The Touchette surname was taken on from any of several places so named, especially in Western France.
The surname Touchette 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]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Touchette research. Another 154 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1313, 1371, 1371, 1408, 1963, 1409, 1459, 1491, 1465, 1497, 1558, 1465, 1497, 1617, 1684, 1689, 1549 and 1638 are included under the topic Early Touchette History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Spelling variations of this family name include: Touchet, Touchett, Touchette, Le Touchet, Le Touchett, Le Touchette, Touche and many more.
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...
Another 64 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Touchette Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In the United States, the name Touchette is the 15,033rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [6] However, in Quebec, Canada, the name Touchette is ranked the 662nd most popular surname. [7]
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: