Gargett

Recorded in a number of spellings including Gargat, Gargett, Garget, Gourget, Gorget, and Georget, this is an English and French surname. It originated in France as Georget or Geourget, being the diminutive form of Georg or George, a Greek name introduced into Northern Europe by returning Crusader knights. In the 12th century during a period of history known as the Christian revival, many attempts were made by various monarch to free the Holy Land from the Muslims. Of these kings the most famous was probably Richard 1st of England, known as "Lion heart" who actually died at Acre in Palestine, in 1199, whilst besieging the place. The surname as Gourget was probably brought to England in the 17th century by protestant Huguenot refugees fleeing the persecution of King Louis X1V of France (1643 - 1715), a religious bigot whose effects are still felt today. We do know from the surviving registers of the churches of the diocese of Greater London that Gabriel Gourget was a witness at the French church known as La Patente, Soho, on December 28th 1690. By the 1720's the name spelling has apparently been slightly anglicised to Gorget, when one John Gorget was a witness at St Martins in the Field, Westminster, on November 6th 1721. Later still on January 10th 1729 we have a further development with the recording of Robert Gargett, the son of John Gargett, who was christened at St Bartholomew the Great, in the city of London.