Tracing Huguenot History in England

Originally written by Chris Nickson, updated by the editorial team on 21st June 2026

Tracing Huguenot History in England

Britain has welcomed immigrants throughout its history, and one significant group arrived during the 16th and 17th centuries: Protestant refugees from France and the Walloon regions of what is now Belgium.

These refugees, known as Huguenots, fled religious persecution in Catholic territories and sought safety in Protestant England. Their descendants now number in the hundreds of thousands across the UK, making Huguenot ancestry a common thread in some British family trees.

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Who Were the Huguenots?

The term Huguenot is somewhat loose in its application. It generally refers to French and Walloon Protestants who followed the reformed teachings of John Calvin. In France, the Catholic Church held considerable power, and Protestants faced varying degrees of hostility depending on the political climate.

After a period of religious conflict, the Huguenots won certain rights through armed resistance. Some arrived in England during the reign of Elizabeth I, establishing their first church at Threadneedle Street in London in 1550. However, the major influx came later.

The situation in France worsened dramatically with the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre of 1572, when thousands of Huguenots were killed. The 1598 Edict of Nantes then granted them a measure of religious freedom, allowing Protestant worship in designated areas. This relative peace lasted nearly a century.

When Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes in 1685, persecution resumed with renewed intensity. Huguenots faced imprisonment, forced conversion, and violence. Many fled to Protestant countries across Europe, with England receiving a substantial number during the reign of Charles II and in the years that followed.

Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.

Where Huguenots Settled in England

The largest Huguenot communities formed in London, particularly in Spitalfields, Soho, and the area around the Savoy. Canterbury also became a major centre, along with several other towns in the south and east of England.

Many Huguenots were skilled craftspeople. They brought expertise in silk weaving, silversmithing, clockmaking, and other trades. Spitalfields became famous for its silk industry, largely due to Huguenot weavers. Their influence on English craftsmanship and commerce was substantial.

The refugees established their own places of worship, some of which still exist today. The French Protestant Church of London continues to hold services, as does the French Church in Canterbury.

Researching Huguenot Ancestry

If you suspect Huguenot ancestry, several resources can help with your research. French surnames can be one indicator, though not all French names point to Huguenot origins, and many families anglicised their names over time. Bosanquet became Baskett, for example, and Lefevre sometimes became Feaver.

The Huguenot Society of Great Britain and Ireland is the main organisation for those researching this ancestry. They hold extensive records including church registers, naturalisation papers, and denization rolls. Their library and archives are available to members and researchers.

The National Archives at Kew holds records relating to Huguenot immigration, including returns of aliens and naturalisation documents. These can help establish when and where your ancestors arrived.

Useful records for Huguenot research include:

French Protestant church registers, many of which have been transcribed and indexed
Letters of denization, which granted foreign Protestants certain rights
Naturalisation records
Parish registers from areas with known Huguenot populations
Wills and probate records, sometimes written in French

Online resources such as Ancestry, Findmypast, and FamilySearch contain transcribed Huguenot records. Some county record offices hold local material relating to Huguenot communities in their areas.

Tracing Huguenot ancestry can be rewarding, though records may be in French or Latin. The Huguenot Society publishes guides and transcriptions that can help, and professional genealogists with language expertise can assist with translating original documents.

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47 questions

Ask Explore Genealogy a Question

ExploreGenealogy Editor 23/07/2026 at 6:00 pm

@Caro Marshman isn't a name I'd immediately flag as Huguenot in origin; it looks more like an occupational English surname (marsh dweller), so it's worth double checking that link before assuming a French origin. That said, plenty of Huguenot weavers settled in Wiltshire around Bradford on Avon and Trowbridge, mostly arriving from Picardy, Normandy and the Île de France after 1685. Have a look at the Huguenot Society's Quarto Series registers to see if the family actually appears. Parish records for North Bradley might also clarify things.

Caro 23/07/2026 at 5:27 pm

Mt family of Marshman from North Bradley were I understand Huguenots. What part of France did they come from?

Annie 07/10/2019 at 9:43 am

Rowlett, immigrant from London, John Rowlett, to Philadelphia. His father Samuel and Sarah Wealey, his father John Rowlett and Hannah. Trying to find where they came from in France.
Original name likely De Roulet.

andibly 08/09/2019 at 6:02 pm

I am trying to trace the Herbert side of my family. They lived in Waltham Abbey but I have traced back and found that there is the name Hoit and Geslin (or Goslin), and for the latter name the mother and father seem to come from France. Elizabeth Geslin was born in 1675, her father Alexandre died in 1702, and her mother Marie Mercier lived from 1655 until 1710. Is there a chance that they were Huguenots? There was a family legend that the Herberts came over with Willaim the Conquerer but I am now wondering if they actually came from France as Huguenots. Any help would be appreciated.

Debs 24/02/2019 at 4:10 pm

There is a Huguenot Museum in Rochester, Kent, UK which is worth a visit if you are nearby. There are family researchers available there who will undertake a search of their records to verify any Huguenot descent. A basic search is included in the cost of your admission ticket to the musuem.
More detailed searches are also available at a further cost which is very reasonable. If you contact them without going to the museum the charge is £20 for two hours research but they will discuss the likelihood of you having Huguenot descent before taking payment. You can contact them by email, info@huguenotmuseum.org. Tel 01634 789347.

Bill 31/12/2018 at 12:20 pm

Ther is a Huguenot family called Izard. Could this be the Hazard that Frank is trying to find?

Frank 07/12/2018 at 3:45 am

Am trying to trace an Alexander Hazard circa late 1700s that family legend says is from a Huguenot family who settled in the UK and who allegedly served at Waterloo with the I/Enniskillings! Can you offer any advice please?

Tonnelier/Tunnell 04/12/2018 at 3:41 am

I am researching my Tonnelier/Tunnell line. The story goes that they fled France and came over to England settling in Scarborough Yorkshire. The time period would have been late 1600's to early 1700/03. William Tunnell who came to Fairfax County, Virginia was a shoemaker according to county records(1770). He married Lady Ann Howard of Yorkshire. According to family tradition, he was hired to tutor her in the French language and they fell in love. Her father forbade them to marry and sent him away. They still married and settled in Scarborough before coming to America. I have been trying to find any Tunnells in Scarborough around the late 1600's to early 1700's.

Chezza39 15/10/2018 at 2:03 pm

Looking for help, my Grt Grt Grandfather Philip Lewis MARTIN DoB Born 1864 CAPE TOWN Sourh Africa died 19 November 1943 Claremont Cape Town. And his brother Adrain Lawrence Martin DoB 1862 Cape Town SA. Where both known as French Huguenot, as written in a family bible. Unable as yet to find birth Cert’s. but gave marriage records and many other records and Cert’s. now trying to trace his roots. But finding it very hard. Any help welcomed

Liz46 Editor 07/09/2018 at 9:56 am

@Pat - some records office offer a service as in they will do the research for you, but you may have to pay. I know Liverpool Records Office offer this service - I guess it helps them financially but at the same time it's not terribly expensive. Good luck.

BB Editor 04/09/2018 at 12:26 pm

@emma j - sounds like you have an interesting family tree. Unlike many families whose ancestors come from spitting distance of the town they still live.

emma j 29/08/2018 at 10:06 pm

I am trying to trace the name Mullinder which is suggested by French friends is possibly hugenot as they came to Warrington/Macclesfield area a silk ribbon and silk weaving area possibly from Vienne a town nr Lyon the silk making area of France also the name Jarvis possibly from Belguim or France to London and also De Loos has anyone any other connections to these.

ZelNH Editor 20/02/2018 at 11:05 am

@Dropkik - you can look up the property address on Google Maps, it will show you if it exists or not and what it looks like today.

Dropkik 19/02/2018 at 12:48 pm

My family on my Mothers side spoke repeatedly of ancestors (surname Jacques) arriving in Kings Lynn and settling in that area. A Roger Jacques married Hannah Porter of Fincham (Norfolk). A daughter Mary Jacques/Jackes (from a family of 8 ?) marries John Patrick of West Newton (Norfolk) 1824. Distant history now but would like to know whether the Roger Jacques and Roger Jacques junior were Huguenot ? They were also purported to be Boot makers and repairers. Various dates crop up as 1750/1779/1801.
Areas that crop up as birthplaces/marraiges etc are:-
Kings Lynn, Fincham, West Newton, Holbeach and Long Sutton.
I have an address (Circa WW1) of 1 Reffley Terrace, Saddlebow Road, Kings Lynn.
Be interesting to know if this property still exists ?

Robyn 16/01/2018 at 12:40 am

I have letters from the 1800.s that state my ancestors were Huguenots .. would this show up in DNA?

Marti 25/12/2017 at 11:03 pm

My family lived next to the Peter Rucker family but came to y Virginia colony in the early 1600s listed as William Offill. They are listed in Peter Ruckers will having married into the Rucker family. Due to the apparent relationship prior to coming to Virginia it is thought the Offields were also Huguenots. Trying to find the connection back to the original family name and location in Europe.

Jules 23/10/2017 at 6:00 pm

Trying to trace Phillipe Francois La Glace's birth or any La Glace really. We have his arrival in Dublin in 1784 or thereabouts and married in 1792. Nothing before that. Someone told us they have a La Glace in their tree, born in Rouen and was a silk merchant. We are thinking they were Huguenots and may well have had their own ship. Any help greatly welcomed.

Zepherine 30/07/2017 at 8:51 pm

My ancestor's name was Mary Lardant (a Huguenot name) however I cannot find her birth record. She was probably born about 1728, in the Stepney area. She was married in 1749 in Stepney, to Bartholomew Butterworth. Bartholomew was also descended from Protestant refugees. At this distance of time is is probably that the birth record for Mary is lost; however I would welcome advice as to how to search further.

Chris 16/06/2016 at 9:52 pm

I believe the Girardots came to England in about 1700 and something and I heard they were teachers and had a school in Sussex. I wondered if they were Huguenots. They then settled in north Kensington, London, where I was born.

Katey 08/03/2016 at 8:48 pm

Hi Folks, my maiden name was BASTIN & although I haven't traced my ancestors back a long way, I have seen that quite a few Bastins arrived in Devon about the time of the Huguenots departure from France & Belgium. Please can anyone confirm this or do you have a BASTIN in your lineage ?

Beanie 10/11/2015 at 4:08 am

Ok, so I am pretty sure that one my ancestors was a Huguenot, but I have no idea were to start...I have made a family tree as far back as I can, but other than that am stuck. Any Ideas?

Dukes 13/09/2015 at 1:00 am

My sister and I have traced our Rayner line back to a Richard and Alice who lived in Downham (Little Downham now) in 1578. There the trail stops. I have recently been reading about how the Huguenots (Walloons and Flemmings) settled in the Fenland of Cambridgeshire as they were expert ditchers. I have found several names which spoken with a french accent namely: Renar, Renaud, Renaert, Reynard, Raunard, Reinaert and Reinaers, all derived from Renard, which could well become RAYNER and other spellings thereof. Our line of Rayners lived continuously in Downham from 1578. Do you think I am on the right track and, if so, any advice as to how to direct our research would be appreciated. Jean

Liz 17/08/2015 at 12:35 pm

Hi all
My grandmother's maiden name was Gracey - many spellings of it. I have been able to go back to Gracey's originating in Northern Ireland around Comber in the early 1800's but have been unable to trace anything back further. Comber was an area strong in weaving and linen production, I believe.

I was always led to believe that Gracey was a Huguenot name possible De Grace but have been unable to find any proof of that or any connection. The closest I have come has been a French surname Grasset, but have been unable to connect that name to mine or to Ireland for that matter, Any ideas?

nicole 16/07/2015 at 10:41 pm

Hi everyone l have a brick wall with my research on my family ancestors. I wondered if as many of you could help me as possible. It was passed down in my family in the Yorkshire branch that my ancestors were Belgium/French Huguenots who brought weaving crafts in wool to England and there descendants set up woollen industries and eventually clothing factories in Yorkshire and Cumberland. The surname showed variations on the family tree including Causier, Causer and Cawzer. The family tree has been traced back to John Cawzer born 1600 in Dunchurch Warwickshire. There are records of his family in a church at Hillmorton Warwickshire. There were many Huguenots who settled in Warwickshire and travelling groups of them also. The Causier surname and variations of it was present in France, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany at the time of the Huguenots. Thank you in anticipation. I am very excited if anyone can find the information I am looking for.

liss 15/07/2015 at 3:42 am

my last name is Durand, and my late father believed he was a descendant from the French Huguenot's. I'm at a loss where to start ? He mentioned his great grandmother working as a nurse in a Huguenot hospital in the UK!

Jennet 18/06/2015 at 10:39 pm

My mother's maiden name was Paulling which is fairly unusual. She believed it was a Huguenot name but I can find no proof. I can trace them in London back to the late 18th century and a form of the name appears in the 16th and 17th c as Pawlynge, Poullinge and Paullynge. A few in Suffolk, UK. I wonder if anyone has come across this name or may have it in their ancestry. I would be so grateful if anyone has a clue.

Jennet 19-06-15

chez 31/05/2015 at 10:50 am

I don't now if this wil be any value to your questions,but I've been tracing the SALES family
through Derbyshire. HORSLEY. Derbyshire.They changed their name from SEAL to SALES.
The first one I found was ELIS SEILE Married Ann Woodhouse,13/4/1572. After that they called themselves SEALS. You can view the parish records on line.No charge.

Cherie 22/05/2015 at 10:34 am

I am tracing my roots and have got to Marin Le Fevre and Marie Le Court who fled to Cambridgeshire.

I cannot find out where they came from... France or Walloon, and where exactly? Can anyone help?

Dickie 06/05/2015 at 1:48 pm

When I was a pre-teenager my grandmother, Marion Beatrice LaBorde, told me a story of my grandfather, Cyprian Bruce LaBorde. It goes like this: Charles LaBorde (Cyprian's father) was born in or near Bordeaux and was either married to or cohabited with, a Maria Rosenblum (from the Basque Region of France/Spain) and together had a son called William Theodore LaBorde. The story goes, that for some reason or other, Charles left France and migrated to the Channel Isles (Guernsey), where he joined the British Army (?) and was posted, as an officer, to Sierra Leone. Apparently, Maria - who by now was again highly pregnant with Charles' second child, felt abandoned by Charles and very cleverly discovered his whereabouts, so, together with her sister, she chased after him, with little William in tow, via Guernsey and on to Sierra Leone in Africa, . By the time she arrived at Sierra Leone, Charles had boarded a ship bound for the West Indies. Maria and her sister, not to be outdone, gave chase again, but this time, she gave birth to a baby son on board ship and named him Cyprian Bruce LaBorde. She then arrived at St Vincent in the West Indies and then went on to Trinidad & Tobago. Maria died in Trinidad and her sister looked after William and Cyprian until they were teenagers when William went to the USA and Cyprian went to British Guiana to work as an overseer on the sugar plantations. Can anyone help please with information about Charles LaBorde and Maria Rosenblum?

Debbie 05/05/2015 at 9:49 am

My paternal great grandmother was Rhoda Rebecca De'ath. The 1911 census shows that she was born in Wisbech and family records suggest that her birthday may have been 21st Feb 1860. Her marriage certificate names her father as Isaac De'ath, Civil Engineer however, he had died by the time of her marriage to Harold Trill in 1887.

I cannot find any records relating to her. I have seen that there is a Rebecca De'ath (no reference to Rhoda) born in about 1858 and living in a village called Bures St Mary, who also had a father called Isaac, but I cannot prove the connection between this Rebecca and our Rhoda Rebecca.

Family anecdote suggests that there may have been some connection with the Dent glove making family and that Rhoda's mother may have been French.

Any help in finding further records would be much appreciated.

chez 03/05/2015 at 3:42 pm

My maiden name is SALES,I understand that the families origin is from France.
In old records I looked up (Years ago) there were 2 Sales who arrived in Kent ,I think it was 1700's not sure where can I find these records again?

Sandy 18/02/2015 at 4:06 am

Hi! I have an ancestor named Bartholomew Threadneedle, born about 1640 and found in Boston, Massachusetts. No family information on his parentage is available. Given the name Bartholomew (associating with the St. Bartholomew massacre) and Threadneedle (associating with the Huguenot church on Threadneedle St. in London) I wonder whether this is a choice of Huguenots to change to a purely English name. Have you ever heard of any families of the name Threadneedle among Huguenots in England in the early 1600s?

Graham 25/11/2014 at 11:02 pm

I am wondering whether the surname Jefferys is of French Huguenot origin.
A forebear of mine, Robert Jefferys, was born in London, England, in 1851 and emigrated to Sydney, Australia.

westy 07/10/2014 at 8:17 am

I'm looking for the Michel family believed to have left Rouen in france during the mid 1800 century.
It is understood that monsignor Michel was an artisan and also a lay preacher coming from france to preach in their mother tongue as many emigrants spoke little or no english at that time
i find them during 1830s in Walworth London,has anybody a connection to this family?

tassy 21/08/2014 at 4:02 pm

One family name is Simper, which may be a corruption of St. Pierre. I have them going back in England to 1793. I was told that they were Huguenots and related to the burghers of Calais. I am trying to find out if there is any truth in this

Shirley 01/08/2014 at 8:43 am

I was told that my paternal ancestors came from Belgium and they were Huguenots fleeing from the persecution - surname: CANELLE. I seem to remember that they made lace but my memory isn't to be relied on! I would love to know more about their origins. Any good websites I can go to?

Bev 04/05/2014 at 2:23 am

I understand that one branch of my family were Huguenots from Lyon in France and were involved in the silk trade. They left due to religious persecution and fled to Spain ?when, and later to England (Devon is the main county I have been able to trace them back to as far as mid 1700's). The name currently is Mingo but was De/Da Mingo so I have been informed. Anyone who has any information is welcome to contact me.

Margaret 07/04/2014 at 7:55 pm

My maiden name was Boucher and I have traced the family back to Yeovil in Somerset in the mid 1600s. Does anyone know of any Huguenot presence, or records there at that time, or where I might find more information.

Nuffwerewolf 05/08/2013 at 9:52 pm

I can trace my family tree back to a village near Cambridge, and the family name is Silk. They moved down to the East of London later and continued to be silk weavers. Is it possible that these ancestors were of Huguenot decent?

Can anybody shed any light on my family history before 1650.

tombonnett 19/10/2012 at 1:21 pm

my grand father told me that my ggg grandfather spoke french and was frenchman, we live cambridgeshire in the fens so i am thinking we are walloon ditchmakers our surname is Bonnett

RobinKiwi 09/09/2012 at 12:19 am

My mother's maiden name was MACE and I was told years ago that we had Huguenot ancestry. This is borne out by finding that my g-g-g-grandfather, g-g grandfather and g-grandfather lived in Bethnal Green and were silkweavers. However, further back still they lived in Deptford and one was a shipwright.
I believe MACE may be an anglicisation of the French name MASSE .
As far as I can tell there is no connection with the Norfolk MACE family, which includes the famous pugilist Jem MACE.
I would be grateful for opinions on this. The first names are very ordinary, John and James but then Josiah.

Lin 06/07/2012 at 7:15 am

I think I have Huguenot ancestry, there is a Christian Henry Wiwel in my tree, and either he or his father fled to England when being hounded and their homes burnt down. Christian married Victoire Longuehay in London, I wonder if she was also a Huguenot. My mother often talks of the Huguenots and us being descended from them. I would love to know if that is true!

Jan 03/06/2012 at 11:25 am

This is for Tina.

My grandmother maiden name was De'Ath and she had many connections with Suffolk, a village called Edwardstone.

My great grandfather is buried in the church at Edwardstone and my grandmother often spoke of a Hugenot connection.

I hope this may be of use to you.

Jan

Jim 31/05/2012 at 1:04 pm

The Huguenots were especially valued for their skills with silk, and silk trade grew up around the places where they settled. So if you live in a community where silk was once king and your family has deep roots there, it might be worth checking to see if they were Huguenots going back in time.

Tina 06/01/2012 at 11:29 am

Am researching my De'Ath ancestry as ages relatives talk constantly about a Huguenot connection possibly in Suffolk. So far I have reached Francis De'Ath a carpenter born around 1787 (no records found) who lived and worked in Battersea

Amanda 10/09/2011 at 9:36 pm

I am trying to find where my Plackett (Plaquet) ancestors originated in Normandy or thereabouts. They are known to have come across to England as Huguenot refugees but that is all I know.

Gerry 12/08/2011 at 2:44 pm

My Huguenot ancestry is vague - word of mouth from my father but with a surname as rare and strange as Elisha, perhaps there is an element of truth with many foreign names in the past being written phonetically and changing over the years. It points more to a Jewish connection I know, but ironically in my family a Jewish line emanates from my Jewish grandmother, a much later arrival to the family than my 18th century antecedant. Clues anyone?

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