Hello David Nice to hear from you again. I've also seen most of the other alternatives you mention. Fuget is just a straight swap of "g" for "qu" and others are spellings "as heard". Yes, Freshwater and Middleton are where they were. Agreed, Fudge & co don't seem to be connected. Regards Francis   > >From: DAVID DOWD <david.dowd@btinternet.com> >To: Francis Payne <francisp@xtra.co.nz>; hampshire@rootsweb.com >Sent: Wednesday, 23 September, 2009 6:56:32 PM >Subject: Re: [HAM] FUQUET / FUGETT / FUGATT > > >Hi Francis. > >someome else (I've lost the contact) was researching the Fewgate name a while back and came across Fucat, Fuckett, Fugate, Fuget, Fugget, Fuggett, Fugit.  Alas neither the Oxford 'Dictionary of English Surnames' nor Reaney's 'Origin of English Surnames' mention any of these. > >If it is derived from the French Fuquet (Ardennes and Gironde), as seems likely, some were certainly settled on the I.o.W. by the turn of the 15/16 centuries (Freshwater, Middleton, Yarmouth).   A look at the Huguenot Records might be advisable as the dates are relevant - a lot of them also went to Georgia and Virginia at this time. > >It is unlikely to be a diminutive of the old English Fuche, Fudge, Fuge, Fuidge because of the hard 'g'. > >Regards, David