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« on: Saturday 01 November 08 13:26 GMT (UK) »
Thank-you all for your replies.
It is now 23 years since I discovered my direct ancestor, Nicolas, came to Hoxton from Cologny (Geneva) around 1750-52. Since then, I’ve paid researchers in France and Switzerland to try and locate where he came from, to no success.
The earliest entries by English scribes record him as Daderrow (1754), Dedrow, Deadrose and Deadrowss (1769). The name as it appears and sounds today (Dedross – ‘dead-ross’) first appears in 1772, and I’m certain this is the anglicised form, and not original.
When he married, the priest from Northern France, recorded his name as Dedros. A leading ‘De’ was quite often added by refugees. I have searched the Cologny registers (bmb) for Dedros/Dros/Droz and found nothing even remotely close. Up to yesterday, I had concluded the most likely solution was his name was Droz and he possibly went to the University at Geneva before heading to England.
I came across Dederod by a weird chance (I was searching for business training materials and somehow ended up on Swiss Roots!) This reminded me of ‘Daderrow’ from the Land Tax record in 1754. Plus, Anieres, although Catholic is very close to Protestant Cologny. So, I thought it might be a viable alternative.
It all depends upon the phonetic, and the French speaking gene appears to have vanished from my DNA!
Cheers,
Nigel
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