Family Name – Rabet

THE NAME RABET & IT’S ORIGINS

Surname variations: Rabet, Rabit

(These are the only two ways I have seen this name  spelt in the records).

More than likely of french origins the name Rabet has been another difficult family to research.  From the research I have done the name Rabet comes up in the Jersey Archive records very little before the turn of the century 1900. The majority of those that did arrive in Jersey at this time were from France, and on most of their records  ‘Ploeuc’ is written as their birthplace. Ploeuc is part of Brittany, which  is not far from St. Malo. Their are two towns with the word Plouec in the title and both are near a place called ‘La Croix Rabet‘ in Henon. According to Wikipedia there is also a place called Bretteville-le-Rabet which ”is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in north-western France.”

To read more about french immigration to Jersey click on the following link:

THE BRETONS AND JERSEY – THE BOLEAT FAMILY

It is incredibly interesting and gives a good insight into the history of Brittany  as well as the reasons for the great influx of Breton farmworkers into Jersey, which includes  my Rabet ancestors.

MY RABET ANCESTORS

Joseph Rabet – born circa 1800

Marie Le Breton (wife of Joseph) – born circa 1800

***

Pierre Rabet – born ? (son of Joseph c.1800  and father of Yves M. Rabet b.1856)

Isaac Rabet – born 1828 (father of Jeanne M. Rabet b. 1864)

***

Francois Rabet – 17 December 1852

Yves Marie Rabet – b.1856 in Ploeuc, Brittany, France

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Jeanne Marie Rabet – born 4th September 1864 in Ploeuc, Brittany, France (wife of Yves Marie Rabet b.1856)

***

Yves Marie Rabet (b.1856) married Jeanne Marie Rabet on the 30th July 1885 in St. Helier, Jersey and had the following children:

Raymond Rabet – born 16 November1895,  St. Helier, Jersey

– Raymond married Mabel Annie Freda Fox and had the following children: Joan Irene Rabet, Gordon William Rabet, Raymond Frank Rabet, Yvonne Doreen Rabet.

Ada Maud Rabet – 1899, Trinity, Jersey

– Ada married Peter Le Vannais and had the following children: Eric Eve Le Vannais, Jeanette Ada Le Vannais, Lorraine Muriel Le Vannais.

Hilda Rabet – 1899 (unsure if Hilda and Ada are the same person?)

Alice Rabet – 1901? Trinity

Henri Yves Rabet – born 8 March 1902 (my great grandfather)

William Charles Rabet AKA ‘Bill’ – 25 March 1908,  St. Saviours, Jersey

Albert Rabet AKA ‘Bertie’ – 1905, St. Saviour’s, Jersey

***

Circa 1929 – Henri with Grace on his lap, Barbara, Florence with baby Henry on her lap.

Henri Yves Rabet (1902) married Florence Anna Gallienne and had the following children:

Barbara Florence Rabet – born 3rd June 1925

Grace Jeanne Rabet – born 26th June 1927, St. Saviour’s, Jersey (my grandmother)

Henry Albert Rabet – born 25th September 1928

Sylvia Rabet

74 Comments

  1. Can we also add Henri, Barbara and Sylvia to this list of Rabets. also there was a Graham Rabet, army recruitement officer, I believe he was Grace Rabets cousin.

    Reply

    1. Yes there is a Graham Rabet, maybe not the one you mentioned, and I’m certainly not an army recruitment officer.

      Reply

  2. Hiya!
    Great Start! what a lovely job you have thus far. Imagine a year or two from now. When you have more of EVERYTHING! Reliies,info,places of interest etc. Well done you!

    Happy Hunting – to finding more rellies like ME.
    from Happy Hunter
    Carol (2nd cousin 1x removed.)

    Reply

  3. There is a listing for Pierre..who is listed as a “civil engineer” on the passenger manifest of the SS Valencia on arrival in NY from Curacao Dec of 1889. He arrived with my great grandfather and birth dates are noted on the manifest(I just dont have it here right now)

    Reply

      1. Hi!!!! I found you by mistake! We are related 😱 Raymond Rabet is my great grandfather! I have so many photos for you. Please email me or find me on Facebook. Hannah le bail! Would be amazing to hear from you

  5. There are quiet a few Rabet’s in England now,
    if i can help fill in any further info will be more than happy.

    Reply

  6. The blog is amazing I just found it, I shall tell
    all the family (marquard)
    Very impressed the photos we have in southampton too
    so i shall tell them to look

    Reply

  7. My mother is Joan Irene Georgette Rabet daughter of Raymond Rabet. She is 89 years old but remembers a lot of the people mentioned here.

    Reply

  8. Hi
    The photo above is of my father Henry Albert Rabet, Grace Davey is my auntie which must make you my second cousin. If you want to get intouch with me please do by my email
    Regards
    Jo

    Reply

  9. Hi, My Name is Philippe Rabet. I am french and the origin of familiy is Ploeuc sur Lié in Brittany Cotes d’Armor. I am sure that I have a lot of Cousins in Jersey. In Cotes D’armor french department there are a lot of Rabet’s.

    Reply

  10. Hi, My name is Philippe Rabet, I’am french and the origin of my family is North of Brittany “Cotes d’Armor”. I am happy to know that a branch of my family came to your Island (more than a century ago). Please note that the Name RABET is quite common in the Area of Ploeuc sur Lie (nearby Saint Brieuc). I have heard that the origin of the name is coming from the old french “RAVE” an old and ood vegetable (not very good but popular in the middle age).
    All the best to my Cousins from the Channel
    Philippe

    Reply

    1. Hi Philippe,

      Thanks for contributing your wealth of information. I have since been to visit Ploeuc sur Lie, taken photos,etc. How exciting that we may be related way back! Your fact about the origins of the RABET name is great! Let me know if you find a connection to my family, I look forward to hearing from you again. 🙂

      Reply

  11. Hi, my grandmother was Jessie Rabet, nee Green, she would have been 90 tomorrow. She had 10 children. I think her husband was Frank, although I never knew him and my gran raised the children on her own at St Peter’s Arsenal. Is she any relation?

    Reply

    1. Hi Samantha,

      Thanks for popping by my family history blog. I have no Rabet relations with Frank as a first name. I do have a Raymond Frank Rabet, however, his wife was a Mabel Fox. Nevertheless, it would be very possible that Frank is connected, maybe a cousin? If you do find anything more about your grandfather I would love to hear from again.

      Reply

      1. Gordon Rabet is my father’s cousin (making him my 1st cousing x1 removed). I recall he was definately a recruiting officer (Warrant Officer?) and used to come to Guernsey (where I am ) to recruit also. His sister Joan, married my grandfather’s brother making her both my 1st cousin x1 removed and also my great aunt! (my grandfather was married to Olivia Fox, Mabel’s sister). Sadly I never met any of them as although we only live a short distance over the water we didnt travel to Jersey when I was young. A different story now however as I am now a frequent visitor, mostly in the pursuit of family history. If there is anyone in Jersey who would like to meet up some time I would really enjoy that!

        best wishes
        Sally

    2. Hi Samantha

      Yes your grandfather was Frank (who was my uncle) who was my late fathers brother. I remember my aunty Jessie lovely little lady

      C M Rabet

      Reply

      1. Hi Collette,

        Do you have any other information about your uncle Frank as still have not found a connection to my tree. Do you know who his father was?

        Thank you for visiting and contributing to My Channel Island Ancestry,

        Ramona

  12. His Father Who was my Grandfather was Francis (Frank)Ernest Rabet. My fathers father.

    Hope that helps you

    Collette

    Reply

  13. My husband was in 3 Para with Gordon Rabet 1952 – 1954. Gordon was known as Jersey Rabbit and was the son of a nurseryman, as is my husband. By coincidence, I’m a Jerseywoman, a Valpy. Many of my family were from St Martin or Grouville and Gordon was born in Grouville.

    Reply

    1. Hi Sacha,

      Thanks for visiting my blog. I love your snippet of information about Gordon Rabet’s nickname, these are the little treasures of knowledge records and archives can’t tell you.

      I hope you are researching your Valpy family tree too 🙂

      Reply

    2. Hi Annick
      My mother Joan Irene Georgette Coakley (nee Rabet) was a first cousin to Edmund Le Vannais. My mum’s father and Edmund’s (known to me as Ted) mother (known to me as Ada) were brother and sister.
      As far as I know he came to Britain when or around the time the Germans occupied Jersey. He married Betty and they had three children. I think they were Andrew, Stephen and Cheryl and lived in Tredegar and later Abergavenny in Wales. My mother was in contact with Ted for many years and he came to visit on a number of occasions.

      Good luck in your search.
      Regards
      Sue Stewart

      Reply

  15. Hello my name is dawn rabet. My father was Roy rabet and he had 2 brothers ..malcolm and Albert. My father was born on 22 June 1932 the youngest of the brothers. There was another brother called graham who died when he was about 4 or 5 years old. I think my family tree is connected to Joseph rabet and the là vannai family. I would be very interested in finding any cousins or family still living in jersey or Guernsey

    Reply

    1. Hi Dawn,

      Thanks for popping by my family tree blog, it is great to hear from you and I am grateful for the information you share. I shall add your father’s details to my Ancestry.com tree.
      Our connection is through your grandfather Albert Guilleaume Rabet born 1905. He was the brother of my great grandfather Henri Yves Rabet. You are also related to the Le Vannais as your grandfather Albert’s sister Ada Maud Rabet married Peter Le Vannais.

      Ramona

      Reply

  16. Hi.

    I am researching all Forces Personnel who passed away in Malta . I am trying to find the below person burial location. I can find no burial in Malta, but It does not mean she is not at rest here. Quite a few records are not updated or are missing. Can you help.

    Many regards
    Alf Beard

    Simone Yolande RABET, W.R.N.S., died 21st October 1947, when involved in a traffic accident. She was hit by a military van in Attard, driven carelessly and whilst drunk by L. STACEY, an R.A.S.C. driver. Her parents lived in St. Hellier, Jersey, Channel Islands

    Reply

      1. Hello
        I think you will see I have replied to Alfred about Simone Rabet my would have been great aunt had she lived. I don’t think we are the same Rabet branch. I have a neighbour of the surname RABET and we are not related at all! . Simone’s Father ( my grandfather) was Francis Rabet, born in Jersey whose parents both came from Plouec sur Lie – Guillaume Marie born 6-4-1857 and Angelique Francois born 22-2-1864. I have visited their graves here.

      2. Hi Danilla,

        I have a Simone Y Rabet born 1926 – 1947 on my tree, her parents were Francis E Rabet c.1896 and her mother was Albertine L Carbonner c.1896. They are related to my family via Francis’s father Guilleaume Rabet. Guilleaume was the brother of my great great grandmother Jeanne Marie Rabet b. 1864 married to (her cousin?) Yves Marie Rabet b. 1854.

        From the Find A Grave Memorial page I have her death details as Mont A L’Abbe Cemetery, jersey.

        I believe that all the Rabet’s in Jersey are related although some believe otherwise.

        Simone would have been a second cousin? to my grandmother Grace Rabet who was born a year later in 1927.

        All my Rabet family were rom Ploeuc Sur Lie – as I believe most Rabet’s were. I had neighbours that were Rabet’s buyt they did not want to get involved with the family tree at all. Which I respect. I believe all the Rabet’s in Jersey were related.

        😀

      3. Helllo Alfred. Did you get my earlier message about Simone RABET?
        I have lots of information about her.

    2. Hello, I have only just come across this page, Simone Rabet was my mothers cousin. Her Father was Frank Rabet, my maternal Grandfathers brother. In 1947 Frank was farming in St John, he later moved to St Martin. Simone had two brothers Maurice and Raymond, also a sister whose name I can not remember. Frank spent a considerable amount of money to get Simone’s body brought back to Jersey, J B Le Quasne a local undertaker was flown out to Malta in a chartered Jersey Airlines Rapide to arrange for the body to be embalmed and brought back to the island. Both Maurice and Raymond has children, they might have further information but sadly I have lost touch with them. Somewhere among my photo collection I do have a photo of Simone in her uniform. I suspect that the Jersey Evening Post will have printed an article at the time which should be still among their records.

      Reply

      1. Hi Richard

        My grans brother was frank Rabet. I can ask her when she wakes up and let you know

        Hannah

      2. Hi Hannah my name is Collette Rabet Frank Rabet was my grandfather Raymond Rabet was my father his sisters were Lilly, Yvonne, Helene and of cause Simone hope that helps

      3. My gran is Yvonne but she’s never mentioned the other names so possible a freaky coincidence?

    3. Hello
      I am or would have been had she lived Simone RABET’s great niece. I have a box of photographs and news paper cutting about her funeral in Jersey as she was was buried with full naval honours.mIt was a tragic time for my mother, her siblings and parents.

      Reply

      1. Hi Danilla,

        Simone died at such a young age it would have been so devastating. Which is why it is lovely to keep her memory alive. Good for you.

      2. Romana
        Unfortunately I’ve never hear from Alfred beard . Have you? I’d dearly like to show paperwork and photos regarding Simone Rabet.

  17. Hi,

    I’m hoping that you could help me out:
    Since my late father in law has passed away recently, who was Victor Rabet, it has stemmed some interest in the Rabet family tree from my son as so little is known, we are not sure how many siblings Victor has/had?

    I have looked at the comments above, which were the most informative, thank you. Also the islandWikipedia and archives and going from the post above it seems that I am able to find information down from Isaac Rabet -1800 to Francis E Rabet 1895 but I am not able to find any information after that, would anyone know how many children he had?
    My husband only remembers his gran as being Jessie and nothing else.

    Would anyone have more information or places where to look as there a bit of a gap In the tree between my husband and Francis E Rabet.

    Thank you so much in the advance
    Carina Rabet

    Reply

  18. Hi Ramona and all,

    After my late father in law, Victor Rabet, passed away recently in March 2020, this has caused some curiosity in our family into the Rabet name, especially with my 13yr son.

    My husband, Jason Rabet, doesn’t remember much of his family only that his grandmother was called Jessie Rabet.

    I have gone through the comments above, which have been truly helpful and along with searches in the archive and the islandwiki I have managed to get the family tree from Isaac Rabet (1800) to Francis E Rabet (1895-1987) which is amazing find.

    My call for help on your blog is that if you aware of how many children Francis had. I am aware of 5, but no mention of Frank. Also if there is any more information I can put towards this tree as there is a gap between Francis and my husband!

    Also mentions above that Jessie Rabet had 10 children and raised them by herself, amazing woman and my hat goes off to her! I am able to identify 6 children but not the rest. Can anyone help?

    Thank you so much in advance and this is a great blog, very informative!
    Carina Rabet

    Reply

    1. Jessie’s children were, in rough order (oldest and youngest are definite) Simone, Raymond, Colin, Victor, John, Anita, June, Sylvia, David and Paul (youngest)

      Reply

  19. Hi Carina,

    I’m at a bit of a loss with Frank and Jessie as I can not confirm where they fit in my tree. I may even have made a mistake as there are so many Raymond’s and Raymond was the son of Frank. and there are a lot of Francis’s too.

    Too be able to confirm anything I need to know:
    – who were the parents of Victor Rabet?
    – Which Francis you are talking about eg: birth date

    Thanks Ramona

    Reply

    1. Hi Ramona

      Thank you so much for the quick response,

      From what I gather Victor parents were Frank Rabet (no Dob) and Jessie Rabet Nee Green. Victor was born in 1947, so I am assuming that Frank was a younger brother of Raymond, Maurice, Simone, Helene, Lilly and Yvonne.

      The Francis that I have officially found was Francis Ernest Rabet Dob 1895 who married Albertine Carbonner. Francis was the son of Gulliame Rabet who I found his name as Rabecq is some documents also.

      I hope that helps
      Carina

      Reply

  20. Hi Ramona

    Hope that all is well, in this uncertain time!

    I was just wanted to give you an update that we have since found that my late father-in-law’s dad is actually Francis E Rabet so we have had to amend the family tree that I started and there are no gaps.

    Kind regards
    Carina

    Reply

  21. To those who are related to Yvonne, she was my mothers cousin, they were close friends when they were young and remained in contact until my mother died., I have several photos that I would be happy to pass on to any of Yvonnes relations who would like them, please contact me via Facebook.

    Reply

  22. My name is Peter Dyson former rector of St Saviour where I do research. There is buried a Peter Raymond Le Vannais. The wording is “in loving memory of my dear son Peter Raymond died 21/11/1943 aged 21 years 10 months”. The father is mentioned on the same grave as Pierre Yves Le Vannais “a loving husband”. His wife was Ada Maud Rabet. I can find nothing about the young man who died in 1943 and I note your (very helpful) information of the children of Pierre and Ada does not mention him. Am I missing something and can you help

    with best wishes

    Peter

    Reply

    1. Hi Peter

      All of the children of Pierre and Ada are the half siblings of my grandmother, they have the same father. I just found an identity card of Peter Raymond Le Vannais, dated 1940, can send pictures if you want, will try to find more. My grandmother passed last year, I wish I would have asked more about these things when she was alive.

      Reply

      1. Hi Jake,

        Pierre Le Vannais is also my great grandfather and my great grand mother is Ada. I knew Pierre re married but I didn’t realise the extent of his other side of the family. Peter Raymond was my Grandmothers older brother who died when he was 21. My grandmother is Iris Le Vannais, she’s the youngest daughter of Pierre and Ada.

  23. Hi Peter,
    Thanks for visiting my blog! Sorry to take so long to reply. I’m currently in lockdown in Sydney so have spare time finally. 🙂 I did not know the young Peter’s death date so that was useful, thank you. I also have discovered more children of Pierre and Ada: Peter, Edmond, Lilian, Eric, Lorraine and Jeanette. I haven’t been able to find the young Peter’s death record on Jersey Archives but the library might have it on their micro fiche films?

    Regards, Ramona

    Reply

    1. Hi Ramona,

      Pierre and Ada also had a daughter called Iris (my grandmother). Is your relation on Pierre or Ada’s side?

      Reply

  24. My great grandfather was Pierre Yves Le Vannais, who as you know was married to Ada Rabet, but my grandmother came from his next marriage, to Gladys Cliffe.

    My grandmother was their first born. She passed recently and I have access to so many things of Pierre Yves Le Vannais, photos, postcards etc.

    Reply

    1. Hi Jake,

      Thank you so much for contacting my family history blog and sharing your connection. I’d love to see some photos, etc. I’ll contact you.
      Regards,

      Ramona

      Reply

    2. It would be amazing to see some of the documents you have in relation to Pierre Le Vannais as all we have is his identity card when he arrived in Jersey.

      Reply

  25. My grandfather is Alan John Rabet born in 83, brother of David, Nancy, Pierre and others.
    Interesting read above and I’m certain my Pa took me to the gravestone pictured on several occasions so there must be a connection I’m sure!

    Reply

    1. Hi Alyssa, Thank you for visiting my family history blog. It is always exciting when someone makes a new connection. I don’t seem to be able to find Alan or his siblings on my tree yet but I do have quite a few gaps. Could you tell me the names of the parents of your grandfather Alan.

      Reply

    1. Hi Chloe!

      Thanks for stopping by my family history blog.

      Can I confirm do you mean Alice Francoise Rabet who is the sister of my great grandfather Henri Y Rabet? If so, could you tell me the name of her spouse as I don’t have that information. Thanks.

      Reply

      2. Hi Ramona,

        Yes thats correct Alice Francoise Rabet is my great grandmother (sorry for the mistake in my first comment)

        Her partner was Fredrick George Dorey
        I think they got married between 1933-1935 (unsure if it was a year or 2 years before their eldest son was born)

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