Who were the Huguenots? †

by Vivian Hill Jordan
Member of The Huguenot Society of Texas
St. Bartholomew Chapter
Houston, Texas

Part 1 (May 1997): Huguenot Origins

Some knowledge of the background of the Huguenot movement is essential to doing successful research on Huguenot ancestors. In this first part of a 2-part article, we provide a much condensed version of the Huguenot story. In the second part of this article, which will appear in the August newsletter, additional information will be provided on Huguenot research at Clayton Library and a bibliography of the more important Huguenot sources will be published.

The term ‘Huguenot’ is used to describe a particular branch of the Protestant religion—aligned with the theology of John Calvin—that arose during the Reformation and flourished in France after 1520. Although certainly religious in nature, the Huguenot movement also had very distinct political components, which put many of its followers in opposition to the French Monarchy. This, coupled with the fact that the Huguenot’s Protestant theological convictions were in direct conflict with the Roman Catholic Church, set the stage for serious confrontations between the Huguenots and the French Church-State.

During the reigns of Henry II of France (1547-1559) and Francis II (1559-1560), the Huguenots grew in both number and political influence and came to include many prominent members of the French nobility, including such influential figures as Anthony, King of Navarre. This increase in strength, however, was looked upon as a threat to both the Monarchy and to the Catholic Church and would eventually lead to civil and religious strife that would see many Huguenot families persecuted and driven out of France.

During the reign of Charles IX (1560-1574), the Queen Mother, Catherine de Medici, in alliance with the Catholic Duke of Guise, plotted and carried out what came to be known as the Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, August 25, 1572. Thousands of Huguenots were killed in and around Paris while they gathered for religious celebration on this important day. Although there were periods of tolerance towards the Huguenots, most notably during the reign of Henry III, and the actual establishment of Huguenot controlled French cities such as La Rochelle, Huguenot political freedom was eventually eliminated under Louis XIII (1610-1643), and the group’s religious freedom was taken away entirely in 1685 when Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes.

The act of Revocation of 1685 took away both the civil and religious liberties of the French Huguenots and ushered in a new wave of Huguenot persecution and discrimination. All Huguenot worship and schooling was forbidden, all Huguenot churches were ordered destroyed or transformed into Catholic churches, and all Huguenot clergymen were ordered to leave France within fourteen days. To further harass the Huguenot population, some 400,000 forced “converts” were ordered to attend mass and participate in the Catholic Eucharist. Many of those who refused were condemned to death or imprisoned. As might be expected, there was a tremendous exodus of Huguenot families from France. Of the 1,500,000 Huguenots living in France in 1660, almost one fourth left the country in the decade following the Revocation. This exodus resulted in the extension of Huguenot family branches into England, Germany, Switzerland, and Holland, and would eventually result in links to the English, German, and Dutch colonies of North America.

In the Virginia colony, pockets of Huguenot colonists could be found along the James River and in King William Parish. Notable among these settlements is that of Manakintown, where Huguenot surnames may still be found. Other Huguenot enclaves include Berks and Lancaster counties in Pennsylvania.

Limits on the scope of this 2-part article do not permit an in-depth discussion of Huguenot genealogy in America; however, there are ample resources at the Clayton Library with which to pursue that subject, and more information on the collection will appear in part 2.

Huguenot Society

The National Huguenot Society Headquarters is located at 9033 Lyndale Avenue South, Suite 108, Bloomington, MN 55420-3535. The Texas State Registrar is Dr. Melford S. Dickerson, 2105 East Applegate Drive, Austin, TX 78753. In the state of Texas, there are four Huguenot Chapters: Fleur-de-Lis Chapter in Austin, Navarre Chapter in Fort Worth, St. Bartholomew Chapter in Houston, and the newly established Languedoc Chapter in San Antonio.

Huguenot Society Eligibility Requirements

Anyone above the age of eighteen years of age, shall be eligible as a Regular Member of the Huguenot Society who is of the Protestant faith, adheres to the Huguenot principles of Faith and Liberty, and is lineally descended in the male or female line from either of the following:

  1. A Huguenot who emigrated to America or found refuge in some other country between December 10, 1520 (the date on which Martin Luther burned the papal bull Exsurge Domine at Wittenberg) and November 28, 1787 (the date of promulgation of the Edict of Toleration).
  2. A Huguenot who, in spite of religious persecution, remained in France. France, in this context, means any territory lying within the boundaries of the Kingdom of France as it existed on November 28, 1787.
St. Bartholomew Chapter convenes three times a year at the Briar Club for a luncheon meeting. Visitors are welcomed. Please contact the chapter registrar, Helen Jackson, at 783-9228 or the chapter president, Madison B. Wright, at 337-2673.

Part 2 (August 1997): Overview of Clayton Huguenot Sources

In part 1 of this article, we provided a brief historical background on Huguenot origins and described the National Huguenot Society. We now focus on specific Huguenot resources at the Clayton Library.

It is important to recognize that, although the Huguenots were French, Huguenot ancestors in America are more likely to be found in the English, Dutch, and German colonies than in those of the French. The notable exception being French Acadia. For this reason, many of the Huguenot sources at Clayton will be found in the Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia sections of the library. Those sources that address general Huguenot immigration to America will be found in the USA section. If you are fortunate in tracing a Huguenot ancestor back to Europe, you will find some excellent research material in Clayton’s foreign collection.

If you are curious as to whether or not a Huguenot ancestor is to be found in your family tree, you may wish to search the compiled lists of Huguenot names maintained by the National Huguenot Society. See, for example, Arthur Louis Finnell’s 1995 compilation, Register of Qualified Huguenot Ancestors of the National Huguenot Society (GEN 973 F514 USA). Also, state Huguenot societies have published biographical compilations, for example, the Huguenot Society of Maryland’s The Huguenots: Their History and Legacy: Biographies of Ancestors of Members of the Huguenot Society of Maryland (GEN 975.2 H891 MD).

Following is an annotated bibliography of the main portion of Clayton Library’s collection of specific Huguenot references. This is not exhaustive. As with any ethnic group, sources of genealogical information may be found throughout the collection, especially for the years following the period of original immigration.

Bibliography

(All of these references are located at Clayton Library)

___________________________

† The CLF Newsletter, vol. 11, no. 2 (May 1997), pp. 6-7, and no. 3 (August 1997), pp. 11-13.

END


Originally published as:

Vivian Hill Jordan, "Who were the Huguenots?"
Part 1: The CLF Newsletter XI (May 1997): 6-7;
Part 2: The CLF Newsletter XI (August 1997): 11-13.

All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Return to Clayton Library Friends page
Return to Clayton Library home page