How it started
The starting point for Huguenot Jo was some meticulous footwork done by my great-aunt long before the internet made it all easier. I’m indebted to The Huguenot Society of Great Britain and Ireland for helping her over many, many years and for providing me with the building blocks to continue her work.
When he was dying, I promised my dad that I would take the Huguenot research further. Because he had no sons, the family name Hall died out with him - he seemed to feel that pain acutely. As the youngest great-granddaughter of Revd Alfred Barnabas Hall, my arrival as a girl and not a boy was met with dismay.
A Puritan life
Puritanism has been described as "the haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy". It took me a long time to realise that my upbringing in a tiny Strict Baptist sect was essentially a Puritan upbringing, based on Calvinism. Most people in the UK have heard of Scottish Presbyterians and their Calvinist beliefs, but the Huguenot Jo blog investigates the fate of Puritans south of the border following the English Civil War and the Restoration of the Monarchy.
My Family
Here are some of the Huguenot surnames on my own family tree, unearthed by my great-aunt:
Bachelier…Duval…Finet…Godran…Honoré…Lessey…Rossignol…
Saumon…Tillier…Vasseur
I’m very keen to share all the photos and research I've put together. The website has an exclusive Family section which allows the private exchange of photos and information, and anyone on the family tree is welcome to contact me via the blog for unlimited access.
