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Topic: Huguenots to London (1700s) Question (Read 258 times)
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Berlin-Bob
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by My Daughter. Chatting to find her Roots !
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Hi ndedross,
not just Huguenots !!
Any immigrants must have had the same problems.
Judging from american novels of jews, irish and polish immigrants (usually written by their descendents, and repeating what they knew of their origins), many had help from someone (usually a relative) already there.
Some where hired to work there, and were met at the docks.
My family came over before WW2 as political refugees and were met by the refugee organisation.
And some must have had nobody, and simply asked around, when they arrived ...
I doubt if there is a general answer to this question, each will need to research their family more thoroughly.
Good Luck !
Bob.
PS:
There are a couple of Huguenot threads on the immigrants board, check them out for tips, too !
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Searching for Coleman, Moore, Kallnung in London; Margulies, Remenyi in E. Europe; Ancestors of Hessie Stevenson-Coleman-Baxter (Ireland, 1861) and, of course, any other ancestors for my web-site http://boco.rootschat.net All Census Data included in this post is Crown Copyright (see: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk) |
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Hackstaple
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Family researcher
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There were several waves of Huguenot immigration and several places of settlement. Apart from London there were settlements in Norwich and Canterbury. The lace industry of Norwich had that origin. Glass foundrieswere another imported skill and later silk weaving. Some noble Huguenots had the funds to live in style on arrival.
Spitalfields was the centre of the London Huguenots and that extended into Hoxton. French churches were in Threadneedle St, Savoy, Swallow St., Glasshouse St. Rider Court, Hungerford Market, Spitalfields and Swanfields [Hoxton] plus a few others.
As religious tolerance was practiced in Geneva your ancestor's arrival was probably based on existing relatives in Hoxton 
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Southern or Southan [Hereford , Monmouthshire & Glos], Jenkins, Meredith and Morgan [Monmouthshire and Glos.], Murrill, Damary, Damry, Ray, Lawrence [all Middx. & London], Nethway from Kenn or Yatton. Also Riley and Lyons in South Africa. Any census information included in this post is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk |
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casalguidi
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I don't think that the language barrier would be a problem at all. He would have had no problem communicating on the continent and there were undoubtedly merchants and other individuals who had continual contact with foreign lands - everything just took a lot longer than it does today. I would expect that those in England would probably have been able to get messages back to their homeland in time and vice versa via merchants and so on.
There were colossal amounts of trading/activity between France/The Netherlands and the British at that time. In particular, smuggling was rife in the 1700s . No doubt wherever he landed in the UK there would have been somebody in each coastal town who would have been able to "direct" him to the appropriate community. Quite often you see odd references to Huguenots/French refugees in parish records for Kent coastal towns.
Really, the whole issue is probably not much different to the refugees from the continent who have fled to England in recent years.
Casalguidi
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ndedross
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I like the merchant argument.
However there is no evidence to suggest he had a relative already living in Hoxton - and I have searched a lot of documents over the years. Had he arrived anywhere but London, then as a (market) gardener it would have made sense to stay there. We know he didn't because he gave his last 'church' as Cologny near Geneva when he married. So, he came directly from Geneva to Hoxton.
It could be that he 'hitched a ride' with a merchant from Geneva to London and was then directed to the French Protestant Church, who could convey to him where his trade could be most successful? At that time it would be Hoxton, at the edge of London but still countryside.
Almost certainly, he would (as a Protestant) travel from Geneva through Germany and the Netherlands. In 1748 there was a resurgent persecution of Protestants in France. People were fleeing Geneva at the time, so you could imagine a merchant just closing up shop and moving to London - for security and wealth - maybe Nicholas (with or without family) went along as a guard? The Romilly family (witnesses at his wedding) may fit this profile - they initially went to Hoxton, but later moved to the City of London.
I still think there has to be a communication barrier. Even today, when I travel on business to a non-English speaking country it can be difficult to get the cab driver to take you to the right hotel.
Even modern day refugees depend on some legal or illegal vehicle to get themselves into their new community. So, I still think there had to be some organisation behind this.
It is amazing that I know so much about Nicholas Dedross living and working in London (1753-1785) - more detail than I have for my Gandfather for example, but very little about how and why he came here - and indeed where he came from before Geneva.
Many thanks for all your insight it helps me focus on likely options - particulary the merchant involvement which does sound logical, given the known facts.
Best wishes,
Nigel
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Dedross. Gallaway. Starling. Singleton. Atkins. Burkinshaw. Chippendale. Shacklock. Lightfoot. Fisher. London. Middlesex. Yorkshire. Switzerland.
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