Peter and Guy, were naturalised at Westminster in 1700 (see List xxiv.). At this date he appears to have been a widower, his wife’s maiden name having been Magdalen de Bonafons. He died in 1721. Peter, his son, became, on 11th February 1712 (n.s.), Rev. Peter Bouffignac, Rector of Stanford-le-Hope, Essex. (Wagner’s MSS.)
Rye.
A communion flagon of the parish church of Rye has this inscription —
“This flagon, used at the celebration of the Lord’s Supper by the minister of the Protestant Refugees, who found an asylum at Rye after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, 22nd October 1685, was presented for the use of the Church to the Vicar and Church Wardens of Rye by William Holloway, and Sarah, his wife, formerly Sarah Meryon, a descendant of one of the refugees, 5th May 1860.”
The original refugee surname was probably Merignan. (See Naturalisations, List iv.)
Sabatier.
Sabatier was one of the martyrs in the galleys whose stedfastness and generosity occasioned the conversion to Protestantism of the Romish chaplain, Jean Francois Bion, author of a book entitled “Relation des tourmens que Ton fait souffrir aux Protestans qui sont sur les galères de France” (London, 1708). Margaret Sabatier had a pension in Ireland of £36, 10s. John Sabatier was a Director of the French Hospital, 4th July 1759. A refugee family of this name held property at Lea, near Portarlington; and its last representative, a respected county magistrate, died about twenty years ago.
Savary.
The refugee family of Savary bear a surname which was a territorial title or designation. The lands of Savary were in Perigord, in the south of France. Their patronymic was Tanzia, according to Mr. Smiles, to whom one of the English representatives writes, “There are many interesting anecdotes and legends in the family — of a buried Bible, afterwards recovered, and patched on every leaf — of a beautiful cloak made by a refugee, and given to my great-great-grandfather as a token of gratitude for help given by him in time of need,” &c.
Surnames.
The Huguenot surnames have to a considerable extent remained unchanged as to spelling, though anglicized as to pronunciation, such as Papillon, De la Cherois, Tahourdin, &c. But many have been translated, such as Lemaitre, now Masters; Le Roy, King; Dubois, Wood; Tonnelier, Cooper; Le Tellier, Taylor; Vert, Green; Le Noir, Black; Le Blanc, White; Loisseau, Bird. In Portarlington the names of La Touche and Champ survived. In that town in old times a Monsieur Le Blanc added “gentilhomme” to his signature, in order to distinguish himself from Le Blanc, his butcher. The patrician stock failed, but the butcher’s shop has been always kept open. Anglicised spelling hands down the French pronunciation, and reveals the Huguenot pedigree of Mr. Blong, the butcher of Portarlington.
Turpin.
The surname of Turpin suggests to the English mind the notorious Dick Turpin. Haydn’s “Index of Biography” has the entry:—
Turpin, Richard, highwayman, born about 1711, executed 7th April 1739.
But the same serviceable book of reference gives two instances of the name in France, both eminently respectable, viz., Francois Henri Turpin, historian, born 1709, died 1799, and Pierre Jean Francois Turpin, botanist, born 1775, died 1840. The name occurs among our Huguenot refugees. There is the marriage, on 22nd May 1692, registered in the French Church called Le Temple in London, of Theodore Turpin, glover, native of Vendosme, son of Pierre Turpin and Jeanne Cailland. The Rev. Peter Turpin was ordained a Deacon in the Church of Ireland on 29th April 1766. In Edinburgh, Lewis Turpine, residenter, married Jean Gifford, and
