Group    From 1500  To 1800

The Huguenots

Categories: Religion

Countries: France

French Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. The name emerged in 1560 but its derivation is unknown. The faith attracted skilled city workers such as weavers, goldsmiths and fan-makers but persecution tended to be their lot; the pictures shows the 1572 St Bartholomew Day's massacre when almost 6,000 were killed.  

The 1598 Edict of Nantes established Roman Catholicism as the religion of France but set reasonably acceptable terms for non-Catholics, such as the Huguenots. But over time conditions for them became harsher.

1685 King Louis XIV gave them the choice of conversion (to Catholicism) or prison. Some found a third option and relocated to London, bringing their skills and establishing, mainly in the East End, thriving industries in silk, lace, weaving, fan-making, etc.

Spitalfields Life has a post tying together the Hugeunots of Soho.

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
The Huguenots

Commemorated ati

French hospital

Site of the French hospital founded by royal charter in 1718 to house the poo...

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French Protestant Church - Soho Square

To the glory of God & in grateful memory of H. M. King Edward VI who by h...

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Hanbury Hall - blue oval plaque

This plaque has a shortened version of the text on the old white plaque.

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Hanbury Hall - tiled plaque

These 20 Delft tiles are decorated with scenes and symbols important in Hugue...

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Hanbury Hall - white plaque - removed

Christ Church Hall Built in 1719 as a French Hugeonot {sic} church it stood b...

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Show all 9

Other Subjects

Quaker Gardens

Quaker Gardens

Also called Bunhill Fields Burial Ground and so easy to confuse with the non-conformist Bunhill Fields Burial Ground which is on the other side of Bunhill Row. From London Gardens Online: “Quaker ...

Place, Gardens / Agriculture, Religion

2 memorials
Thomas Doolittle, MA

Thomas Doolittle, MA

Born Kidderminster.  Died Monkwell Street.  Buried in Bunhill burial ground.

Person, Religion

1 memorial
Alexander Caesar d'Anterroches

Alexander Caesar d'Anterroches

Bishop of Condom (really, check Googlemaps).

Person, Religion, France

1 memorial
Burial ground for St Mary the Virgin, Twickenham

Burial ground for St Mary the Virgin, Twickenham

From 1782 it had served as a burial ground for the Parish of St Mary the Virgin, Twickenham, but was nearly full by 1835, when a new Burial Ground in Oak Lane was opened. The older burial ground wa...

Place, Religion

1 memorial
Philip Henry Gosse

Philip Henry Gosse

Zoologist.  Born Worcester.  1827 sailed to Newfoundland where his interest in entomology began.  He also travelled to Alabama and Jamaica studying the local natural sciences, returning to London i...

Person, Religion, Science, Canada, Jamaica, USA

1 memorial