VIII.[1] and these and some others, according to their statement, emigrated to England in order to prosecute their trades and earn a livelihood, with two exceptions, which will be found in a footnote. A few came into England in the next reign, of whom Morrys Mable, a householder and denizen, in St Faith’s Parish in Paul’s Churchyard, distinctly stated that he came into this realm from France about the third year of King Edward VI., but he had to add that he was of “no church.” A minister, whom the enumerator calls Adrian Redlegge, came in 1551 “for the word of God.” In the same year Richard Locye, leather-dresser, “came for religion,” also Matthew Renisan, hatmaker, and Robert Leyclarke [Le Clerc?], broker, and Jakalina, his wife. The reign of Mary, our Romish queen, lasted from July 1553 to November 1558, during which period several French Protestants, afterwards reported as denizens, came over, although their denization may have been granted at a later date.
It will be more congenial to our theme to note the Walloon and Huguenot immi- grants in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. We begin with names that took deep root in their adopted country.
James Claris (or Clarys, as the report has it, being partial to the letter y) was a silk-weaver, born at Lille, who with Katherine, his wife, came to England in March 1563. He “came for religion,” and joined the French Church of London under the pastorate of M. Cousin. In 1571 he was a denizen and a householder in St Stephen’s Parish, Coleman Street Ward, London.
Another surname comes to view, derived from a locality in Flanders — Ambrin, or Ambrine. But as the clerk of the consistory of the French Church was a Frenchman, he naturally thought of the fortress of Ambrun (now spelt Embrun), and the name was entered in the list of church members in 1568, and perhaps in earlier lists, as Dambrun. John Dambrune is entered in the census of strangers of 1571 as a joiner, and a householder in Blackfriars. He, with Jacqueline, his wife, and Laurentia and Jane, his daughters, came to England “for religion” in 1654, and joined the French Church of London. They are described as Burgundians. In 1570 William Dambrune, silk-weaver, born in Pallensen, came over for religion, and in 1571 he was working at his trade in the service of Henry Jonet (a refugee for religion since 1567), in St Bennet Grace Church Parish. From either John or William a London family descended, and they learned to spell their surname more correctly, viz., Dambrin. In the next century refugees came over to Canterbury. They, for once, hit upon their true name; for I find in the Canterbury French Church register of marriages in 1684 the name of “Francois Dambrin,” son of “Francois d’ Ambrin.” But usually the registrars were allowed to adopt every variety of spelling, Danbrinne, Danbrine, Dambrain, Danbrain, Dombrim, Danbrein, Dombrain.
In 1566 two merchants, Peter and Martin Bultayle, came into this realm for religion, and were joined in August 1571 by Pole [query Paul] Bultayle. These three merchants were Walloons, members of the French Church of London, and resident in the parish of St Bennet, Gracechurch. No doubt they were the ancestors of the present family of Bulteel, to whom we shall have occasion again to refer.
Turning to the parish of St Denys Backchurch, we find Marie Bultayle, widow, born at Tournay, who arrived in 1567 with her sons, Philip and Lawrence, and all of them members of the French Church; these sons probably ought to have a place in the same pedigree as the foresaid “merchaunts.”
Among the leading famililes of the French Church of Norwich there was the surname Farvaque or Farvacques. One of them was an ancien in 1608, and signed a petition to the Bishop of Norwich along with the pasteur. Only a copy of that petition has been preserved, in which copy his name was metamorphosed into “Jaques Fornesques” (Lansdowne MSS. 841, fo. 53, Brit. Mus., now imprinted by Miss Lucy Toulmin Smith).[2] Perhaps we have the ancestor of this family of refugee gentlemen in the following person, entered in the census of strangers, London, 1571:— “Blackfriars, Ward of Farringdon Within. Anthonye Fervake, gentilman, a Burgondian, came into this realme about three monethes past, and soiournethe with Benula de la Courte.”
I have already mentioned the family of Ogier. One of them was a refugee in London in 1571:— “Ward of Bridge Without, St George’s Parish. John Ogier, of St Omer, of thage of xxix. yeres, in England iii. yeres, Quinta his wif, borne at Tourney, came over wth him and for religion; his wif of xxx. yeres, having a child of 10 yeres of age; silke-weaver.”
- ↑ For instance, James Macadie, resident within St Dunstan’s Parish in the West, had been in England for sixty years, and must have come over in 1511, the third year of Henry VIII.; and as that reign ended on 28th January 1545, all strangers, who had been resident in England for more than a quarter of a century, according to the census of 1571, must have come during its course. Two householders came for religion in 1541 (33 Hen. VIII.), namely, Rowlin Bellmare, and James Mort, locksmith, with Adrienne, his wife.
- ↑ “Norfolk Antiquarian Miscellany,” Part iii. 1879.
