Origins and migrations of Sugg families in England

Home

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

More information
Contact details

Early evidence - Somerset and Dorset

The earliest known reference to Sugges in this region is in the parish register of Nether Compton, a small agricultural community, a few miles north of Sherborne on the Somerset/Dorset border. The burials of William Sugge and his wife Elizabeth were both recorded in 1540. Henry VIII’s standing army was not very large and was expensive to maintain. Consequently each Hundred was required to notify the authorities of the names of a specified number of men who could be called upon for ‘voluntary’ military
	Nether Compton Church
service in times of emergency. The muster roll^[i] for Nether Compton in 1540 records the availability of ‘Sugg’, (no forename), an archer. Archery required skill and experience and archers tended to be older than others in the muster. If the roll was compiled before his death this could have been the same William Sugge but it might have referred to a different person.

After 1538 references to Sugg families are to be found in the registers of a number of parishes in the vicinity of Nether Compton. Sherborne, Sandford Orcas, Over Compton, Yeovil, Marston Magna all list Sugg events taking place before the end of the 16th century. All are within a few miles of each other. A considerable number of these events take place in Trent^[ii], a village very close to Nether Compton, and which appears to have a central significance. Almost all events take place within 3 miles of Trent. Its population was almost certainly involved mainly in agriculture. The land was fertile and used for the production of wheat, flax and other crops as well as for grazing sheep and cattle.

In the 17th century references are found in the registers of a number of other parishes. Taunton, Ilchester, Norton Fitzwarren, Misterton, Exford, Powerstock, Melbury Osmond, East Quantoxhead and Barwick all register Sugg events. In all 129
	events were registered but only six took place more than 6 miles from Trent and 84 of them occurred in Trent itself. Eight events were recorded in Devon and Cornwall during the same period but none in the neighbouring counties of Wiltshire or Gloucestershire. Trent still appears to have been very much at the centre of the activities of Sugg families in this part of the country.
Trent - Farmhouse occupied by the Sugg family in the 17th century

Many more records have been discovered from the 18th century. Of 234 events that took place in Somerset and Dorset during this period, 27 were in Trent itself but 156 occurred less than 10 miles away and 212 within 19 miles. Some were also recorded in surrounding counties. There was some migration towards the west, perhaps spreading out from Trent, but few people had travelled very far. The main reasons were probably marriage and the search for work at a time when there was a decreasing demand for agricultural labour.

A few early probate records referring to Sugg(e) families in Somerset and Dorset have been found. In 1597 the will of Matthew Sugge, a ‘husbandman’ of Over Compton^[iii], was proved. Among the bequests to his son were his ‘weaving loom and tackle’ – probably his most valuable possessions.

In 1629 Elizabeth Sugg made an inventory of the property of her deceased husband William, a thatcher from Yeovil. He had debts to pay but others to collect and left £62 12s. to his widow. The will of John Sugg, a yeoman farmer of Nether Compton, was proved in 1701 and his belongings included ploughs and wagons and other farming equipment. His executors were his father Thomas and his brother Henry – both living in Trent. These were all comparatively wealthy people – although, as mentioned previously, their poorer relatives would probably not have made wills and no valid conclusions should be drawn about the general affluence of Sugg families. Early manorial records and other documents do exist and might provide relevant information but little research has as yet been carried out in this field.

Previous page Top Next page

^[i] This muster roll, although with a military connection, served a different purpose to that mentioned above

^[ii] Trent, close to the Somerset/Dorset border was in Somerset but was transferred to Dorset for administrative purposes in the late 19^th century

^[iii] A husbandman was a small scale farmer who probably rented his land. Over Compton is under two miles from Trent