built side-on to the street with courtyards in between.
There are many folk here with French names and my neighbour (born Garnier), tells me her father could speak fluent French. Another local, tells me of persecution suffered by the town’s French community during WW2.
The name Agombar(t/d) which appears in the Walloon or French Protestant records in London, also pops-up here in Friedrichsdorf. One Salomon Agombard arrived in 1686 from Brancourt-l’Grand. The Homburg hat was manufactured here by a Huguenot descendant – Rousselet.
To Maureen Burman – 10th March 2015.
I would be interested to hear about the information you have on the Burman family connected to Spitalfields/Bethnal Green/Mile End. There are a number of Burman families living in the area, but I would love to know if there was a common ancestor, and if any Huguenot women married into any of the Burman families. I have information going back to the 1600s and would love to compare notes…
My Great Grandmother was Lucy Ellen Lestourgeon (1853-1944).She was the third daughter of Charles Lestourgeon (1808-1891) a surgeon at Addenbrooks hospital Cambridge and a well- known Huguenot. My Grandmother Elizabeth Foster Marrack nee Butler was born in his house. The Lestourgeons fled France in 1685 and resided in Holland but they then came to England in 1711 and many of them resided in Spitalfields. Charles Lestourgeon’s Grandmother was Caroline Douxsaint (1742-1785). She married Aaron Lestourgeon in 1768 and she died after the birth of her youngest child Julia and was buried in the family vault in Christ Church Spitalfields.. The Douxsaints worshipped at Christ Church Fournier Street.
Rouviere
Marilyn, I am most interested in your ancestor, Marguerite Rouviere. I also have Rouvieres among my ancestors – a Pierre Rouviere born c1754. Do you have any other Rouvieres in your family tree?
Elaine Murphy, Florida, USA
message for Robert Phillips
I have just come across an unusual watch made by Thomas Mynott London
was wondering if this was a descendent
regards
john
I am researching my husband’s Huguenot ancestry. His ancestor was PIERRE ALLIAUME and MARTHE ROSIER/ROZIER.
Pierre was an ivory snuff box maker in Spitalfields. The Alliaume name, probably from pronounciation, is sometimes found in London records as HOLYHOME/HOLEHORN.
I would love to hear from others descended from the family.
I see one person here, Lindsey Bailey, who is descended from a Mary Alliaume. I would get in touch but no e-mail address!
Mine is suelwinch@btinternet.com
My tree is also on Ancestry. Just search out the name, and the tree should come up.
Best,
Sue Winch, Somerset, England.
I have discovered that I am related to the BOUCHARD family who moved from France to Bethnal Green in the early 1700s. My 6 x grandfather was FRANCOIS BOUCHARD born in france in 1704.
Anyone else related to this family?
Does anyone have knowledge of Bristol Huguenots? – Artisans in shipping areas by the 1800s – and including surnames: Bennett, Tilley, Millichamps….. ‘The French Chapel’ was specifically built and services were held in French, from 1687 to about 1807. Apparently a fairly small community.
I am told that my surname “Le Rougetel” is Huguenot and I’m wondering if anyone knows if it’s possible to find out whether any of my ancestors may have been weavers? As a weaver myself, I’d be facinated to know if the profession is in the blood!
Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Best wishes,
Nicola
Query from Matthew [21/8/2014] re Duce.
Two brothers, John & Alfred Duce, wives and children arrived in Queensland in 1861 & 1862. Alfred came from Bethnall Green. These may be the Duce families you are searching.
Message to Iona Levine. I have some interesting information. please see the interesting article called “The Huguenots and the Jews Entwined in the Pathways of History”. You can find it on the net. My 5X Great-Grandmother from southeast London in the mid 1700’s was Elizabeth Silk, presumably a Hebrew name in origin but obviously not observant and attended a Church of England – St. Alphege in Canterbury in Kent. At least, she was married there in 1765 to George Browning. They had a son John Valentine Browning baptized there on Feb. 16, 1766. valentine is a recurring name in my family. I would love to hear from anyone out there who has any information on the surname “Silk”, especially during this time frame. I am also searching the surname “Alais”. That family came to live in southeast London in the late 1600’s or early 1700’s from France during the Oliver Cromwell period. This is just so interesting one cannot make this stuff up. Wish very much that I had an email address. Hard to send.
Lydia.
This message is also for Rosie March Smith. Hope you receive the message and I would love to hear from you.
Lydia
My ancestor was le chevalier Charles Antoine de la Garde and his wife was Charlotta Christiana Von Behm. Arrived in London 1797. Both died 1845. Lived in Vere Street Soho, Upper Rathbone Street. Am told he was a Huguenot possibly from Bordeaux region. Had 2 sons born in St.Pancras and possibly Camden Town. They were George William and Charles Theodore Louis de la Garde. He was. Professor of languages and worked as a translator of Arabic for the War Office in London for 7 years. They died as paupers in 1845 The Strand area. Has anyone seen this name or know anything about them please.
I am a descendent from Nicholas Marchand who came over from Alencon,Normandy, a lacemaking centre and settled in Duke Street, now Fort Street, in Spitalfields. His granddaughter, Sarah, married a Hurlin, a Weaver, and was buried in the crypt of Christchurch, Spitalfields.
I am told there are Hurlins still living in or near Spitalfields. I would love to hear from any. I regularly visit Spitalfields.
In response to Diana Bush [Feb 23rd 2014] inquiring about the Duval family. I have a Duval bible published 1717. The Bible has two brass presentation plates one in the centre of each cover. They read ‘Ano Dom 1727. The Gift of Elizabeth & Marie Davall, Spinsters. Daughters of Thomas Davall late of London Merchant’.
I have links with the Burman surname (grandfather) from the East End. Would be interested in finding out more about this side of the family tree, beyond 1800s if anyone has any information?
My father who was born in 1880 told me that we were descendants oh the huguenots who landed in devon.
Message for Lydia Harrison … I don’t have a lot of information about the Silk family, as I’ve just started on this part of my family tree, but my Silks, if they are indeed Jewish – which I suspect, do marry Huguenots/Walloons in the 18th Century.
I have Thomas Silk (unknown date of birth), father of Moses Silk (1655-1684) m. Jane George, parents of Peter Silk (1694 – 1739) m. Catherine/Katharine Greaves (not her first marriage), parents of Peter Silk (1724 – 1763 m. Hester Patrick, parents of ELIZABETH SILK (1763 – 1838 – living in Bethnal Green at the time of her death) m David Nials.
I don’t think my Elizabeth Silk is the same person as yours but perhaps my Silks are related in some way – still need to do a bit of work on the dates about but they are, I think, reasonably accurate.
Hope this helps.
For Irene Fisher, Peter Debuse or Debues and Gillian Ingle.
I have Debois/Wallin in my family tree, and Pierre Debuse. Happy to compare notes.
My family are from Bethnal Green and Spitalfields. The Huguenot connection is on my father’s mother’s side and the names were LeSadd and Lefevre. As a young child I remember my uncle saying that our ansestors were Flemish Silk Weavers and that one went on to build a cinema.
LeSadd’s seem to be few and far between but indeed Fredick LeSadd did build the Capital Cinema in Barking.
My Great Grandmother who died as late as 1935 is listed as a silk weaver on one of the 19th century census.
To AJG post 4/9/15
James Wallin b1750 And Esther Debuse B1751 are my 3x Great grand parents.
I have bee told that Esther’s father was Paull Debuse and that his father was Pierre Debuse or De Buze who came into the UK in 1685 and was from Dieppe in Normandy. Iwould love to find out more about Pierre and his son Paul have you any further information that you would share.
Regards
Bob
Camroux history anyone, so far have gone back to Daniel 1645 Grossargues Nimes.
Sussanah Camroux m Thomas Lay who was my grandmothers father.
Any facts very welcome deaths and dates of births etc.
Kind Regards
Jan Sills Daughter of Annie Preston, daughter to Annie Plumb nee Lay
My gt. gt Grandma was Sarah Cresse(Cressy) daughter, of David Cresse who married Anne SAVONY in 1779. We have traced our Cresse Huguenot ancestors back to Paris as Sarah’s Gt Gt grandfather, Daniel Cresse’s Temoignage was dated 1675 in PARIS . Two of his daughter’s were also born there . His wife was Marie Lucas. Family letters state that Sarah’s family were also refugees and came from the family of De Sevignes of which we have found three branches.The family information does say that their property in Vitre was burnt down and this we found to be true thru’ research into the family of the Marquis de Sevigne of LesRochers and his wife , Madame de Sevigne famous for her letters who sat at the court of the Sun King , Louis XIV .All very interesting. This direct failed in the mail line and so did one other , but the 3rd did have a son thru’whom some de Sevignes of Canada trace their family.//However while trawling thru’ the registers of the East End where the Cresse’s were silk weavers etc . I found another Daniel ,the grandson who was born in 1701 OF BRICK LANE in Bethnal Green
.
Strangely my gt.gt grandfather Anthony Samuel White was baptised at St Matthews, Bethnal Green. I do know that English Parish Clerks had trouble with French names and that IRISH weavers also worked there. White is a common surname in Ireland so were they Irish or was the name a straight translation for Le Blanc to White??I have also seen the names, Savony, Seveny, Saviny, ,Sevinge etc in Parish register of East London and wonder if there are any folk still bearing these surnames??I would like to hear from them.
My grandmother Charlotte Pantin, had ancestors originally from Rouen who passed through 3 generations of Anglo-French Hugenot settlement in London before coming to Trinidad.If anyone has a Pantin ancestry please contact me at seniorymorrison@yahoo.com.Thank you
My ancestor was James Eykelbosch born around 1750. I believe that he (or his father) was a Flemish Huguenot. James was a bootmaker for the king’s army and lived in Princes Street, Leicester Square. Does anyone know any more?
Hi all,
As with most I am researching my family, over a number of years. I have the name “Senecal” in my tree, it is on my maternal side. I can’t be 100%, you never can this far back, but I am sure a “Peter Senecal” born about 1720 is my 6 x great grandfather. One of his decendents, “Sarah Ann Senecal” was my 3 x great grandmother who married a “John Elias James Martin”. All these people worked or was associated with the silk weaver trade, if not silk weavers. My main question is was this “Senecal” family French Huguenots, if so does anyone have any idea when they arrived in England. My guess is that they arrived around 1680-90 ish and that the Peter Senecal above was the first born in England with his parents/father coming from France. Any help/guidance would be so very appreciated.
Mark
My ancestor Charles May (silvermaker from Shoreditch born around 1790’s) was descended from huguenots, but I’m still trying to find out how. They were born and died in Bethnal Greens and following generations all stayed in that area as well. The family then came to Australia in the 1920’s. Does anybody have any idea as to how I can trace my family back further and fill in the loose ends?
Warmest regards from down under,
Jonathan May
William Mellichamp worked with silk in St. Martin-in-the-Fields which is only 3 miles from Spitalfields. His family immigrated to South Carolina, USA, with many other Huguenots in 1710. William’s son, Thomas Mellichamp, revolutionized the extraction of indigo die to produce higher quality die and bring a much higher price.
William first married Dorothy St. Lo. Upon her death he married Sarah St. Lo. Please help us find the parents of William Mellichamp and the parents of Dorothy St. Lo and Sarah St. Lo. My email is Elliott Mellichamp mellichamp@gmail.com . Thank you.
DuPre and Garnier mentioned above are also in my tree.
Although South Carolina was an English colony, Huguenot names in my tree include:
Mouzon, Gaillard, Serre, Gillet, Challiou, Brabant, DuBerdeaux, Videau, Burgaud, Mauze, Mercier, Boissard, Cothonneau, Billon, Hombret, and Trezorier. Plus those mentioned above.
Message for Yvonne.
Hi Yvonne also have Francois Bouchard (1704-1748) in my family tree.
Regards.
Steve.
Message for stacy Ogier Hancock.
Hi Stacy, my 6 x Gt Granfather was Jean (John) Ogier (1694-1777) Married to Louise Francoise Mallard (1700-1744) on the 8th Feb 1717/18. I am fortunate that I live about an hour from Spitlefields and about half an hour from the Huguenot Museum in Rochester Kent. If I can be of any help please email me.
Regards.
Steve.
Message for Rosie March smith.
Hi Rosie, I have daniels in my family tree frpm the spitlefields area. My 3 x Gt grandfather was George daniels (b 1787). He was married to Mary Dullage. Perhaps that is where your Huguenot connection lies.
Regards.
Steve.
I have a Greatgrandfather several times removed Samuel Burland who married Ann Chillott
May 1737, they were married in St Luke Saviour in North London he was a silk weaver and Ann it says on the register was a young widow. I am assuming she was a Huguenot that had come over on her own or perhaps her first husband had died in London. I can find no trace of her thru ancestry nor is it an English surname. Would like to hear from anyone.
Mary
Forgot to mention you can get in touch with me thru my email address meri2agnes@gmail.com
Ref Gillian Ingle Dec16 2013. ‘ …..,I believe the name Debuse’
My mother was a Debes, a forebear John, baptised 2May 1725 La Patente, Spitalfields, married to a Liverpool girl, Mary Mears, 2July 1770 St Mary in the Strand, subsequently becoming a garden nursery just outside Liverpool.
Amanda Smith
We are related in some way as I also have Elizabeth SILK and David Nials/Nile/Nile in my tree. Elizabeth SILK is my 5th great grandmother
You can email me at patdobinson@hotmail.co.uk
I haven’t researched this area thoroughly but intend to do so in the near future.
Hi. I have Dorée members in my family tree:
Jean Dorée Jr
Birth 11 July 1721 • Denomination: French Protestant Piece Title: Piece 4591: Eglise de St Jean, St John Street, Spitalfields (French Protestant), 1713-1733
Death 30 Nov 1798 • French Hospital, London, England
He was married to Susanna Dumonceau (Du Monceaux at )St Benet’s Church Paul’s Wharf, London, England, 4 Mar 1716
Birth 30 JUL 1699 • France
Death England
A daughter, Anne Susanne Doré was baptised on 4 July 1727 at St Jean French Huguenot church, St John Street, Spitalfields, London, England
Some of the families were married at St Dunstans and All Saints and died at the French Hospital
If anyone has any information on the de-Bues/De’Bues family from Hackney, London or South Africa or Dublin….I would appreciate contact.
Joan de-Bues
The website for British History Online (www.british-history.ac.uk) has information from 1698 regarding “foreign lustrings and clandestine trade” regarding the silk weaving industry. Lustrings were a particular type of silk and the Royal Lustring Company in England had the exclusive right to sell them. Someone was smuggling foreign silk into England and undermining trade.
The court document includes a list of the chief weavers in London and Ipswich, who operated 768 looms. There are over 200 men named.
I have two Huguenot ancestors. Isaac Chabanas and Jean Gaillard immigrated to Virginia in 1700 and later moved to North Carolina. I found Isaac in the weavers list.
Following on from my previous comment re my Huguenot Hurlin family I was able to visit the remains of Sarah Hurlin at the Natural History Museum in London. She was originally buried in the crypt of Christ Church, Spitalfields, but when the church wanted more room the area was excavated and all remains transferred to the museum where they are respectfully treated. If you can prove your direct lineage to an ancestor buried in the crypt, then they will let you visit.
The archaeologists were as keen to learn as I was to find out more about Sarah. They were able to tell me about how tall she and what she ate. I was pleased to learn she ate well and, although widowed, was looked after well by her children.
Higley Family
Our family are weavers from Spitalfields. William Higley 1764? to 1829 was a non-conformist and Chapel Keeper of the Huguenot chapel on the corner of Fournier Street.
Higley doesn’t sound very French but we are wondering if there is a link to the Huguenots somewhere as our trail goes totally cold with William – we cannot find his parents or those of his wife Phebe Cannon.
If anyone has those people in their tree I would love to hear.
Hi all,
I have seen a few comments in regards to the Daniels family of Spitalfields.
My fiance’s great grandmother was a Daniels and we have been able to trace the family back to 1772 to a Samuel P. Daniels that was christened in Spitalfields.
He was a silkwinder as was his son.
If anyone has anymore information we would love to get in contact!
Hello All. What a delight to come across this site and only today. I have once again re opened my genealogy file to see what else I can ascertain about my Huguenot ancestors who fled persecution and settled in and around the Spitalfields.
Some were originally from LIMAY, – MANTES. and were Veterinarians
Surnames include AUVACHE, MARGETTS, FOURNIER,POOLEY,.
Jacob AUVACHE born 1788 is I believe the line from which I descend. It is said he had 3 wives.
One of his sons Joseph born around 1823 is proving difficult to trace. He was married in about 1848, to a woman named Elizabeth Anne POOLEY
Any help at all would be appreciated
If you want to get to the French roots, may I recommend the Geneanet website which appears to contain Family Trees compiled by people living in France.
I had Google “Translate This page'”and have added about 1,500 individuals thus far to a BERTHON Family Tree I am compiling. One note always go for the original French Text re Family Names not the ‘English google translation of.
Not all family members / relative fled France…some remained, some ‘converted to catholic’ and some were Catholic to begin with.
With regards to Berthon’ s, one went from France and Married in Holland, a descendant Married German royalty, then one of their descendants married into Russian Royalty. Great fun as Germany and Russia had such vast empires I have found records in half a dozen languages- giving that languages version of their names, which appears there are multiple individuals but are in fact just one.
Looking for Humphrey Foy 1850 ish, may have been Le Foy
My maiden name is Webbing and there is a story in our family that we have Huguenot connections. The story tells of a ship’s master named LEFEVRE who brought Huguenot families to England, amongst whom were my ancestors named WEBBING. The name WEBBING was supposed to be a corruption of weaving as this was their trade. There is a suggestion that t6is comes from webbing belts. There is a set of tools that have been passed down from my grandmother who was given them by the husband of Alice WEBBING who was the daughter of silk weaver – Hannah LANE. Hannah’s mother ELIZABETH LANE and father THOMAS LANE and their children were all silk weavers in the 1850’s and lived in Goldsmiths Grove in Shoreditch amongst other silk weaving families who all worked with hand looms. My grandmother was aware of the existence of 2 hand looms that were eventually destroyed over the years. ELIZABETH LANE’s step father was FRANCIS LEMONDIN. I am unable to find a definitive link and I am not even sure that the tools are for silk weaving. Has anyone out there heard of the boat master LEFEVRE and if so when it sailed and where it arrived? It would help if I could find a family listed as passengers that might give me the link I need.
Hi im looking for anyone that may be related through the ROBELOU family?
My 6 times Great Grand parents were Thomas Robelou born 9-11-1726 married 1-11-1759 to Susan Martin.
Thomas Robelou’s parents lived in wheeler street Shoreditch, Henry Robelou and Judith Moreau.
Any info would be great.
Jackie
Hi im looking for anyone that may be related through the ROBELOU family?
My 6 times Great Grand parents were Thomas Robelou born 9-11-1726 married 1-11-1759 to Susan Martin.
Thomas Robelou’s parents lived in wheeler street Spitalfields, Henry Robelou and Judith Moreau.
Any info would be great.
Jackie
YVLIN
There are several references to Fournier Street in Spitalfields. Perhaps you are related to the original Fournier. If you do a search for “Fournier, Spitalfields” you should come up with some information, ie if you have not done so already.
Feeling a bit astonished myself. I always thought that my relatives in Spitalfields were Huguenot. A name that I had previously regarded as a kind of blanket term for all those suffering persecution from the Catholic church, due to their Calvinistic leanings. I just found out that my relatives are not strictly speaking Huguenot, who came from France, but Flemish. They were silk merchants who arrived in the Spitalfields area during that late 1500s. I now have a whole lot of new researching to do.
Good luck with your research.
Carolyn
To Tina Frogett Have you any more in formation about Ships master Lefevre . A Pierre Lefevre Married into my family Lesage i n 1700?
Denise Lockyer
I have the name Lecomber marring into my family Lesage in the 1800’s
Iris Hills Pierre ( Peter ) Lefevre married a Sara Lesage in 1700 London .
P Smith Lefevre married ed into the Lesage family in 1700 came from Picardie France 1680’s
No Trina Jensen I don’t have any further information about the captain Lefevre and I haven’t managed to trace my family back that far yet. Getting closer but still working on it!
The Lucas family from Petit Quevilly near Rouen, Normandy
I am fascinated by my huguenot lineage Lucas from Petit Quevilly near Rouen, Normandy , where they were well known book printers, writers and publicists. Many of them had to escape either to the Netherlands (Amsterdam, The Hague, Utrecht and Leiden) but I have found one – Centurion Lucas -, baptised in the Temple of Quevilly 8 Jan. 1658, witnesses were Pierre Harache (the Haraches became apparently famous gold and silver smiths in London) and Anna Remy, wife of Centurion Desesseraumais. He came at the age of sixty to London in 1705 and was a printer.
I do not know however if he or other members of his family have descendants in the U.K.
If anybody can help, I will be most grateful !
Gerard Lemmens, Wadhurst
Jacqueline Brewin
Re: Thomas Robelou
My Ancestor was Abraham De Roubelon who is listed as a refugee from Dieppe. I have not found a DOB. He married Anne Cappe and lived at Pheonix Street Spitalfields. There have been spellings of his name similar to Rebelou. He also would have been of a similar age as your Thomas Robelou. Contact me again if you think there may be a connection.
Susan Cooke
Re: John Beavis
My Mother’s family name was Beavers: the earliest link I can ascertain is that of two brothers Richard & Thomas, born in the early 1800’s in Snape Suffolk; Richard being my 3rd G/Grandfather.
The family migrated North in the 1830’s to the ‘Rows’ in Yarmouth, and found occupation as general labourers or domestic servants, apart from two daughters who seem to have been silk weavers, which may be significant in my ’emigrant family’ assumptions ?
By 1880 the Beavers family had moved to the industrial North East of England where they generally found employment in the shipbuilding industry of Tyneside and Wearside.
My research in Suffolk is proving difficult and I can find only one knot of Beavis / Beavers who seem to cluster in the later 1700’s around the villages of Haverhill / Clare / Somerton / Cowlidge etc. not far from Saffron Walden. However, I don’t think this group are my family as baptismal entries don’t fit with the Snape connection.
I am led inexorably back towards London, through Essex, where there seem to be vast numbers of Beavis individuals, according to parish records. I feel that I need a decent text book on the industries of the Huguenots, for it does seem as though my family, if originally Londoners, have migrated to the east coast of Sussex and beyond, in search of work. Perhaps by the 1780’s silk weaving was becoming too competitive in London districts ?
Anthony Goulden (Stockton on Tees)
Does anyone know if the surname Goulding/Golding/Goulden was of French Huguenot origin? My maternal ancestor Sarah Goulding/Golding born 1774 (married Croker/Crocker) was a silk weaver in St Leonards or Spitalfield area of Shoreditch. Her daughter Mary Croker/Crocker was a silk winder. Sarah’s husband was a journeyman. Some of the relatives were furniture makers/couch makers. At one stage she was living in Quakers Street . regards, Sue Roberts, Australia.
My grandfather was a Huguenot his surname is KERNOT. Are there any Kernots around, I would love to hear from them. Thanks
To Susan Cooke
I am researching John Beavis and Benjamin Beavis too. I have the family tree from John Beavis down to this present day and would love to communicate with you. Please email me robynwade@xtra.co.nz
FASCINATING!
MY HUGUENOT FAMILY comes from Alsace France then to London then to Ireland ( Dublin) they lived 4 a time among those H/s in this area of London.
The name was Vauteau (Vautrin) to Voto in GB to Votaw
Many Issac’s, et al in the line – always used 2 names eg Jean Jaques &…
Wondering if any readers might have a Voto in their line
And, any idea why Dublin Voto’s might leave Ireland after a century + Thank U! SV
Does anyone know anything about the Huguenot surname Charlotte. My maternal grandmother was an Eleanor Charlotte and her father was Frederick Charlotte. They lived in and around Islington and were from a long line of Charlottes so I’ve been told but I’ve drawn a blank. Any information would be very welcome.
To Christine Jacobs
Hi Christine! My family came to Adelaide in South Australia in the 1940s & 50s. A hundred years earlier another branch came toMelbourne in Victoria. They were chemists and engineers and were from London. A J. H. Kernot was also from London and a successful engraver. Its not hard to find his work for sale on eBay. If you do some geography searching in the Morbihan region of Brittany you will find a district called Kernot le Faouet. I have not been able to prove a Kernot Huguenot connection but it seems likely. I’d be interested to know what details you have of your grandfather. Come back to me at malkernot@gmail if you’d like to.
My dad Stephen Carlier looked in to our family tree years ago but ad a youngster I wasn’t interested, but as I’m older I really feel like I want to know more about the Huguenot society and my family history.
As a boy my grandmother repeatedly told me about our French Drouet ancestors but she did not know the whole actual ancestry back to the Huguenots in London.I am glad she told me as it encouraged me in later life to trace back to our French Huguenot ancestors .We still have Peter Drouet who we are pretty certain is linked to the family because of the repeating surnames used as Christian names in his sons name Lloyd Richter Creak Drouet but cannot find the actual links as there does not appear to be any records of the birth of Peter Drouet.
a message for Yvonne and Steve Bateman
I have too discovered Francois Bouchard in our family tree:
I have a copy of his great grand daughter, Emma’s, birth certificate and possibly more:
my late father had been tracing our family but died before he could tell us about it!
so we are piecing it together ….
we have also found EUDE in our tree ~ Jacques 1665 ~ 16/12/1725: Louis 1640-1680
if anyone has any info on this family or BOUCHARD ~ Francois 1675-19/9/1750 or would like to collaborate with us on our ancestry ~~ chocolategirl64@hotmail.com ~~ these are the oldest relatives we have traced so far and we have lots of names and dates for siblings and children before then
Have Just discovered this site. I seem to be one of the “extensive Cecil’s”. I think I too am related to Judith Raby /Charles Cecil would be interested in discussion about said. Also my g grandmother was Alice Renew possibly another French connection
One of my ancestors was a George Dore, a Spitalfields silk weaver. Apparently the Bethnal Green Museum used to have a painting of him as he wove the silk and velvet for the king’s coronation robes. My old aunt (passed away a few years ago) had memories of an aunt of hers that spoke only French. Thanks to our Huguenot heritage my son was given an educational grant by the Westminster French Protestant Trust.
To Georgina Briody nee Burnham
I too am descended from Nicholas Marchand and Sarah Hurlin.
Very interesting article. My VIBERT ancestors settled on the island of Jersey before reaching the Gaspe coast in Quebec, Canada in 1600s. I am interested in knowing if any possibly reached Spitslfields at any time. Merci!
Hello all. I am trying to find out the origins of a group of surnames, including Tegerdine, Hewerdine, Shelmerdine, Pepperdine, and others ending with ‘erdine’. A chap named Tegerdine has told me that he is of Huguenot descent, and that his name is a corrupted version of Tegredin.
Any information and comments will be gratefully received.
My family originates from the Legrand/Olliviers who arrived in Spitalfields in the early 1600s and were weavers. This connection through Robert Forquaist’s (Forecast etc) marriage in 1667 to Martine Ollivier (1st husband Nicholas de la Haye) their granddaughter, has been well researched. However several other names crop up in later generations including Crete/Creet/Crete, Dupere, Planque, Flammen & duMoulin about which there is little information. All lived in the east London area and were connected with silk weaving until the mid c19th. Anyone else out there with these connections?
A message for John Cove.
I also have Drouets in my family going back to Bartholomew born around 1700 . If you’d like to email me we might be able to make some sense of it all. mike.kinzett@btinternet.com
I have now found a definitive Huguenot link through the Lamendin family who were French protestants baptised at the Eglise de la Patente in Brown’s Lane, Spitelfields. Does anyone know if this still exists?
I spotted the entries mentioning the surname Lefevre, I have found someone in my family history called Sarah Leserf who married my ancestor Benjamin Holloway 15 May 1780 @ St Leonards Shorditch, she was born in 1764 and Baptised on 11 June @St Matthews Bethnal Green. She Died as far as I can tell, between 1780 and 1783.
I don’t know if Sarah is linked to those entries for Lefevre, as names were modified at that time. Hope this helps someone.
I have only just discovered these posts about Huguenot ancestry in Spitalfields. I too am descended from Judith Raby and Charles Cecil (through their son, Henry Cecil – also a weaver, who had been apprenticed to his father) and would be very interested in sharing information with Denise Golding, Jane Hughes and Michael Cecil, who share the same ancestors.
I understand that Charles Cecil set up as a weaver in his home in St John Street, Spitalfields (the document says it was “next door but one to the Golden Ball”). I am having trouble finding out exactly where St John Street was/is and in finding out any information on the Golden Ball – would it have been an inn?
If any other Cecils would like to contact me, my email is: jan.baker.10@gmail.com
my grandmothers family were Isaacs in Spitalfields and she grew up in Bethnal Green . her gramfather was a Richards and a sign writer. Anybother Isaacs descendants ( apart from Eddie) out there
Fascinating GA and I have only just discovered this particular post, shame on me !!!
My 4xgreat grandfather William Tearoe married Ann Delamare (De la Mare) at St Margaret Westminster on May 7, 1764. She was, I believe, the daughter of Peter Delamare a silk thrower, of Steward Street, Spitalfields, and she was baptized 4 May, 1735 at the French Huguenot Church in Threadneedle Street. I have read that Delamare was a very distinguished name in the English silk weaving business so I am planning to research the name this year.
William Tearoe was also almost certainly descended from French refugees who came here circa 1550, settling first in the area near the Tower of London before moving to Southwark, where I think, if anyone can be sure of anything that far back, my earliest ancestor that I have found, was a felt maker. Many French immigrants were felt makers and most hats were, at that time, made in Southwark. I have a copy of the will of the felt maker in which his name is spelt in no less than nine different ways, Tero, Teroo, Tyroe etc etc all obviously phonetic versions of a French name such as Tirot.
There are many connections between the Tirot, Tyroe, Tearoe family and Huguenots so I suspect that they must also have been Huguenots. One was a member of the Clothworker’s Company and they have been very helpful to me with research, and another was Clerk of Works for Inigo Jones on the Queen’s House at Greenwich.
It is a fascinating subject and it is great to see that so many of your readers are interested.
Pauline.
Hello anyone with the names Le fevre, Levesque, Monfruelle, Janson, De La Tour ,Athill. Le Sage, Codoza All silk weaver families in Spitalfields / Bethnal green from the 1600’s most probably from Picardy St Quentin France or Flemish weavers.
Would like to hear from you.
Trina
I am researching my maternal grandfathers forebears named Dubois and reported to be silk weavers in Spitalfields. Jean or John Dubois B. 1729 and married to Susanne Gain in June 11 1753, John Dubois (married to Mary Jeffries) and Charles Lewis Dubois (married to Helen Johnson) are the names I have so far. Can anyone help?
I have ancestors of the name of muir living we think as jewish but some history from france ?? They were silk weavers and then became hatters and a daughter used to put the black silk line around funeral cards. We know the gentleman married and had a son christened so did he marry a huegnots ?? Anyone with links please let me know
Hi … I have been reading with interest, that there are at least two other people out there who are researching the Senecal branch of their family histories. So am I!
And yes … I am certain that they were Huguenots … for a number of reasons.
My 2nd Great Grandmother was Sarah Ann Senecal – I have been able to track her family back to my 5th Great Grandfather, Jaques Senecal, who lived in the Spitalfields/Bethnal Green area. I have hit a bit of a dead end beyond that. I suspect that it was at that point that Jaques (&/or his parents fled France … hence the dead-end) – as the mass Huguenot exodus occurred from the late 1680’s onwards.
I’d be really pleased if anyone reading this could add to my findings. I’d happily share what I have found to date.
Hello Trina Skarsmo Jensen, I have Huguenot ancestry and relate to one of the names you have stated, Levesque. From my 7 times great grand mother to 9 times great grand father but ther lost the trail.
Janne (Jeanne) Levesque 1696-1768 born & died St. Dunstan Spitalfields
Her father
Jean Levesque 1669-1722
Her mother
Madeleine Campart 1669-1722/1741?, born Haute Normandy
Her grandfather
Jacqueline Levesque 1641-1676
I hope this helps you regards Teresa.
My father’s mother – “Lilly” Lydia Hurlin came from Hoxton. She was a Hatter.
I would be really interested to know if there are any Hurlins still in the area. According to the 1891 Census data there were between 18 & 23 living in the area.
Thankyou. Andy.
Does anyone have Rouvieres in their family tree?
My ancestors: Matthew Rouviere mrd Anna Henriette Bauda in Holland 1749. Their family – all born Spitalfields: 1. Matthew (George Matthew) mrd Judith Dumas – children; Susanna, Charlotte Louisa, Brown George Rouviere (Brown Rouviere arrived New York1835 enroute to Canada) 2. Pierre Philippe born 1752, 3. Elizabeth, 4. Etienne, 5. Theodore.
My Rouvieres may have connections to the Channel Islands and Gaspe, Quebec, Canada.
My ancestor was Pierre Philippe (Peter) born 1752 who married Catherine Langille (French Protestant) in PE Canada 1781. He was a Corporal in His Majesty’s Independent Company from 1778-1784.
Would like to hear from anyone interested in Rouvieres.
My email; elarn@att.net
Elaine
Hi Christine jacobs,
I have a Joseph Fournier (31.5.1767) who married a Margueritte KERNEAU in 1788.
my email is kebowman@btinternet.com
Delighted to find your site! My fifth great grandfather was John (Jean) Royffe born 15 july 1712, his wife Mary Ducro born 1712, married at St Dunstans, Stepney. He was a weaver and the family came from Chatellerault. Earlier family members had the name Canche. Does anyone have any info on them?
For Lydia Harrison
I have traced my family back to 1810 edmund valentine, who apparantly decended from the hugenots. Message me and we can share info
thanks
Greetings,
My Huguenot ancestors include the Cressé/Cressey family of Spitalfields and Bethnal Green as well as the Aubé and Lucas families.
Principally I am looking for further information regarding Hannah Cresse(y) (born 7 Feb. 1755, chr. 20 Feb. 1755, St. Matthew’s, Bethnal Green), the daughter of David Cresse(y) and Hannah Doling. Hannah Cresse(y) married William Hold (who maybe of German extraction but could also be English) in 1778 in Shoreditch. The Holds were of Winchmore Hill, Edmonton and later Southwark.
David Cresse(y) was the son of Louis Cressé and Louise Aubé (she was supposedly born in Caen, Normandie) and Louis was the son of Daniel Cressé and Marie Lucas.
Any information regarding any of the above families is most welcome.
James
hi maree. I may be able to help you with your relatives.i have a Jacques duthoit in my family tree and ,from 1793 all my ancestors have lived in the leeds/wakefield area.get in touch if you feel that it may be of use to you
regards denis
Hi I’m tracing my Huguenot Leleu ancestors who were in Spitalfields in the 18thC. Finding it difficult to find out what their actual jobs were. Can one assume they were silk weavers?I know there were other Huguenot occupations as well.Anyone know how to research occupation using surnames? For instance were there artisan guilds for Huguenots in London?
Thank you,
Eleanor Leleu.
List of Huguenots living in Spitalfields – I live and work in Spitalfields and find all your ancestral connections very interesting, I question mine.
http://www.huguenotsofspitalfields.org/index.php?option=com_formmaker&view=submissions&id=14&checked_ids=11,9,7,8,&stats_fields=,¶ms=title,&Itemid=172
Corinne chalmers Reply to P Smith your post (My family are from Bethnal Green and Spitalfields. The Huguenot connection is on my father’s mother’s side and the names were LeSadd and Lefevre. As a young child I remember my uncle saying that our ansestors were Flemish Silk Weavers and that one went on to build a cinema.
LeSadd’s seem to be few and far between but indeed Fredick LeSadd did build the Capital Cinema in Barking.
My Great Grandmother who died as late as 1935 is listed as a silk weaver on one of the 19th century census.)
Hello P Smith
I am descendant from the LaSadd/Lasatts of spitlefields from my Fathers Mothers side, I have a family tree on ancestry, if you would like to take a look.
Would be great to hear from you.
Corinne Chalmers
A rather late reply to J. Dossett who wrote about Jonathan Dowsett and Rachel Orange who lived in the Spitalfield area. They are my g.g.g.g.grandparents and the grandparents of one Richard Dowsett, came to Australia in the 1850s. At 82, I have decided it’s time to start putting together all the years of family history I’ve been gathering and found yesterday, by Googling Rachel Orange, a website (Orange Tree Bolbec Normandy France to London England) which has plenty of information about the name Orange. Not easy to read, but scroll down past the moving text and the rest is easier to read. I then found the reference to your enquiry and, having been a subscriber to The Gentle Author for a few years now, found your piece written on March 6, 2015.
I hope this is helpful. I found it quite exciting as I’ve always been drawn to all things French and, although we felt there was a connection through the Dowsett/Doucet side of things, I had not gone ‘sideways’ into the Orange area. I’m happy for you to contact me by email on shirleybyne3199@gmail.com if you wish but, by now, you probably have far more information on the Orange family and the Campignes etc. than I do.
All the best, cousin. Shirley
For Gerry Guthrie:
Don’t know if you have found the info your’re looking for Gerry or even return to this site, but
like you say, there are loads of Frederick Charlotte names to research and am willing to have a go. Can you provide any dob/death dates; any other ititials; maiden name of gran etc?
In reply to Trina’s message left in January 2017, I have only just discovered this site. My ancestors are the Le Sage’s from Booth Street,Spitalfields, and have traced to 1841. Please get in touch,
Elaine Beck
To Damaris , I’m a descendant of the Brancourt Legrande family that got persecuted & fled to London (Stepney & Bethnal Green ) I’ve got record going back to 1498 from brancourt left and. Lesley. Email- lesleykeeper@icloud.com my mothers single name was agombar
I am looking for help to trace an Albert Bader, born about 1868, father John. According to Albert’s certificate of marriage to Isabella Georgina Guichard on 16 Sept 1888 at Christ Church with St Mary and St Stephen, Spitalfields he lived at 18 Wood Street, and Isabella lived at number 20. I have Isabella’s ancestry – her grandfather arrived in London from Calais in 1837, and lived in Aldersgate, occupation Translater. He was born in Saône-et-Loire , France in June 1796. However, I can find no information about Albert at all, other than he was a Baker, as was his father John. I cannot find a birth for Albert in the UK and believe he was probably born in Germany. I have found an Albert Bader living with his brother Christian and his wife, both Bakers, but their father was Michael Bader. I have tried Bader, Baeder and even Badger. If anyone has any idea how I can trace Albert please let me know. I have tried family search.org with no success and came across this fascinating website purely by chance.
Sue Reynolds
My g.g.g. Grandfather was John Conneau, a silk weaver from Frannce.
His son was Thomas Conneau who married Rebecca Sophia Smith in 1837.
Rebecca’s father was Francis Smith and was also a weaver.They lived in Stepney.
Their daughter Emma Mary Connew (name spelt differently on BC) married my g.Grandfather William Cook 1861 in Southwark, Surrey.
William and Emma’s daughter, Jessie Douglas Cook married Francis Ernest Ford 1910.
Thomas Conneau died 13/09/1856 in the Workhouse
Rebecca Conneau died 26/09/1887 at Brick Lane
We have often wondered about these ancestors of ours and what their story would tell us.
I live in Queensland, Australia
My Huguenot family Felix Maisse lived in spitalfields ,at 40 gun street in 1840 and at no 12 Spital Square ,old artillery ground in 1843 felix was an engineer he is my 3rd great granfdfather.his sons john and Alfred vital,john is my 2nd great grandfather after that felix dies dont know when his wife an elizabeth Bacher remarries.The name changes from maisse to maice to mace and in the 1890`s most of the decendents go to america except my great grandfather who remains in england.please if you have any information please contact me.
John Mace
A reply for JOHN TROTT who wrote in 2014. I have only just discovered this site and read your comment. I also have only just discovered my husband is descended from the RENEAU family through SARAH RENEAU who married JOSEPH GEORGE in St. Leonard’s, Shoreditch 22nd July 1759. In trying to trace her I believe she could be the daughter of ABRAHAM RENEAU and MARIE DE LA HAYE. I would be delighted to make contact if you think my assumption is correct and exchange information. Thank you for posting their marriage information.
Marilyn,
Fascinating information about the Field family! Can you supply some links? You can view my connection to the Field family in the Field-Tonkins family tree at ancestry.com. It is maintained by Betty Gorie, I would love to learn more.
Not an answer but another question..
I have been trying to locate family members of Odiarne family and also Sellick/Zelick family.
The latter at some time lived at Colaton Raleigh in Devon. I am interested in early Huguenot settlement in the south west of England.
Jacqueline Brewin; Jill Turner re: Thomas Robelou(n)
The Abraham De Roubelon that Jill mentioned was my 5 or 6 times great grandfather (depending on which way you go around the family tree). I have all my late aunt Dorothy’s genealogical notes which I am entering into “Family Historian”. Dorothy had a folder on the “Ro(u)belou(n)” research with many pages of notes, but I have not had time to make sense of them all. In her main card index relating to the BOISSON family there are just 5 entries, one of which reads as follows:
“ROBELON THOMAS
Son of Thomas and Susanna (MARTIN)
Born: 10 May 1767. Bap: 10 June 1767 Thomas son of Thomas ROBELOU weaver & Susanna.
31 days old, St. Matthews, Bethnal Green
THOMAS. Bap, 28 Aug 1763, Glasshouse St. Born 31.7.1763
Godparents. Elizabeth PULLEY and Father
Died: 1764”
It is possible that your Thomas Robelon was the brother of Abraham but I have not found any written evidence. The one thing that does link them is that Elizabeth Pulley was the Godmother of (your) Thomas’ son Thomas and James Pulley was a witness at the marriage of Susanna Robelon (Abraham / Ann’s daughter) to Francis Greenwood.
Perhaps you can contact me directly as I may have more useful information buried in the files.
Rick Du Boisson
DENISE GOLDING PERMALINK
December 23, 2013
My Huguenot ancestors were:
Judict Madalaine ‘Judith’ Raby.
Birth 18 Aug 1717 in Spitalfields.
Death 7 Apr 1792 in La Providence French Hospital, London.
She married Charles Cecil who was apprenticed as a Silk Weaver at the Bridewell Royal Hospital, which at that time was near the River Fleet in the west of the city of London. From 1730 to 1738. He set up a shop in St John Street, Spitalfields.
Judict Madalaine Raby’s Father was Daniel Samuel Raby, B: 1696 and his Father was Daniel Raby, B: 1658 in Lore, Cher, Centre, France. “He is my 7th Gt Grandfather”.
My Raby and the Cecil where ALL Silk weavers and lived in Spitalfield and Bethnal Green.
The Cecil’s have an “extensive family”.
I love this message board. It is fantastic hearing other peoples family stories.
Th IN RESPONSE TO THIS POST – I am related my maiden is Cecil.
Looking for a list of official Huguenot names.
Specifically, Pieter Tryon, aka Trioen, Tryoen, , Trijon, and other various spellings.
Peter had son Moses, also, Abraham, Samuel, mentioned.
Left Wulverghem, Flanders (now Belgium) ca 1560 and settled in London, England, near St. Christopher le Stocks, d. 1611 and was buried in the church.
In mid to late 1700s the Bank of England bought the church and churchyard and removed burials, looking for records and name of cemetery where bodies were reinterred.
For Jacqueline Brewin
I also am descended from Henry Robelou and Judith Morieux on my fathers maternal side. Perhaps you would like to contact me by email and I can send youwhat i have
I am researching my 8th grandfather Charles De La Porte from St Jean du Gard Nimes
Languedoc France married to Louise Plumail they were Huguenot who fled the oppression who lived in Crispin street Spitalfields around 1682 they were members of the silk weavers community
They had a son Piere Peter in 1710 they were silk weavers
I believe Peter married an Ann
Would love to hear from anyone who may have information
On a side note down the line my great grandmother mary delaporte married Arthur Barnes
In Harvey Australia he was the son of Robert Barnes born 1841 royal acadamy of arts member
To Yvin,
I have only just found this webpage resource and seen your comment about your Huguenot ancestors.
I too am descended from the Auvache family from Mantes de Jolie and I believe that they were veterinarians to horses. I would be interested to learn more from you.
For your interest the most recent Auvache connection to me is Ann Elizabeth (or Elizabeth Auvache) who was married to William Henry Rew (I believe) and are my maternal great, great grandparents.
My email address is fionamason7@gmx.com should you wish to contact me.
Thank you for sharing your information
Hello,
I have come across the surname LANDRY in my family tree. My 6x great grandfather was called Thomas Landry and he was born in Spitalfields and baptised at the Arillery-French Huguenot church in 1762. His parents were Abraham Landry and Dorothy/Dorothée (maiden name unknown). There seems to be a rumour that Dorothy was a Huguenot but that is a much as I know. I would be really interested in anyone who may have the surname LANDRY in their family history as I would love to know more.
Thank you
Sorry for the lateness of reply to:
Lynda Edwards and Andrew Sheriff.
To Lynda….I am a Fellow of the Huguenot Society, my details are in the current members list if you want to contact me.
To Andrew….there is a Hurlin living in Spitalfields from the Boston side. We also have Hurlins in South Africa.
Hello, very interesting site. Our family name is de la Salle. The research i’ve done shows family from islington and clerkenwell. Is this a Huguenot name?
My 6x great grandfather was Jacob Carlier, born in London and the grandson of Antoine Carlier from Picardy in France. I’m descended from his son Daniel. Anyone else linked to this branch of the Carliers?
Hi, I’ve only just found some Huguenots in the family I am researching. The earliest I have found so far (24/9/18) is Andre Lamy whose son Andre Joseph Lamy was baptised in Feb 1806, born January 1806, at the chapel of the Hospital, Spitalfields. My French is non-existent but I think his ‘God parents’ were Adrien Lamy and Elizabeth Dunkley. I’m not aware of any silk weaver connections and would be very grateful if anyone else has any connections to this branch of Allison family. There are numerous spellings of Lamey (Lemare, Lamy, Le May) which makes researching he ancestry challenging!
Hi
I have very recently discovered that I have Huguenot ancestry, after a friend of mine kindly offered to research my family tree.
The ancestral family names that have been found are:-
Du Puy
Dupee
Dupris (Jean Dupris, born circa 1625, France)
Du Breuil (De Brevil) – Michel De Breuil, born circa 1650, Loire Atlantique, France
Boulanger (Balguire)
So far? We have been able to trace my direct ancestors back 12-13 generations and I would really like to hear from anyone with links to the surnames I have listed above.
My name is Niels van den Brink,
and I am also a descendant from the Mahieu family.
My grandfathers parents were the van de Water and Mahieu families.
(both of these families partly migrated to America)
I would like to know more about the history of the Huguenots/Walloons in England.
I already learned about the history of the Huguenots Francis Cooke (the real spelling is Coucke, for more info search registers of museum Lakenhal in Leiden) and Eshter Mahieu.
And that their family origins are in Lille (Bondues) France.
But I am also interested in the Mahieu’s who stayed in England, and what are the different spellings of surnames derived from Mahieu.
If anybody has more information, let me know!
Regards Niels
I am trying to trace the ancestors of Joseph Zanker (born 1731). Also Luke and John Zanker of the same generation. I believe they are descended from silk workers who fled from Flanders.
In reply to the post by Ann Charbonnier (April 30, 2017), we share ancestors, John Royffe and Marie Ducro. Marie’s parents were also Jean and Marie. They are my 7th and 8th great grandparents on my grandmother’s side. My grandmother’s family lived in Bethnal Green and there are a lot of weavers on that side of my family tree.
My third great grandmother was Caroline Royffe (1826-1883),born in Spitalfields, she married William Henry Guinn.
To Sandra Dukelow, I have just stumbled across this site and never realised Dukelow was a Huguenot name.. I am trying to sort out Dukelow, Driscoll and Sullivan connections, from Schull and Cork areas, possibly originating via Susanna Brown, wife of John Bellett f silk weavers from Normandy.f Any help re Dukelows in the Cork area would be very helpful as there are SO many Driscolls it’s very difficult to sort them out! Thanks
Jill Turner. Re: Thomas Robelou
My Ancestor was Abraham De Roubelon who is listed as a refugee from Dieppe. I have not found a DOB. He married Anne Cappe and lived at Pheonix Street Spitalfields. There have been spellings of his name similar to Rebelou. He also would have been of a similar age as your Thomas Robelou. Contact me again if you think there may be a connection.
Hi Jill
I looked at Abraham on Ancestry and there is a baptism of their Daughter Ann but it has been transcribed as Roubelon but on the document it is Roubelou , so this is possibly a link.
There have been several spellings from Reboul to Roubelou, so possibly the same family… Will keep on digging.
Thanks Jill
I’m descended from a John Deed born est. 1775 who had a son John Deed 1795 born in Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex. DNA testing has shown my line is not related to the Deed’s of Middlesex/Norfolk etc.. and the earliest parish records spell the surname variously as Ded, Deds and Deeds, in addition to a potential marriage of my ancestor nearby spelt “Dead”. The surname or variations on it does not occur previously in the area.
I recently discovered that there are a lot of ‘Dede’, French Huguenots in Spitalfields area and i am now investigating this as a potential ancestry. Unfortunately given the change in location and name i cannot prove a recorded link (there was a John Dede born in 1775 to Pierre and Eliz. but he is recorded as having died the same year, an un-recorded additional son by the same name?).
So i am leaving this post here in-case another descendant of the Dede Huguenots comes along and would be willing to dna test (or already has) so that i might test this theory!
Note that i am keen to know even if this is proved to be wrong, so if you have confirmed ancestry to the Dede line please let me know. A non match may allow me to discard this line of enquiry.
A current hypothetical relationship can be seen here: https://ancstry.me/2KxfMRK
I would also be interested in information regarding the spread of Huguenots from Spitalfields and elsewhere. I get th impression that it was a very close community. Why would a son leave to farm, rather than stay in the local area? Is this something that would be unlikely?
My ancestor James Foster a printer was of Huguenot descent from his mother Mary-Ann Bernard. She was married at Bethnal Green St Matthews in February 1837. In 1851 she was a ‘silkweaveress’, born in Shoreditch. She died in New Zealand in 1876 after 2 years in NZ.
I was told her ancestors came over from France “after the Revolution”.
I now believe this was the English Revolution of 1688, the so-called “Glorious Revolution; not the French Revolution of 1789.
Three of Mary-Ann Bernard’s sons in New Zealand had daughters given the middle name Olive. This name sounds French to me. Any thoughts?
To Irene fisher,
I have just discovered my Huguenot ancestors de bois / debuse and wallin.
A message for Stacy Ogier Hancock.
I am descended from Jean Ogier and Louisa F Mallard, which would make us cousins. I have just had my Family tree done. If I can be of any help please do not hesitate to contact me.
Regards.
Steve Bateman
My Huguenot ancestors settled in Lanarkshire, Scotland. Lightbody was their name but I imagine it must have been altered from a French or Belgian one. They were “Lanarkshire Lace Makers” – Carluke, Lesmahagow and Hamilton all feature Lightbodys and my more recent ancestors had occupations listed like weaving etc. Not sure if they would have started in Spittalfields or come directly to Glasgow on a ship. Does anyone know if there is a name listed amongst them that resembles Lightbody ?
I have just found the website. We have been researching my husband’s family which is heavily Huguenot on both sides. His parents were from the east end of London. He is descended from Anthoine Carlier born c 1655, in Templeux-le-Guerard, Picardy. Anthoine and his wife Madeleine Boute settled in London in 1715. (Info comes from Reg Carlier writing in 1993 in East of London Family History Society quarterly publication “Cockney Ancestor” quoted by Terry Woodward in his 2018 book “It started with Noah … a family history “. Interestingly we gave our son Carlier as one of his first names without realising that we were following an earlier family tradition of using Carlier as a first name.
Steve Delasalle..
This is also my family.
Please contact me directly at eaglenst2@earthlink.net.
We may have been in contact earlier before my computer died.
Terry Burns ring a bell?
Thanks
Valerie
My great grandmother was Elizabeth Doree French Huguenot wife of Mark Roach, and sister to George Doree 1844 1916 of Bethnal Green, master velvet weaver. We are told George was awarded the Silver Medal of the Freedom of the Weavers’ Company in 1893 and wove by hand the silk velvet coronation robe for King Edward VII in 1902. Family members are planning a trip to the UK this spring and we are looking to find some of the sites that would be worthwhile to visit to experience the locale and some of the history of the Huguenot weavers. Any input appreciated. Thanks
I know there were marriages between the Dearman’s and Hugeneot families.
However, my trail stops at Francis Dearman b.1788.
I can’t find evidence of a link. Does anyone have any information on the DEARMAN DEIGHTON or COLLIER weaver families in bethnal green and links to the French?
Also sceptical re. The 90% figure. Many weavers moved in from other parts of the UK
Merci
To Chris Potter
There were many silk weavers named Collier, some who married into families who were of Huguenot descent. You might find an article about the Dearman/Collier Family of interest. Hope so!
http://cmbower.co.uk/Articles/OtherProjects/SilkWeavers/4.FrancisDearman.html
Colin Bower
I know is 2020 but just in case anyone is looking.
My ancestor Martha Hesse born 1718 from Threadneedle Street London
her father was Jacob Hesse, mother Marianne
Martha married Jonathan Carrington from Wetton Staffordshire, but lived in London. I cannot find a marriage record. Not connected to the USA Carringtons.
They had at least 6 children:
1 1742 John married Elizabeth Ashwell
2 1744 Ann married Edward Armet
3 1752 Nathan married Elizabeth Garratt
4 1754 Daniel married Ann Wilson
5 1760 Elizabeth Hesse nil known
6 1763 Jane Catherine nil known
I would love to here from anyone with a connection to the family.
Cheers,
Sue.
A rather late reply to Corinne Chalmers regarding our ancestors the Le Sadds. I had the exact same information from my father that you have regarding Frederick LeSadd building the cinema in Barking. An uncle also mentioned we were descended from Flemish Weavers.
I have more information and my email is walsey64@gmail.com if you wish to get in contact.
Following my genetics through my Father, we are heavily connected to the Far West Cork area around Schull, Ballydehob & Bantry areas to the Dukelow’s, Lefevre’s, Kingston’s, Camier’s, Young’s and many other “heavily” related families in the area.
I didn’t know much about this group of people, but using genetics, it has taught me about this a bit more than I expected. The problem is, we don’t know our “Huguenot” lineage, the ancestor is unknown, but it could be links to a Godson or maybe a Gosnell name.
Awesome to see the image of Fleur de Lis Street where my silkweaving 6 x great grandfather Peter Delaporte, grandson of French born Master weaver Charles De La Porte still had premises in September 1791.
Hello, I am very excited to have found this.
My Huguenot connection is Judith Raby / Charles Cecil. So Jan Baker, Denise Golding, Jane Hughes, Michael Cecil and Marie Welch we have common ancestors. My 2 x Great Grandmother was Caroline Elizabeth Cecil. Caroline travelled to Australia as an assisted immigrant and single woman at 21 years of age. Charles and Judith were her great grandparents.
Other Huguenot connections in my family include Waterlow / Vuaterlot, Cordwell / Cordell and Royer amongst others. Generations of silk weavers in a number of family branches.
I wonder how far others have traced Charles Cecil’s family back? I am back as far as John Cecil 1655-1683 who married Ann Whale b 1600. I haven’t found evidence of John being a weaver yet but all of his descendents are. My ‘ancestry tree hints’ are saying John’s parents are Charles (Karei) Cecil Viscount Cranbourne 1619-1660 and Lady Diana Maxwell 1623-1675. This sounds exciting but I am yet to be convinced and about to delve into the possibility. I have not found evidence of other parents for John as yet but it is a very long way back. I’m very interested in what others have found.
This fascinates me! I wish I had known when I visited London last year, I would have loved to have walked the streets my ancestors lived in.
I found a list of silk weavers in Parliamentary records in British History Online dating from the late 1690’s. There was an investigation into “foreign lustrings”, and people who were smuggling them into England from the Continent. Lustrings were a specific kind of woven silk.
My search was related to the name Chabanas, specifically Isaac Chabanas, my Huguenot ancestor, who came to Virginia in 1700.
A man named Isaac Chabanas was listed in the group of silk weavers in London, in charge of three looms. There were numerous names on the list, most of them probably of French and Walloon origins. I believe the series is from May 1697.
Isaac Chabanas and his son emigrated to Virginia in 1700, and to North Carolina in 1704. Over time, the family name became Shavender. I always thought that sounded English, but never found it in books on names of English origin.
I hope this helps others in their search.
Message for Steve Bateman and Yvonne.
I am also decended from Francois Bouchard 1704-1749. His grandaughter Mary was my 4xGt grandmother on my father’s side.
Regards,
Margaret
Hello , I also have Huguenot ancestors . They were based in La Patente , Spitalfields.
Father was Louis Nouzille originally from Deux Sèvres or Vendée , France (probably the village of Benet) and his wife maiden name was Judith Chanson. They had two or three children among which Susanne Nouzille born 1724 , Louis Nouzille born in 1721.
I’m looking for their descendents, I’ll be very glad to get more informations if someone has connections with this familly .
I was reading a Susan who wanted to know about the Golding surname
Golding is an Anglo Saxon name I am trying to follow its origins to Latvia
My ancestor Edwin Golding lived in Dartmouth Street Westminster in 1922 a shoe and bookmaker I dont know if the Goldi g family married into Huguenot families We are all of us related !!
Hi. I come from a long direct line of Daniel Callieu’s. Variation in spellings are numerous but eventually anglicised to Callan. Their name was possibly originally Collieu. Possibly French. The first Daniel Callieu b.1675 married married Marie Boutain, daughter of Jean Boutain (Boutyen). Daniel b.1711 married Ellenor Davis. My family are from The Royal Artillery, French huguenot, Spitalfields, London and were weavers. They are documented in The French Huguenot Book of Proceedings vol. 4. Please get in touch if you are related. The Christian name Danuel is still being passed down since 1675 at least. Thank you!
I am a descendant of Loys (Louis) Dupre who had a son Haley Dupree. The Dupree’s settled in Virginia and down into North Carolina. If anyone has any info on my ancestry, please email jradcock0910@gmail.com. Thanks!!
What fascinating reading delving into all these family stories and glad the web site is still going strong in 2020!!
As many others, I am researching my Huguenot links and hoping to expand my knowledge of them.
They came from around the Le Havre region in France (Bolbec, Fontaine le Mallet) in the early 1700s and were associated with the silk weaver trade.
The names I have found so far are:
Jean Maze who married Rachel Jeanne David (not the Jean Maze who married Madelaine Vergnon, though they may well have been related…)
Abraham David who married Jeanne Margot
Jean Lambert who married Jeanne Maze along with their son George Roy Lambert
Any information regarding any of the above families would be oh so welcome,
Thankyou!!
@Jacqueline Callan Hi! Very interested in what you have written. I am a direct descendent of Daniel Collieu. He arrived in Great Britain in 1750 and the family oral history says that the family came from the Low Countries. My assumption is they went their first and then something pulled them to England. The family remained weavers and silversmiths in Spitalfields and Bethnal Green until the early 20th century. My father has done considerable research on the family and I will let him know about your post.
My grandmother’s maiden name was NOQUET (or Nocquet), and she was a descendant of Huguenot – Abraham NOQUET who originated from Celles-sur-Belle, near Poitou (there is a NOQUET family cemetery there). I have quite an extensive family tree so I am more interested in the social history side. I understand the Noquet family were mostly silk weavers and dyers and resided in Spitalfields around the 18th & 19th century.
Can anyone offer information relating to the NOQUETS in terms of records, photos, places, occupations etc?
Thank you.
Mary Kingsford
Hi Avril Brown…
I’m descended from that branch of the Carliers! Antoine Carlier is my 8 x grandfather! He was married to Madalaine Boute…. It’s so interesting isn’t it!!!
Feel free to contact me at – rachel_day@yahoo.com
All the best, Rachel
Replying to Elaine Murphy of Florida
I haven’t been on this site for ages, hence I have only just seen your question Elaine.
Here is a link to the Dulieu family tree. I was very fortunate to visit Nerac France last year. It was beautiful and very interesting. (Nerac is where the Dulieu family came from)
http://theweald.org/a21.asp?QId=42112090&astart=0&aend=179999999
Regards Marilyn
malwilkinson@aol.com
Tracing my GOSSET /Gossee/ Gusset/ Gossett ancestors who were weavers in Spitalfields and Bethnal Green from Charles Frederic Gosset who was apprenticed to Peter Pain et Vine ( a foreign weaver) in 1714. Charles’s son Joseph Gosset and then his son Daniel Gosset ( Gosset Street in Bethnal Green) . Charles Frederic spoke fluent French and English but I cannot find a birth place or parentage for him.
Any clues? metcher@bigpond.com Thanks.
For Tim Collieu
Hi there. I’ve just seen your post, very excited to hear your ancestral news!!! From my records, the first Daniel Collieu b.around 1670 married Marie Boutain who had 3 children: jean joseph, daniel and pierre. My direct ancestor is Daniel b.1711. Henceforth the name Daniel is still running strong in my family. I wondered if they originally came from Saone et Loire and then the Low Countries. I have strong French and Belgian DNA test results. I have seen they were weavers etc on documents. By 1865 they were fishermen/merchant and royal navy seamen moving up to Hull. I made the Huguenot discovery only a few months ago. Nobody else knew! They married into the Holford family and Davis family. I’m thrilled your dad has some more info about it. I lost my dad nearly 30 years ago. I dont think he had a clue about it. I wondered where his jet black hair came from! Please contact me again if you wish. I think the name was originally Collieu then must be quite a few different spellings, eg cailleu callieu calliou Callien now Callan
I am trying to find out more about my 4 x Great Grandmother Sarah Ann Noquet who was a daughter of Absalom Noquet (born in Spitalfields in 1772). Sarah married my 4 x Great Grandfather George Heath in Bloxham Oxfordshire in 1823.
Hello Teresa Ferrone and Trina Skarsno Jensen. I have only just found your postings from 2017.
I am also descended from Jean Levesque and Madelaine Campart and have extensive research and information on the Levesque family and have recently written a history on this and associated families. I am always looking for more information on my Huguenot ancestors and am happy to share what I have. If you are interested you can contact me on carts2017@outlook.com
Best regards
Dennis
Just fascinating to read all these posts, thank you for the link Marilyn Finley, I am a direct descendant of Pierre Dulieu orig. from Narac.
Look forward to checking your link and finding out more… and to visit Narac and Vesenobres!
I have just inherited my mother’s extensive work on our family tree and am particularly interested in our Huguenot ancestors as I live on the island of Jersey, Channel Islands, where many Huguenot names still proliferate.
Jean Baptiste Orange born 1728 and christened at The Artillery-French Huguenot, Spitalfields, London was my 7th great grandfather (!) – so if anyone has any connection there I would be interested.
My other reason for writing this post is to point out that there was a large Huguenot community in Jersey, for those who do not know. Many of the names above – l’Amy, Ogier, Rabey,Dupree, Vibert are common here and the de la Salle Brothers (the name was mentioned in an earlier post) set up a school here, which still survives today – unlike some of the poor Huguenots who were murdered by one particularly nasty Jersey resident for their possessions after he offered them sanctuary…
For those researching family history in Canada, particularly the Gaspe coastal area, you may well find Jersey connections – there was a large cod trade.
I hope this is helpful. Although I am not from Jersey, I have a keen interest in its history and am following up my Orange connection here – though I suspect it is distant. I have learnt to speak and read the endangered language (Jersey French) to an extent and if I can help anyone I will certainly try.
Message for Margaret Plant.
Sorry l have not got back sooner cousin but been a tad busy over the summer. Do you know where in France the Bouchard’s came from.
Regards.
Steve.
Hi Tracey
Do you know of any Saint families still in Jersey. My Jacques Saint left France in 1717 and went to Jersey (St Helier). One son Gideon Saint was born in 1729.
Regards
Mark Saint
My mother’s maiden name was Dupuy – I am surprised this name does not crop up in any of the posts as far as I can see. My Dupuy male ancestors in London (I think even the odd female) were (silk) weavers – till the demise of the industry towards the end of the 1800’s. I have traced this line back with certainty till early 1700’s but on one baptism document of 1712 it says the child’s father, Francois Dupuy (who would be my grx6 grandfather I think), is from Caen, Normandy and mother from Picardy. This is the earliest I have been able to go back using records available online. I was wondering whether there was any silk weaving in Caen, or maybe he had moved to the Lyons area and became a silk weaver before fleeing to London, though this is extremely doubtful. There is no actual record of Francois’ occupation but one of his son’s occupation is given as ‘Weaver’ on a baptism record in 1772 so I am assuming his father was also. I had always assumed my ancestors had come from the Lyons area, so this is a bit of a puzzle – I think there was a wool textile industry in Normandy, so maybe he adapted when he got to London.
This is a very old thread, so I am doubting any one will see this!
My family are the Weaver family from Bethnal Green & Spitalfields. We were always told that the name was anglicized at some point and that they were silk Weavers by trade, before then becoming Labourers/Low-Skilled manual work by 1800’s. Do any of you experts know if this is at all likely/possible. I am struggling to find birth records for either My Robert Weaver or Susannah Cooper, who were married at Christchurch Spitalfields in 1820 (both my direct ancestors). Had anyone had any experience of the actual Surname Weaver as an occupational surname (or otherwise)?!
Many thanks
Beccy
Apologies, they were married in 1810, not 1820.
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/1623/images/31280_194732-00642?pId=2030877
Message for Helen Newman, who posted on January 31st January 2021:
Wonder if your mother is connected to the large Dupuy family who lived on the Isle of Dogs until the 1970s? Our neighbours were Frederick James Dupuy (1909-1965) and his wife Grace, they lived at 114 Mellish Street and owned several properties there. I think Frederick’s father was William Chales Dupuy and his mother was Beatrice Maud Dupuy. Does this ring any bells with you? I’m not related to them but have a connection via my own family in Mellish Street. I’m also an Isle of Dogs local historian and a committee member of the Friends of Island History Trust. If you’re connected with this family, I’d be interested to hear from you, my email is: con.maloney@btinternet.com
hi Avril Brown.
I am decended from Antoine Carlier from his grandson Abraham Carlier. My Grandmother was Harriet Carlier. There appears to be quite a few of us “cousins” around 🙂
Message for Janelle Bowler
I also have Waterlow and Royere names in the family tree:-
William Waterlow B:May 1742, Stepney D:1789
Married at St Boltoph’s, Bishopsgate on December 26th 1759 to
Jeanne Royere born April 3rd 1740 and baptised on April 27 1740 at Eglise de la Patente (Spitalfields, London, England)
Hi some very interesting comments above, thank you
I am currently working on the Dupuy line on Wikitree. My wife’s mother was a Dupey, the name morphed at some point possibly due to the unfortunate murder and suicide with her 3xGrandparents.
This also provides a bit of a sad hook to connect with. I suspect that going back further will be more tricky.
There is a ‘send private message, option on the page for James Dupuy or you can post a message at the bottom if you want to exchange thoughts,
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Dupuy-652
Using the pandemic to sort out family tree. Delighted to come across this fascinating site and had no idea the Huguenots had such a huge impact on London`s East End. My dad had talked about “our” Huguenot ancestry. His grandmother was Annie Agombar 1852-1900. I have been able to follow her paternal line back to Jacob Hangombart in Brancourt Aisne or St Quentin Marne 1540-1600.
But is the maternal line I have found puzzling and would be grateful if anyone would be able to throw any light on it.
Her grandmother appears to have been Elizabeth Deighton who was from Auckland, Durham it was her daughter Esther Warner who married William Agombar in 1846 in St James the Great. This would appear to be a case of someone marrying into the Huguenots.
Has anyone any information
The Quirie name appears to have originally French, particularly in Normandy before a lot of them arrived in North East Scotland in about the 1600’s. if anyone can assist in my search for a link I’d be extremely grateful. Great website about the Huguenot links. Thanks, Bill
Hi, My maiden name is Pardon ad we often wondered in France maybe De Pardon. The furtherest back we can go is to Richard Pardon b. 1714, do not know where he was born. Wife Susannah Brown lived in Plymouth. Distant cousin who did a lot of research thought they maybe Huguenots. They seemed to have baptisms etc at Charles church in Plymouth or st Andrew’s church. Does anyone have any ideas on this. Cheers from Australia
I have just come across this website and was thrilled to find various descendents of Charles Cecil and Judith Raby. My great grandmother was Sarah Caroline Priscilla Cecil, who was born on 10th September, 1846 in Bethnal Green. Her parents were James and Sarah Cecil. Sarah and her parents were silk weavers. I have found a family tree on line that takes the Cecil line back to the 1400’s (http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/%7Edphaner/HTML/people/p000006y.htm#I66609) It seems reasonably accurate.)
Sarah C.P. was in Bethnal Green in the 1861 census. But, she married George Parker ( Born 1846 – Shoreditch, London – son of William and Mary Parker, of Parker and Stone Jewellers, of Clerkenwell London) in Scarsdale, Victoria, Australia in 1871. I cannot find how or when she got to Australia. I have her Bible and worked bookmarks which were backed with long lengths of silk when I inherited then as a child aged 7 along with her work basket and treadle sewing machine. Unfortunately I had no idea of her past as a silk weaver, and when the silk was eaten by insects, I discarded it!
It would be really interesting to hear from other Cecil descendants.
I am related to both Huguenot silk weaver in Canterbury and Spitalfields and Irish silk weavers in Bethnal Green. My Heudebourck family came from France to Canterbury in the 1600’s before relocating to Spitalfields. My Breillat family came from France in the 1700’s and settled in Spitalfields. I believe they were active in the London Corresponding Company in Spitalfields. I am still to research my maternal lines….Catthern, Martin, Lendre, Ferre. As well as weavers they were loom reed makers and one distant uncle moved to Bristol and founded the Bristol Gas Company. Interestingly my 5 x gt. grandmother Sarah Breillat, married my 5 x gt. silk weaver grandfather William Garland in 1791 and broke way from the French Church moving from Spitalfields to Bethnal Green.
I am a direct Huguenot descendant (Southern France then Ireland). My Grandfather believed from Crypto Jews who chose to align themselves with Calvinists in France rather than suffer persecution by the Catholic church in Spain. For years I have been perplexed how the Huguenots “suddenly” appeared out of thin air as an organised people group in great numbers with absolutely no background in 1540 (as one source claims) and appeared in convocations in 1559 and 1561 in huge numbers. Hey Presto we have thousands of Huguenots….who just materialized from where? Catholics who chose to embrace Reformed Christianity so they could be persecuted?
I know the history of Erasmus and Calvin and the development of the Reformation inside out. Apart from some Jewish people in the USA who claim to trace their jewish ancestry via Huguenots it seems that all the academic research relating to Iberia and Southern France has been conducted with the view to establishing Converso Jewish identity and history with respect to returning to Judaism (rather than assimilation) or the unsatisfactory “sudden appearance” of Huguenots as a people group and people movement with no background going back beyond the early 16th century.
Any suggestions?
I came upon this thread while researching something else, but it’s fascinating. My father Brian Belle always said his family was Huguenot in origin, originally spelled with an acute accent on the final ‘e’, and pronounced ‘Bellay’. He even had a pocket watch with his grandfather’s name on it, with the accent, but famously lost it on Boat Race night in the mid 1930s. Family story was that they dropped the accent because they were fed up with being called Belly.
However, when I started researching, I realised that family stories can be very deceptive. I discovered that my g-g grandfather, John William Gustave Belle, was actually born in Germany, probably in Berlin, some time in the 1830s – I had wondered why there was no record of him before his marriage to Eliza Hancock in London in 1852, and no connection with the very few Belles I had found in England before that. From virtually nothing, he made a good life for himself and ended up in India, where he died quite young: he and Eliza are buried in Simla. Of their three children, one, my great-grandfather Charles Theodore returned to England, and had several children, including my grandfather Charles Gustave. The other two children, Francis and Bertha, went to Berlin, and married Germans – at least two of their offspring fought against us in World War 1, which is almost certainly why the German connection was hidden, as it was not a good idea to admit to German ancestry at that time.
It’s worth noting that many Huguenots who were expelled from France in 1685 took refuge in other Protestant countries besides Britain, including Germany, the Netherlands and Scandinavia, and that family stories about their origins may not always be correct!
I’d also comment, to those who wonder about a possible Jewish connection because of the many Old Testament Christian names which Huguenots gave their children, that Protestants in the UK also used a lot of those names, because they took much of their religious inspiration from the Old Testament rather than the New.
Hello, what a fascinating thread. My 6th Great-Grandfather was Abraham Coste (my grandmother was Rosina Coste) I think, this is all derived from Ancestry) born 1697. I’ve hit a brick wall as it seems he was born in Spitalfields so can find no trace of his parents/grandparents or when they came from France. Does anyone know anything of the Costes? There is a huge black hole regarding them that takes you to Quebec and the first French settlers there but I think this may be a red herring!
I know that my ancestors were Huguenots called Dupre who were silk merchants from Lyons. At some point they changed their name to Smith & they lived in Laracor, County Meath, Ireland. Apparently there changed their name to fit in. As Smith is an English name I wonder if they went to Ireland via England. Is there any way I can find this out & also find out when they changed their name ? I can trace the Smiths back to 1762.
Thank you
My paternal family of Woods traced back to Isaac Dubois 1697 – 1762. A weaver living in Spitalfields was married to Esther Olive de la Faye which was registered as a “clandestine marriage” in the Chapel of the Hospital Spitalfields . I believe this is because their protestant marriage was not recognised by the French Church? Interested in this.
Isaac and Esther had a son Francois Dubois also a weaver, who was baptised as “French or Walloon”. He married Catherine Gerard from Franiere, Namur.
The following generation (silk weavers) changed their name to Wood and lived in Bethnal Green.
I have not found any Hugenot names of Dubois listed, would be interested to hear of any.
Hi there.
In response to Denise Lockyer post:
My 6x Great Grandfather was Daniel Lecomber, born in 1669 and died September 1747.
He had one son Bernard born in 1715 who married Elizabeth Guillier who were my x5 Great Grandparents.
I am not sure when the name evolved from Daniel de la Combe to Daniel Lecomber but I do think your x5 Great Grandfather & my x6 Great Grandfather are the same person according to the dates.
In response to John Trotts. I notice you wrote about your family members in a thread above, it seems that we are related, as they are also related to me. Would love to speak to you about your connection and cannot seem to message you directly. Please feel free to add me on Facebook. Much Love!
I am responding to an old posting regarding the Votaugh/Voto/Votaw. I am also interested in this surname. My great grandfather was Nathan L. Votaw from Texas.
I’ve been researching my family history and my great grandmother never spoke about her family, so I wanted to find out more about them! I found out they were a Hugenot family originally from the Brittany and Languedoc-Roussillon regions of France. The first of my Hugenot ancestors to arrive in Spitalfields was Pierre Dulieu, who was a silk weaver. His son David is my 5x great grandfather. His granddaughter Sarah ended up marrying an Ellis who had my great grandmother’s mother, who had my great grandma (who in turn had my grandma, who had my mother, who had me).
We’re currently living in Greater London but I was born in Chelsea and my mother was born in Lambeth. My great grandmother married an Irish immigrants son whose family migrated due to persecution of Catholics in Ireland, and I have Jewish ancestors who had to flee the Netherlands due to antisemitism. Religious persecution is the reason why I am here today on all sides of my family!
Hi Jacqueline Callan and Tim Collieu. I am also descended from a Daniel Callieu. He married Eleanor Davis in 1763. My 4 times gt grandfather John Latham married his daughter Eleanor Hitchcock, nee Callieu, widow, at Limehouse in 1795. The Lathams were weavers in Bethnal Green until that industry died out, then they were furniture makers. One of their daughters, another Eleanor married Richard Martin in 1819, a weaver. One of their daughters Jemima married Samuel Laffleet in 1857. All Huguenot names. Some of my Latham ancestors were accepted at the French Hospital in Bethnal Green on the strength of their proven descent from Huguenots.
I have the 1856 will of a Daniel Callieu, draper, Bethnal Green but he seems to be of a different line.
Records of the French Hospital have been published by the Huguenot Society in 2 volumes and are a mine of genealogical info!
I have just found information on my great Grandmother she was Charlotte Payton and was a French refugee and Lace maker. She was married to Daniel Thomas Baker lived in Bethnal Green.
Would there be any records to be found on her passage over to uk.
Loved reading through all of this. My wife and I are headed to my paternal ancestral homeland of Azay-le-Brulé / Saint-Maixent-l’Ecole / Saivres during our trip to France this year and we are planning to stop by the Museé du Poitou Protestant to see what fun stuff we can find. My father did a huge amount of genealogical research, so I doubt it will be anything new. But it will be neat to see what’s there.
@Sue Delamore – your distant uncle, John Breillat of the Bristol Gas Company – Sarah’s brother, is my great-great-great-great grandfather. So hi there, cousin! We’re descended from John B and Mary Holbrook through their son, Joseph Breillat.
Hello, I’ve only just found this site. I see there is a Tammy who is descended from a Gastineau family. So am I. A 4x great-grandmother of mine was Mary Gastineau. Her parents were Charles Gastineau and Rebecca Terrier. Mary’s grandparents, Mathurin Gastineau and Jeanne Chaboussant, were refugees who came to England about the 1690s, I believe. Mary Gastineau married the silversmith Edward Barnard and they belonged to a non-conformist church called the Sandemanians. Edward’s business partner (for a while) was Rebecca Emes, after she was widowed. I wonder if she or her husband might have been Huguenots; it could explain how Edward and Mary met. Mary became a Sandemanian after she met Edward, though perhaps she was already attending that church. The Gastineaux came from a village called Pamproux, quite near the Huguenot town of La Rochelle. As well as Gastineau, Chaboussant and Terrier there were surnames Bellet and Dupuys/Dupuis. In Jackson’s Book of Silver Marks several Huguenot silversmiths are listed – I was surprised how many.
I too have found my ancestor, Mary (Marie) Alliaume who married Samuel Haley. I have different records to others in that Abraham Pierre Alliaume – weaver, born 1717 although a witness to Marie’s marriage to Samuel, I believe is her father and Marie Aussau, mother. Pierre and Marie Alliaume were his parents. It does become extremely difficult and would like to know if I am on the right track.
ATTN. TAMMY RE:GASTINEAU FAMILY
Hi I just saw your post today. My G.Grandmother and G.Grandfather on my Mother’s side were GASTINEAUs. Just yesterday I found this link that took me to the GASTINEAU s your looking for. I’m also desended from this line. Good luck!
https//www.wiki tree.com/genealogy/
Gastineau-Family-Tree-76
Anne Coletta PERMALINK
January 19, 2014
I have just discovered that my 5 x great grandmother could be descended from Huguenots. Her name was Marie Douxsaint and she was born in Spitalfields in 1754. Her father was Pierre Jacques Douxsaint and her mother Elizabeth Douxsaint, nee Pain. In 1775 Marie went to Canada and married a French Canadian, Pierre Lamontage. Their daughter Sarah Marie Lamontagne was born in 1777 and in 1799 Sarah returned to England and married my 4 x great grandfather, Walter Russell, in Bath. She died in Bath in 1857.
In articles I have read about the Huguenots in Spitalfields, I have not found any reference to the Douxsaint name.
Any help would be appreciated.
Anne Coletta
Copied ftom above 2014! These are my family too, I am decided from The Russell’s in Bath, now in Essex would live to talk!
My mother’s ancestor was a FREDERICK MERCERON, b 1802ish d 1828. I have found that he was a great nephew of the notorious JOSEPH MERCERON, all Huguenot descendants of Spitalfields. I wish to find Frederick’s father’s name. I have a copy of The Boss of Bethnal Green which showed the link between Frederick and Joseph but unfortunately it didnt have a family tree. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I am tracing my family history and have seen Liz Ridlington’s comments from way back on the 31st October 2015.
My ancestor is also James Eykelbosch, in London. I would like to have contact with Liz, to see if we can add to each others knowledge of our ancestry. Does ‘Permalink’connect people directly?
I am. Interested in any information anyone has on the surname le caron or campart ,my ancestors were french hugenouts living g in threadneedle Street soittalfields
Anyone looking for Higley/Higly ancestors (see Heather Higley`s post of March 26 2016),please get in touch.
There is a photograph of “A Typical Spitalfields Silk Weaver, George Dorée, at work” in “The Silk Industry of the United Kingdom” by Frank Warner. It is opposite page 74.
This book has a lot of information about the Spitalfields silk industry.
How do I find out when my family of Dupre from Lyons changed their name to Smith. They lived in Ireland but possibly went via London.
In reply to Lucy T (6 Jan 2019) Caroline Royffe is my 2nd great grandmother and Jean and Marie are my 6th great grand parents. Caroline’s son Edward is my Great grandfather
I have been studying old maps of Spitalfields as research for my second novel about French Huguenots from the south of France, specifically the Cévennes region. My novel, based on true events, has some later settings in London and Spitalfields in 1699, but I find most of the maps of the era using the spellings of either Spittle Fields, Spittlefield, or Spitlefield. And it appears the first known spelling as Spitalfields was not documented until the 1830s or so. Does anyone have further insight?
And for those of you that want to read more about the Huguenots from the south of France in the same vein as Jean-Pierre Chabrol’s novel (but in English), take a look at The Muse of Freedom: a Cévenoles Sagas novel – Book One of the Huguenots Trilogy by Jules Larimore. It is based on Jean Pierre Bondurant who was from Chabrol’s neighboring town. Chabrol participated in a commemoration to Bondurant in the 1990s.
My family ancestors were Vardons
My grandfathers surname was Vango. Going back the only population of that name in Britain was East End. There was a Huguenot called Bartolommeo Vango in Spitalfields in1700s. I also have a newspaper cutting saying a Vango spun the silk for queen Victorias wedding dress. Since there was such a tiny amount of Vango’s at the time I can only assume they are related somehow. However I have very little information?
http://vango.me.uk/
Louise, I too have Vango ancestors.
I found the above site (not mine) very useful.
Hello, Amanda Harris and Lucy T,!
I have just found your postings and know that they were submitted quite a while ago but I am writing this in the hope that you will see it.
You both refer to Caroline Royffe (1826-1883)., who married William Henry Guinn. Caroline was my great-great-grandmother and I am descended from her daughter Eliza, who married George Hurley.
I have traced the Royffe/Roiffe family back to Chatellerault in France and found lots of information in the Proceedings of the Huguenot Society, of which many volumes are online in full text.
If you do read this and would like to get in touch, please respond to this message,
Best wishes,
Hilary.
Mears or Meers
Looking for information, weavers from East End. Moses possibly born around 1715 not sure where, married to Eleanor. Their son Joseph born 1737 married Mary Hearne. Their son George born 1778, married Mary Ann Laken. Their son John born 1814, married Susannah Meek. Their son George born 1853, married Fanny Angus. William Thomas born 1883, married Selina Rose. William Thomas Mears (my great grandfather) wove the silk for the Queen Elizabeth II wedding dress, also the velvet for her Coronation robe. His son Robert born 1913 wove velvet for Prince Charles (now King) investiture robe.
Any information would be gladly received.
Hi to all above and the modifiers of this web site – thankyou for your input to date – fascinating.
My mothers maiden name was Camroux and a relative of hers traced the family link back to 1685 when the Camrouxs migrated from Belgium to London { probably Spitalfields and was recorded { not sure by whom or where} as being silk Fan weavers/ painters.
i also believe that the Camroux family still exists in the south of France in the Languedoc region, but have no specifics. Given the fierce repression of Cathars/ Huguenots in that region historically, I could believe that this may have been their home region before fleeing from persecution- but it is my speculation only.
If any one has any further information I would be hugely grateful for any tiny thread to pull on.
Many thanks
Heather
Message for Mark (post 2015) and Anne Harrison (2017)
About the SENECAL silk manufacturers in Spitalfields. Pierre Senecal escaped from Luneray, Normandy in 1689 after the Edict of Nantes in 1685 and married Rachel Laujoy in London. Their son Pierre was born there in 1696. That son married Matais in 1726 in Threadneedle Street, London and they had a son – another Pierre – a year later. The men were all in the family business of silk merchandising.
Apologise for this late response- I’ve only just read your queries. Two years ago I went to Luneray to research a book on my ancestors and found that this pleasant small town has dozens of people with the surname of SENECAL! I met one or two lovely members of our clan who were incredibly helpful. There is a long road round the outskirts called Rue Siamois: the street of the samoisiers or weavers. Flax (for linen) was more their material – flax fields for miles around – but I like to think our first identifiable Pierre introduced a lookalike ‘silk’to their industry by showing the samoisiers how to weave linen with cotton and dying the product effectively.
In Luneray in the late 1680’s no fewer than 140 Senecals are recorded living there.
I’d be happy to hear your own research.
Best wishes
Rosie
I have been researching the Lambert family for quite some time and have discovered that my ancestor Jean Lambert from St Martin de Re married Marie LeFevre and they had their 1st child John in 1666. They were Huguenot weavers and they sent their children to school in England to escape the persecution. After completing his education in England in 1684 John returned to France but then came back to England in 1685 with the Huguenot refugees at the time and became a very wealthy merchant.
I would love to hear of any other families researching the Lambert family from this era.
Lorraine
Hi. Looking for any info re William Field b.William
Country England
Last name Field
Father’s first name(s) Jeremiah
Sex Male
Father’s last name Field
Birth year 1711
Father’s name note A Cooper
Baptism year 1711
Mother’s first name(s) Elizabeth
Baptism date 27 Jan 1711
Record set England Births & Baptisms 1538-1975
Residence St. Dunstan in the West, London, England
Category Life Events (BDMs)
Place St Dunstan in the West
Subcategory Parish Baptisms
County London
Collections from England, Great Britain
He m. William Field Widower M. Ann Wright Widow 3/8/1750 Marriage
3 Aug 1750
Westminster, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom
Regards,
Gary.
Australia.