Du Hamel

This interesting name is not in its earliest recordings shown as Huguenot, this coming much later. However it is reasonable to assume that the original name holders were probably protestant refugees. Certainly the name is well recorded heraldically both in its land of origin (France) and in the Baltic States as well as Russia (Livonia). In addition they are recorded as Barons of the French Empire, although the date is not known. The name recordings in England include Susanne Du Hamel, christened at the French Huguenot Church, Glanhouse Street, London on May 14th 1699, and Nicholas Du Hamel who married Mary Jarvis at St. Dunstans in 1704. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of James Duhamell, which was dated 1620, a witness at St. Andrews Church, Holborn on July 9th, during the reign of King James I of England and VI of Scotland, 1603 - 1625. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.