Quite how my family got itself stuck in a fundamentalist rut is one of the puzzles I try to excavate in the Huguenot Jo blog. Our mulish opposition to religious conformism and the state arose from our Huguenot roots - and our ancestors’ secret flight from savage persecution at the hands of French Catholics.
The Blog
The blog is the heart of the Huguenot Jo website. You can sign up to follow it by email (at the bottom of each page) or via social media.
In the blog, I’m exploring what happened to my family within the wider story of the Huguenots and their part in European history and culture.
Protestantism has a particular take on the role of women in society: women's rage and "the outcast woman" are recurrent themes.
THE BACKGROUND
The About page outlines the origins of the blog, and lists Huguenot names borne by my forebears.
The Bibliography lists all the books and films I’ve consulted, reviewed or recommended as sources; the Resources section lists recommended websites for further leads.
Frequently Asked Questions tries to answer the most common questions about Huguenots, Strict Baptists and the blog. The Gallery is a great place for inspiration and to browse pictures illustrating Huguenot history.
Bachelier…Duval…Finet…Godran…Honore…Lessey…Rossignol…Saumon…Tillier…Vasseur
Recent posts
Too many men – Women of Bedford protest
There are eleven statues in the town of Bedford, and not one of them is of a woman. A vigorous local campaign has grown up to put that right. The campaign group Women of Bedford wants to erect the first statue in the town to celebrate a woman - educational reformer,...
The tears of the Huguenots: a virtual tour of Wandsworth on 18 February
If you live in London, you’ve probably driven through Wandsworth, cursing its one-way systems, staring at its dull architecture and nasty shop-fronts as you wait for the traffic to move, without ever seeing the signs of the Huguenots. Even on a walk through its...
Promotion – excellent pay, good prospects and a company horse
Guest blog: Author Ann Vinden is currently writing a biography set in Chile during the nitrate extraction period. She writes here about horses, class and family. No-one would have suggested learning to ride a horse as a means of independence in the shire counties...
To be disreputable, disrespectful, disobedient
Sarah Perry’s latest publication, “Essex Girls: For Profane and Opinionated Women Everywhere”, is a tiny little book based on a Harriet Martineau lecture she gave; it’s an entertaining read for any woman who doesn’t like to shut up. Sarah Perry is best known for her...
