Huguenot refugees before the reign of Louis XIV
The following names in Ireland are believed by some to be of Huguenot origin; others are of opinion that they are of Palatine descent: Bushell, Hoggins, and Sully. But the following French names came into Ireland at the close of the 18th century: Du Noyer, Laprella, Lentaigne, Pontet, Pothonier, etc.
According to Agnew’s Third Volume of the French Protestant Exiles from France (London: Reeves and Turner, 1874), the Foreign Refugees and their descendants, who settled in Great Britain and Ireland, are divided into three Tables:
Table I. contains the names of those who settled in these countries before the reign of Louis XIV., of France. Table II., the names of those who settled in these countries during the reign of Louis XIV. And Table III., the names of the Refugees who were Naturalized by Letters Patent.
The reader, who desires full information under each of these headings, will find it in Agnew’s elaborate works on the subject.
TABLE I.
Names of the Foreign Refugees[8] who settled in Great Britain and Ireland before the reign of Louis XIV., of France; and their descendants:
End of Table I.
Notes
[8] Refugees: It was not, however, until the reign of Louis XIV., that the French Protestant Refugees began to attract public attention in England.
[9] Beaufort: Daniel Augustus de Beaufort was Pastor, of the church of New Patent, in 1728; he afterwards came to Ireland, where he held the living of Navan, and was appointed Dean of Tuam.
[10] Bonnell: Thomas Bonnell took refuge in England, and settled in Norwich, of which he became Mayor. His son was Daniel Bonnell, merchant of London, father of Samuel Bonnell, who became Accountant-General for Ireland, and was succeeded in that office by his son, whose life has been written by Archdeacon Hamilton, of Armagh.
[11] Chamberlaine: Peter Chamberlayne, M.D., a physician of Paris, fled into England at the massacre of St. Bartholomew. He was admitted a member of the College of Physicians, and obtained extensive practice in London, where he died.
[12] Dombrain: Other forms of this name were D’Embrun and D’Ambrain. Jacques
D’Embrun fled from the town of Embrun, near Gap in the Hautes-Alpes, in 1572, and escaping to Rouen, crossed the channel in an open boat, on the 19th August, 1572, and settled in Canterbury. The late Sir James D’ombrain, Knight, Bart., R.N., who was Chief of the Coast Guards (then commonly called “Water Guards”) in Ireland, was the head of the family.
[13] Duval: Many refugees from Rouen of this name settled in England.
[14] Langlais: This Normandy family name has in Ireland been changed to Langley.
[15] La Tranche: See note “La Tranche,” at foot of page, 458 ante.
[16] Lefroy: Antoine Loffroy, a native of Cambray, took refuge in England, from the Low Countries, about the year 1587, and settled in Canterbury, where his descendants followed the business of silk-dyeing until the death of Thomas Leffroy, in 1723. The family appears to have been originally from Picardy, where the name “Leffroy” is still to be found. Anthony Lefroy settled at Leghorn, in 1728, and died there in 1779. He left two sons—1. Lieutenant-Colonel Anthony Lefroy, of Limerick, father of the Right Hon. Thomas Lefroy, late Chief Justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench, Ireland, and from whom the Irish branch of the family is descended; 2. Rev. I. P. G. Lefroy, Rector of Ashe, Hants, from whom descends the English branch of this family.