Thank you, Patricia. I have only just begun suspecting they were Huguenots in the last few weeks. I never really thought about it before, but several things seem to fit.
So far I have only been able to go back as far as the censuses and the family letter will allow me, which is about 1780. It is a small family, and they seem to all be in Devon, which is where the 1925 letter tells me they were from. This letter also says there was just one of them who originally came from France, "a French officer", so I guess that would fit with your one entry, although I don't know when that person came to England.
Am I right in assuming that your list is of original refugees? Can you tell me if there is any more information on that one entry. Is it just a list of surnames, each one accounting for one individual, or are there any forenames or other clues? Can you tell me where this list originates?
thanks very much for your help,
Loo.