La Famille Huet: Origins
The usual Huet tale begins with Victor Huet, who purchased the domaine during the 1920s, but I have often wondered about the origins of the Huet family. Where did Victor’s ancestors live, and were they vignerons themselves? It seems to be broadly accepted that Victor came to the Loire Valley from elsewhere, only moving to Vouvray and buying the house and vineyard at Le Haut Lieu in the 1920s, but what was it that brought him to this little part of the Loire?
As it turns out, although not descended from a long line of vignerons, the Huet family have long been associated with the Loire Valley. I have managed to trace the Huet family line back as far as Guy Huet (born 1710) who lived out his life in Notre-Dame-d’Oé, a little village not that far from Vouvray. Although today this village is little more than a suburb of Tours, being within easy commuting distance of the city, during the 18th century its inhabitants were far fewer in number than they are today (the population was about 300, today it is ten times that figure), and it seems likely that they would have mostly been cultivateurs, small-scale farmers. Not the Huet family though, as parish records indicate that many generations of the family worked as couvreurs (roofers).
Please log in to continue reading: