Welcome to Mallett Family History
Tuesday, 18 January 2011 15:08 | 
Written by Administrator | 
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The Mallett/Mallet/Malet surname has its origins in France, perhaps as early as the 10th century. It was certainly in existence in the year 1066 when Duke William of Normandy led a group of his Barons across the English Channel from France to England where they defeated the English at the battle of Hastings, and took control of the kingdom of England. One of those Barons was William Malet, whose English lineage is documented here. The Malets stayed in England, and remained in France, and both groups have spread around the world.
This site is focused primarily on the English branches of the family, but is gradually expanding to encompass the French branches as well. If you're wondering if your Mallett (or related) family is recorded here, try the various search functions under "Find" in the left side menu. There are just over 6000 individuals recorded in our online database, but we have more information available in paper form. Eventually this will all find its way to the website, but in the meantime, if you didn't find the people you were looking for here, drop us a line (). We may have something for you, or at least put you in touch with others who may be searching for the same people, and at the very least we will keep your query on file.
We've got a thousand years of history to sift through, so it's going to take awhile, but there will be many interesting people to discover and interesting stories to tell.
Last Updated (Friday, 04 February 2011 14:30)
Origin of the NameSunday, 23 January 2011 17:10 | Written by Bob Mallett | | |
The oldest recorded use of the Malet/Mallet/Mallett surname in England is associated with William Malet, Sire de Graville, a Norman who was a companion of William the Conqueror at the battle of Hastings in 1066. William and his descendants became major land holders in England; first William's son Robert, at Eye, in Suffolk, with holdings in both Suffolk and Norfolk, and sometime later (it's not certain who or when) at Curry Mallet in Somerset. These two areas of England (the East and the South West) are home to the two single largest concentrations of the Mallett name in England today. Last Updated (Tuesday, 01 February 2011 11:48)
Robert Malet — "Lord of Eye" (Domesday, 1086)Monday, 24 January 2011 12:30 | Written by Bob Mallett | | |
 The accompanying engraving shows a view of the church and castle motte in Eye, Suffolk, c 1818. The windmill atop the motte was built in 1561-2; the castle, built by Robert Malet's father William, having fallen into disrepair and demolished sometime prior to that. The windmill was replaced in 1844 by another castle, built as a private residence, the ruins of which stand today. Robert Malet was born in Normandy, and accompanied his father, uncle, and (possibly) brother in the Norman conquest of England in 1066. At the time of the Domesday survey in 1086, Robert's father had died, and Robert had inherited most of his estates. Robert married Elisée de Brionne, and may have had sons named William and Hugh. Last Updated (Friday, 04 February 2011 15:02)
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William Malet, Companion of the Conqueror, 1066Sunday, 23 January 2011 19:48 | Written by Bob Mallett | | |
 William Malet, or Guillaume, as he may have been called, "Sire de Graville", came from Graville Sainte Honorine between Le Havre and Harfleur, in what is today the French province of Normandy. He is said to have had a Norman father and a Saxon (read English) mother, and had some sort of association with King Harold of England before the conquest. William, through his Saxon mother, may actually have been related to King Harold, and to the well known Lady Godiva. It is also possible that William and Harold were both God fathers of Duke William of Normandy's daughter, Abela. Last Updated (Friday, 04 February 2011 16:42)
Malet/Mallet of Curry Mallet, Somerset, c. 1130Monday, 24 January 2011 12:35 | Written by Bob Mallett | | |
At the time of Domesday, in 1086, the Malet family does not appear to have held any land in Somerset, but by the mid 12th century, they seem to have come into possession of at least some of the lands held at the time of Domesday by Roger de Courseulles (Corcelle?), most notably "Sepetone" and "Curi", towns known as "Shepton Mallet" and "Curry Mallet", today. How this came about is not really known, but one theory holds that Gilbert Malet, the second son of William married either a sister or daughter of Roger de Courseulles, and that Gilbert's son Robert inherited his mother's estates upon the death of de Courseulles c1100. Last Updated (Friday, 04 February 2011 15:43)
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