Bolduc

This interesting and rare name is of Medieval French origin and is a metonymic occupational name for a maker of ribbon and thread, deriving from the French word 'bolduc' meaning, thin ribbon or thread. This name first appeared in English records in the mid 17th Century a time when a characteristic group of surnames was brought to Britain by French Huguenot exiles. These were French Protestants, who were persecuted for their religious beliefs, during the reign of Catherine de' Medici in 16th Century through to the end of the 17th Century, when the trickle of emigrants became a flood, many of them seeking refuge in England. These French Huguenots and also the Flemish Protestants, (who entered Britain in the 13th Century and 14th Century) often brought with them certain skills and crafts unknown in England at that time, such as weaving, textiles, glass work etc.. One, Ester Bolduc was christened on 29th March 1657 at the French Huguenot, Threadneedle Street. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Pia Bolduc married Marguerite Marieu, which was dated 11th June 1655, French Huguenot Church, Threadneedle Street, London, during the reign of Oliver Cromwell, 'The Great Protector', 1649 - 1660. 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.