Hello Fellow Listers, Gwen was seeking information on her dupaty or deputy ancestors and any connection to the Huguenot faith. Considering the potential for variation of the surname, perhaps some research on the possibilites is in order. Although I am positive that Gwen has already undertaken the challenge. Many articles of the "Dreyfus Affair" appear to mention the name as Du Paty ie. Commandant du Paty de Clam who was the prosecutor during the trials of the much meligned Dreyfus. A sordid tale of the French justice system of the time I believe that this very ordinary avocat was born in the Alsace region ? Then there are the numerous writers either with the name Du Paty or using the name. Several were quite famous for their works. Further reference leads us to ponder simply that the ancestor was from Paty. A search for ancestors there might also assist. Obviously Gwen knows her own family history. I humbly suggest that the name change may have been from du Paty to Deputy when they arrived in Wales. As many Huguenots did so in order to "blend" with the local community. Those in Canada using the name Roy, is an example. A variation common to the name Du Paty may be Dupati. Again this name is reasonably common in France, particularly in the Picardie region. Now here is a real diversion. The name Dupati also means a large scarf-like piece of fabric worn by Muslim and Hindu women in Northern India, Pakistan and parts of the Middle East to cover their head. Which may offer some clue as to the occupation of your French ancestors. Silk weavers and Huguenots appear to go hand in hand on many occasions. Hence the name Dupati moves to Dupaty and then anglified to Deputy. Now let's take another look at what we may have. If we take a known user of the name, the treachurous avocat in the Dreyfus affair. He was actually Du Paty du Cham. Now Cham is over on the the Bay of Biscay, in broad terms near La Rochelle. Now the port city of La Richelle was a known Huguenot enclave. So perhaps your ancestors were silk weavers (Dupati) from La Rochelle ? Not suprising then that if they also happen to be Huguenot then they would board ship and head off due north and guess where they would arrive ? Wales! Now subscribed to this list, is an absolute expert on shipping, East India shipping to be more precise; however perhaps he or someone else would know of any ships that moved from La Rochelle to a port in Wales ? I doubt, and I am going to be corrected very quickly here, that ships travelled directly from Wales to North America during those times ? From Ireland most certainly and well Portsmouth and Liverpool is a "given" I hope that this rambling is of some assistance. Kind Regards, Peter Leroy