Recorded as Mancet, Manchet, Manchett, Mansett, Monchat, Moncat, Menkott and others, this is a very unusual surname. The first recording that we have been able to definately identify is that of Mary Mansett, who married a John Billinghurst at the famous church of St Mary Le Bone, in the city of London on May 15th 1681. However as surnames had been established in England and France for at least three centuries before that date, earlier spellings must have existed, although possibly in a form which neither we nor the International Genalogical Index o have positively identified. This is not unusual particularly with surnames of the mid 17th century. This was a time of great unrest in Europe, with many wars in the previous fifty years including the English Civil War. Whilst this officially ceased in 1648, the disruption it caused to the church and education, continued until the end of the century, and particularly affected the rudimentary education of the mass of the population. To add to this was the immigration at this time from France of the Huguenot Potestant refugees. Many of whom "gained" English surnames, by a distortion of their original spelling. This surname may originate from the French words "manchet or manchette", meaning a sleeve or glove, and hence was occupational for maker of these garments.

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