Topics

• About the Jerreat One-Name Study
• Variants
• Origin of the surname
• Frequency of the name
• Distribution of the name
• Data
• Contact Details

About the Jerreat One-Name Study

The JERREAT One Name Study was started in 2009 although like many other one name studies it began when I started researching my own ancestry, and in particular that of Phoebe Jerreat, my maternal grandmother. The one name study forms the basis of a project for my Postgraduate Certificate in Genealogical Studies at the University of Strathclyde although it will continue long after the project has been submitted!

Variants

No true variants of the name have been registered with the Guild. However, there are clearly spelling variations – JARREAT, JARET, JEREATT, JERET, JERRET and JERRETT have been recorded so far.

Origin of the surname

The earliest occurrence of the name found to date is in 1777 where the birth record of Marget JERREAT, daughter of Johnathan and Henerata is recorded in the parish records of Alderbury in Wiltshire, England.

The origin of the name is uncertain, and is one of the research aims of this project. Family lore has the name as a corruption of a Huguenot name. Alternatively, it may be a variant of another name perhaps caused by erratic spelling by a parish clerk. Research into the Alderbury parish records may reveal more in the coming months.

Frequency of the name

JERREAT is a very rare surname. It is not recorded at all in the 1841 and 1851 UK censuses, and only once in 1861 (although that appears to be a questionable transcription). There are 3 references in 1871, 9 in 1881, 11 in 1891, 17 in 1901 and 28 in 1911.

Distribution of the name

As noted above, the earliest occurrences of the name are from Wiltshire in the late eighteenth century. The next cluster of records indicates that the family had moved to Whitechapel/Mile End area of east London probably just after 1850. By the start of the twentieth century the family appear to have settled in Deptford/Greenwich area, south of the river. Even today, South East London remains the most frequent area in which the name occurs.

At least one JERREAT emigrated to Canada in around 1870 and started a branch of the family in Ontario.

Data

All UK statutory registrations of births, marriages and deaths (up to 1980) have been transcribed, as well as all UK census records and IGI references. I am currently drawing these together to create a single Jerreat family tree and researching old parish registers to verify and extend the IGI references.

Contact details

For further information, contact:

Mr Andy Douglas
E-mail:

This page last updated 13 January 2012.

Profiles of other one-name studies registered with the Guild may be found here.