Jouett History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the Jouett family first reached the shores of England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. Their name is derived from the ancient personal name Julien. The surname of Jowett was a baptismal name which means Julien. 1

Alternatively, the name could have been derived from the French "jouet" which means "play, sport, fun." English records we find both Jouet and Jowet." 2

Another source agrees with this direction. The Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae lists Geoffry Guuit (or Guet), Normandy, 1180-95. "Matilda Joute, Richard Joyet, William Juet, Engl. c. 1272." 3

Early Origins of the Jouett family

The surname Jouett was first found in Cheshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Bredbury from early times. The lands were granted by William the Conqueror to a Norman noble by the name Jouet, from the Isle of Rhe in France. By the twelfth century they had branched to Ashton-under-Lyme in that same shire.

Early English rolls provide us a glimpse of the spelling variations used through Medieval times. Today we typically need to look beyond the spellings of these entries and concentrate on a phonetic appreciation of the names.

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had only one listing: William Juet, Huntingdonshire. 4 William Jouet was listed in the Assize Rolls for Staffordshire in 1229 and the next year, Richard Jouot was listed in the same county in the Assize Rolls of 1300. In Kent, Goger Guet was found in the Assize Rolls for 1317 and later, Robert Jowet was found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 1

Early History of the Jouett family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jouett research. Another 118 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1451, 1452, 1591, 1592, 1613, 1614, 1631, 1639, 1641, 1643, 1675, 1693, 1694, 1701 and 1720 are included under the topic Early Jouett History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jouett Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Jowett, Jowet, Jowit, Jowitt, Jewett, Jewet, Juet, Jouet, Juett and many more.

Early Notables of the Jouett family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Nehemiah Jewett (1643-1720), an American colonial politician, Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives (1693-1694) and in 1701; during his tenure, he was responsible for compensating those damaged by the Salem witch trials.Randal or Randolph Jewett (d. 1675), was an organist and composer, is said to have received the (honorary?) degree of Mus. Bac. at Trinity College, Dublin, and to have studied music under Orlando Gibbons. Jewett was organist of the cathedrals of...
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Jouett Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Jouett family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Jouett or a variant listed above: Joseph and Maximilian Jewett who settled in Massachusetts in 1630; Elizabeth Jewett settled in Norfolk, Virginia in 1823; Benjamin Jewett settled in Portland Me. in 1822.

Contemporary Notables of the name Jouett (post 1700) +

John "Jack" Jouett Jr. (1754-1822), American politician, hero of the American Revolution, known as the "Paul Revere of the South" for his late night ride to warn Thomas Jefferson
Matthew Harris Jouett (1788-1827), American portrait painter, father of Rear Admiral James Jouett
Rear Admiral James Edward Jouett (1826-1902), nicknamed "Fighting Jim Jouett of the American Navy", an officer in the United States Navy during the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War, eponym of the USS Jouett (DD-41), USS Jouett (DD-396) and the USS Jouett (DLG-29)
George P. Jouett, American politician, Mayor of Lexington, Kentucky, 1848 5
George Jouett Meekin (1867-1944), American Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1891 to 1900, Temple Cup winner (1894) and he led National League in winning percentage (1894)
Jouett Shouse (1879-1968), American lawyer, newspaper publisher, and leading Democratic politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1915-1919)
Jouett Ross Todd (b. 1903), American Republican politician, Candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, 1939; Member of Republican National Committee from Kentucky, 1944; Treasurer of Republican National Committee, 1944 6
Jouett Hendy, American politician, Mayor of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, 1901-05 7

The Jouett Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Animo et prudentia
Motto Translation: By courage and prudence.

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 20) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html