Origins and migrations of Sugg families in England

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Beginnings
What's in the name?
The Saxons

Early Evidence
Suffolk
Somerset & Dorset
Hampshire
London

After 1837
Suffolk & Hampshire
Western counties
London

People
Families
Emigration
Notable Suggs

Conclusion

Sources
Census returns
Monarchs

Bibliography & Links

Early evidence - London

London has been the largest population centre in Britain since very early times. In a predominantly agricultural society at the end of the 16th century, about 4% of the population of England and Wales lived in London. By 1700 the proportion had risen to 10% and by 1750 London had become the largest city in Europe and the fourth largest in the world with a population estimated at 675,000. It was a centre of government, commerce and industry with a very active port.

The high rate of population increase was due mainly to immigration – parish registers show that during this period far more people died in London than were born there. In the 17th and 18th centuries mortality rates were very high due to the plague and to other causes often related to overcrowding and insanitary living conditions.  In order to maintain the recorded levels of growth it has been estimated that in addition to registered births, an average of at least 8000 new immigrants were needed annually. At one time only a minority of Londoners had actually been born there!^[i]

Immigrants were often in their late teens or early twenties resulting in a very youthful population. Some became apprentices who were a significant political force in the 16th and 17th centuries and a source of constant irritation to other inhabitants^[ii]. Unlike the situation in the country as a whole, many people travelled very long distances to come to London and Suggs were certainly among them. Many too came from continental Europe – a fact corroborated by the considerable number of non Anglo-Saxon names found in early census returns belonging to individuals who had lived in London all their lives.

Later in the 17th century and during the 18th century Suggs were found in increasing numbers in other parts of London – notably in Westminster. Several wills survive including those of William and George Sugg, both naval seamen, whose wills were proved in 1741 and 1756 respectively. The will of John Sugg, a corn chandler who died in 1770, has also been found. His name appears in the Westminster poll book^[iv] of 1749 and he is listed as having been a witness at an Old Bailey trial in 1752 at which three servants were sentenced to transportation to Australia for 14 years for stealing household goods from their employer. His marriage and the birth of several children were also recorded in parish registers.

There is no way of knowing the origins of all the Sugg families found in London      during this period. They may have recently arrived from the provinces or they may have been descendants of long established London families. There were certainly many other families whose details are not yet known.

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