I have been researching the family history of my wife and I, and whilst researching my wife’s family history, it appears that her mother was descended from Huguenots.
My wife's mother's maiden name was Hoste and her lineage involves people such as Sir William Hoste who fought alongside Admiral Nelson. Sir William Hoste mentions the Flemish ancestry in his memoirs however he didn't give much information on them. He mentions that he descended from Jacques Hoost, governor of Bruges, in Flanders, whose son, Jacques Hoost, of Middelburg, in Zeeland, was driven from there due to the persecution raised against the Protestants by the Duke of Alva.
He fled to England in 1569, married Barbara Henricks and died in 1604. It is believed Jacques Hoost, governor of Bruges was driven from Bruges to Middelburg where he had his son also Jacques Hoost who in turn was driven from Middleburg to England.
An old book called Sandringham Past and Present written by Mrs Herbert Jones, says the following....
The name of Hoste takes us away to the country to which the family belonged, and from whence it originally came to England, and brings us once more to Bruges, where, for nearly two centuries, beginning from 1294, members of the family of Hoost are mentioned in the records of the Town Hall, as taking a prominent part in the affairs of the municipality.
When the Anglo-Flemish alliance was at its height, in 1345, Jacques Hoost was a sheriff of Bruges, and was succeeded in that office during the subsequent seventy years by six of his name.
Bearing in mind this book was published in 1888, the records mentioned may no longer be at the Town Hall of Bruges. I have been able to trace my wife's lineage back to Jacques Hoost of Middleburg using what is available in Sir William Hoste's memoirs and records from the Dutch Reformed Church in Austin Friars, however I have hit a brick wall with regards to Jacques Hoost of Middleburg and Jacques Hoost governor/sheriff of Bruges.
The name Hoste has been spelt in many different ways over the years, such as Host, Hoste, Hoost, L'oost, and even 'van Oste' or just Oste.
I am planning on travelling to Bruges in the near future and would like to be able to make the most of my time there. What I am wondering is where in Bruges I should head for to obtain any records of Jacques Hoost, governor of Bruges which are helpful for genealogy? I have tried emailing the record office at the State Archives in Belgium but I have not got any response.
Edit: I have exhausted all the records available at the Huguenots Society as suggested by @Colin below with regards immigration to the UK etc. I am still at a brick wall on sources of information with regard to Jacques Hoost of Middleburg and Jacques Hoost governor/sheriff of Bruges.. I have tried the State Archives again and still got no response.
