Fruchter

This unusual surname is of Olde French occupational origins. It derives from the Provencal dialectal Frugier or Fruchard, or possibly the Askenasic Fruchter, and describes a grower of fruit or a fruit merchant. The origination is from the Latin 'fructus' meaning fruit, and it would seem that the surname first appeared in England in any form about the middle of the 18th century. This date and the association with the French region of Provencal would strongly suggest that the original name holders were of Huguenot origin, and therefore protestant refugees fleeing the oppression sparked off by the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. What is know with certainty is that as 'Frushard' the name is recorded at the Threadneedle Street French Huguenot Church on February 3rd 1751, when Jaques Frushard is shown as a witness at the christening of his son James. This in iteself indicates a move away from the original French spellings. Later examples include Thomas Fruser who married Sarah Hutchins at St James Church, Westminster, on New Years Day, 1810, and Daniel Frusher, whose daughter Rebecca was christened at Christ Church, Spitalfields, on January 13th 1867. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Philip Frusher, which was dated September 17th 1766, a witness at St Giles Cripplegate, London, during the reign of King George 111, known as 'Farmer George', 1760 - 1820. 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.