after Gustave Burdet
MERMET comes from "MERME", the old superlative of " petit " (lat. Minimus) in Old French: very small.Just think of: marmaille, marmot, marmouset.
In the 16th century, a Swiss Protestant is said to have settled in La Pesse, at Berbouillet to be precise.
Paul Duraffourg disputes Gustave Burdet's hypothesis, arguing that in 1391 a certain PERNET MERMET was found in Picta Cumba.
This MERMET from Berbouillet was a blacksmith by trade, and would have set up a forge on the site.
This MERMET, who became MERMET-MARECHAL, had 9 daughters who married in the area, between Lélex and Sous-Le-Rosay, with names such as Louis (Sur la Roche), Désiré, Jacques (de la Semine), hence the compound surnames :
- MERMET-AU-LOUIS
- MERMET-AU-DESIRE...
It's a fact that MERMETs were found in Switzerland (cf. l'abbé MERMET, the famous dowser) and in Savoy (cf. l'abbé MERMET, the famous dowser).
Note: MERMET was the baptismal name of Cardinal de BROGNY, who died in 1426.
Today, most MERMETs have a supporting name to distinguish them:
- MERMET-BIJON (possibly Benjoin)
- MERMET-GRANDFILLE (for big girls)
- MERMET-GRANDJEAN
- MERMET-GRANDPIERRE
- MERMET-GUYENNET
- MERMET-JEUNESSE
- MERMET-MARECHAL
- MERMET-MAURE
- MERMET ET-LIAUDOZ (from Liade, Liaude: Claude)
- MERMET-MOCHON (from motson: little fly)
- MERMET-MEILLON
- MERMET-BURNET (from brunet, brown or originating from the Burne).
Other MERMET names can be found in old cadastral matrices and archives:
- MERMET-CACHON
- MERMET-AU-DESIRE
- MERMET-AU-JACQUES
- MERMET-GRANDMOTTET.
In the list of the first deliberation of January 1, 1780, to which we referred above, we already find all these MERMETs, plus one MERMET-BRAYON.
It should be noted that in 1994, the number of MERMETs in the commune of La Pesse was clearly declining, either because some had moved abroad, or because a particular family had died out.
In 1633, we find a MERMET-PRALET
About the MERMET-GUYENNET family:
GUYENNET is derived from GUY, a baptismal name (German. WID: forest), as are other surnames:
- GUYON
- GUYONNET
- GUYARD
- GUITTON.
MERMET-MORE FAMILY:
Gaspard-Julien was born in Les Bouchoux on February 12, 1840, unmarried and a miller by trade. He left the Douveraine mill (according to Femand MERMET, town clerk) around 1900. He was lame, having fallen from a roof. He used a scythe handle as a crutch. He lived in seclusion in the Maisonnettes hut, a small building to the east of the cheese dairy, at the bottom of the Crêt Bouvard descent.
Destitute, he received bread from the commune and 5 francs a month. To keep busy, he made rake teeth and repaired buckets. He went down to the village to fetch his bread and tobacco, and in winter, when he couldn't get there, Maximin SAINTOYEND (or Andréa) brought him his provisions.
This MERMET had a sister who married at l'Embossieux.
From Canon André Vuillermoz's book
"Deux villages en parenté La Pesse Les Bouchoux".