Nattriss, Nattrass in London

[silicondale]

These names originate in the north-east (mainly Durham / Northumberland), but there have been some Nattrisses, Nattrasses, Nattresses in London since at least the 18th century. My Nattriss ancestors trace back to John Nattriss, tailor, born 8 July 1763 in Shadwell. His father's name was also John Nattriss, and believed also to have been a tailor.

There is a family legend that says there were four brothers named Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John who all came to London and settled in different areas. There certainly are other Nattrass and Nattriss families in London, whose relationship to ours we don't know. Also, within our family there have been a number of sons named Matthew and Mark (no Luke for some reason).

Can anyone shed any light on this? Anyone related to other London Nattriss or Nattrass families?

 

[dochines]

Being a Tailor and living in Shadwell makes me suspicious of a Hugenot connection

dochines

 

[silicondale]

Hello dochines - that's a very interesting idea. Do you think that the Nattriss or Nattrass surname in London might actually be a corruption of a Huguenot surname rather than derived from the Durham family? When were the main waves of Huguenot migration to London?

 

[dochines]

Hi
The Hugenots were members of the Protestant Reform church of France in the 16th and 17th centuries. Migration to England from France began soon after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 by King Louis XV. He exciled all the protestant pastors and forbade the laity to leve France. About 200,000 left France, with about 60,000 coming to England

The word Refugee was first used to describe the Hugenots who took refuge in England

In East London they established a close community particularly as silk weavers and tailors. I lived for a while in Spitalfields which was the centre of the Hugenot community in London. in 1700 there were already 9 churches to serve the Hugenots.

I am not saying they were Hugenots but the name seems to me to have a french sound to it,

dochines

 

[Alison]

http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Nattrass

 

[DaveN]

The Nattrass (& variants) surname appears to be prevalent along the East Coast, at Whitby, Bicker (Bicker Haven on the Wash), Yarmouth and London, during 16th & 17th Centuries, which leads me to suspect immigration from the Continent. My own branch of the family appears to arrive in Bicker, Lincs., a little before the 1685 revocation of the Edict of Nantes, so may not be hugenots. They don't seem to be in Lincolnshire before 1670, but were there in 1672.