Who were the Huguenots and why were they so important?

The Huguenots

The Huguenots were a religious Protestant minority based in what was basically Catholic France, and who followed the teachings of Jean Calvin, himself a follower of the broader, new Protestant faith established by Martin Luther in the 16th century.

They lived and worshipped in France from the middle of the 16th century up until the French Revolution of 1789, during which time they, and the “Walloons” (French speaking Dutch and Belgians of the Low Countries) were persecuted by their Catholic rulers. 

The three significant dates and events for those researching Huguenot history are:

• 1579 – the "St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre" in France.
• 1598 – “The Edict of Nantes”, a proclamation by Henri IV’s giving Protestants the right to worship.
• 1685 – Louis XIV’s retraction of the “Edict of Nantes”, which led to a mass exodus of Protestants from France

The French Revolution

The French Revolution restored the French Protestants right to worship and the persecution they had endured finally ended, but too late for over 400,000 French people who had fled the country to Protestant (Calvinist) Holland, (Anglican) England, and the Protestant German principalities. Some made the long trip to the religiously neutral but emergent “New World” of America, while others moved to South Africa and even to Russia.

Wherever they lived they followed and maintained their faith, their way of life and by exploiting their sense of family, their commercial and practical skills, they succeeded  in forging new lives.

Huguenot Records

There are many myths about the records concerning Huguenot/Protestant history. Some say that none exist in France; others say that the Catholic Church destroyed any records, and it is often assumed that any Irish records were lost during the 1920s; there are many, many other fallacies. 

While some of these misconceptions have a basis in fact, in truth, there is a mass of material, in France, England, Ireland and across Europe.  The knack is to know where to find it, who can help you work with and understand it. 

Huguenot Trails

The real problem is that very few researchers have any idea where to find the really relevant genealogical records, translate and understand them.

In Huguenot Trails, you have found the premier research source based in the very place the Huguenots originated.