Frequently Asked Questions

The Huguenots were French Protestants – followers of the Swiss reformer John Calvin, who also inspired the Scottish Presbyterians.  After a lengthy political struggle and eight civil wars – the French Wars of Religion, from 1562 to 1598 – the Catholic monarchy in France cracked down hard on Protestants.  Many fled to other countries, where they could practise their religion.  My own French Huguenot ancestors escaped to England and arrived in Kent in the 1680s.

Most people don’t know much about the contribution Huguenots made to the countries they fled to, or about these refugees' place in history.  The history of migration is highly relevant today, as is the story of religious fundamentalism and its impact on women in particular.  I’m interested in the development of Protestantism, and in the tiny sects which spun around its margins.  I was brought up as a Strict Baptist, with many echoes of our Huguenot origins; increasingly I’m finding out about other people who were brought up as Strict Baptists, such as the novelist Sarah Perry, the Conservative MP Johnny Mercer and the poet Lemn Sissay. It's fascinating to see what we've got in common.

Strict Baptist doesn’t mean what most people think it does.  It refers to the concept of a “restricted congregation” – not to how strictly people follow the scriptures.  Although oddly, strict adherence to implacable rules is a feature of this religion, so it’s no wonder that people get the origins of the term wrong.

See the Glossary for more information on non-conformist sects.

The best starting point is The Huguenot Society of Great Britain and Ireland and The Huguenots of Spitalfields is another excellent resource.

The Resources page lists organisations I recommend for deeper research, and I will add others as I find them.

It’s easiest to start with the Huguenot Society website.

The Society of Genealogists is fantastic, whether your ancestors were Huguenot or not.

The Resources page lists organisations which have been set up to help family historians.

Please see the Bibliography page.

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