Touchet History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The Touchet surname was taken on from any of several places so named, especially in Western France.
Early Origins of the Touchet family
The surname Touchet was first found in Notre Dame du Touchet, near Mortaine, in Normandy. "The ruins of the old castle are still visible near the parish church: and the race of its ancient possessors is not extinct." 1
"In 1082 Ursinus de Touchet was granted lands to the Church of St. William, Maortaine." 2
"The family of Touchet," says Collins, "hath been of great note, and came in with William the Conqueror, as is very evident, the name being on the Roll of Battle Abbey and in the Chronicles of Normandy." Its representative in the martial reign of Edward III. was Sir John Touchet, who married Joan, eldest daughter and eventually sole heir of James, Lord Audley of Heleigh, and thus secured to his descendants the inheritance of the ancient Barony of Audley. 3
Toget appears on the Roll of Battle Abbey, but was later Anglicized as "Tuchet." 1 The first record of the family in ancient Britain was Joceline Touchet who was seated in Cheshire temp. William I (during the reign of William I, the Conqueror.) He was father of Henry and his son, Henry was granted the village of Tattenhall by Ralph Gernons, the Earl of Chester. 2
"Audley [in Staffordshire] gives the title of Baron to the family of Touchet." 4
Little is known of the family until the 14th century when Sir John Tuchet (1327-1371) was listed. He married Joan Audley (1331-1393,) daughter of James Audley, 2nd Baron Audley to become the 3rd Baron Audley. His son John Tuchet (1371-1408) was the 4th Baron Audley and the 1st Baron Tuchet.
"The family of Tuchet, or Touchet, is very ancient in [Somerset]. William was summoned to Parliament as the first Baron Audley from 1299 to 1306." 5
Early History of the Touchet family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Touchet research. Another 154 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1313, 1371, 1408, 1409, 1459, 1465, 1491, 1497, 1549, 1558, 1617, 1638, 1684, 1689 and 1963 are included under the topic Early Touchet History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Touchet Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Touchet, Touchett, Touchette, Le Touchet, Le Touchett, Le Touchette, Touche and many more.
Early Notables of the Touchet family
Notable amongst the family in this period was
- James Touchet seventh Baron Audley (1465?-1497), descended from Adam de Aldithley or Audley, who lived in the reign of Henry I, and is considered the first Baron Audley or Aldithley
- James Touchet Baron Audley of Hely or Heleigh, third Earl of Castlehaven (1617?-1684), was the eldest son and heir of Mervyn, lord Audley, second earl of Castlehaven, by his first wife, Elizabeth
- George Anselm Touchet or Tuchet (died c. 1689), was the Catholic chaplain to Queen Catherine of Braganza. He was born at Stalbridge, Dorset, was second son of Mervyn Touchet, twelfth lord Audley and s...
- James Touchet, was 5th Baron Audley; and Marie Touchet (1549-1638), Dame de Belleville, was the only mistress of Charles IX of France
Touchet Ranking
In the United States, the name Touchet is the 13,144th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6 However, in France, the name Touchet is ranked the 5,978th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 7
Touchet migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Touchet Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
- Nicolas Touchet, who settled in Quebec in 1649
- Simon Touchet, who settled in Quebec in 1661
- Simon Touchet, son of Thomas and Suzanne, who married Marie Gignard, daughter of Laurent and Élisabeth, in L'Ange-Gardien, Quebec on 30th January 1679 8
Touchet Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
- Thomas-Marie Touchet, son of Simon and Marie, who married Geneviève Gagné, daughter of Joachim and Louise, in Beauport, Quebec on 7th January 1711 8
- Simon Touchet, son of Simon and Marie, who married Madeleine Maranda, daughter of Etienne and Marie, in Quebec on 4th January 1723 8
- Joseph Touchet, son of Simon and Marie, who married Marguerite Garneau, daughter of Jean and Louise, in Charlesbourg, Quebec on 16th February 1727 8
- Jean Touchet, son of Simon and Marie, who married Marie-Catherine Bélanger, daughter of Pierre-Bertrand and Marie, in Quebec on 17th January 1729 8
- André Touchet, son of Hilaire and Jeanne, who married Élisabeth Guilbert, daughter of Jean and Élisabeth, in Montreal, Quebec on 4th November 1738 8
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Contemporary Notables of the name Touchet (post 1700) +
- Jacques Touchet, French contemporary illustrator
- Stanislas-Arthur-Xavier Touchet (1842-1926), French Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, Bishop of Orléans (1894-1926)
- Samuel Touchet (1705-1773), English cotton merchant, manufacturer and politician
Citations +
- Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
- 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)
- Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Oliver, George, Collections Illustrating the History of the Catholic Religion in the Counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Wilts, and Gloucester London: Charles Dolman, 61, New Bond Street, 1857. Print
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
- Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 2, Institut Drouin, 1958.