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== HUGUENOTS IN GREAT BRITAIN, IRELAND & THE WEST INDIES == | == HUGUENOTS IN GREAT BRITAIN, IRELAND & THE WEST INDIES == | ||
===Introduction === | === Introduction === | ||
A Protestant Reformed Church or a religious group called Huguenots (and known in earlier times as Walloons), which based its beliefs on the Christian teachings and philosophies of mostly John Calvin. These Protestants converted in significantly large numbers from Catholicism throughout especially France, but also in Switzerland, Belgium, Northern Italy and other countries of Europe. Due in large to hostile penal laws that forced them back to Catholicism, many fled into exile. France’s penal laws targeted the whole Protestant movement, the Walloons (1560’s to 1650’s) and later, the Huguenots (1680’s to 1700). Refusal to renounce their religion, meant tremendous persecution, barbaric treatment, torture while imprisoned, confiscation of lands, property, implements of trade, seizure of all assets, or, ultimately death as martyrs to their faith. Huguenots settled in other lands throughout Europe, Great Britain, Scandinavia, South Africa, North America, British West Indies and etc. Huguenot migrations and settlements in the realm were an expression of a causal effect of this wave of religious persecution and oppressive culture by the French government. Numerous settlements are found throughout Great Britain, and Ireland as early as the 1500’s. Records survive as early as 1567 [see table on pg 4]. | A Protestant Reformed Church or a religious group called Huguenots (and known in earlier times as Walloons), which based its beliefs on the Christian teachings and philosophies of mostly John Calvin. These Protestants converted in significantly large numbers from Catholicism throughout especially France, but also in Switzerland, Belgium, Northern Italy and other countries of Europe. Due in large to hostile penal laws that forced them back to Catholicism, many fled into exile. France’s penal laws targeted the whole Protestant movement, the Walloons (1560’s to 1650’s) and later, the Huguenots (1680’s to 1700). Refusal to renounce their religion, meant tremendous persecution, barbaric treatment, torture while imprisoned, confiscation of lands, property, implements of trade, seizure of all assets, or, ultimately death as martyrs to their faith. Huguenots settled in other lands throughout Europe, Great Britain, Scandinavia, South Africa, North America, British West Indies and etc. Huguenot migrations and settlements in the realm were an expression of a causal effect of this wave of religious persecution and oppressive culture by the French government. Numerous settlements are found throughout Great Britain, and Ireland as early as the 1500’s. Records survive as early as 1567 [see table on pg 4]. | ||
== Background Events == | == Background Events == | ||
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*4) Of the above 40 surviving church registers, the Huguenot Society of Great Britain & Ireland have published records on these congregations and their recorded vital events | *4) Of the above 40 surviving church registers, the Huguenot Society of Great Britain & Ireland have published records on these congregations and their recorded vital events | ||
*5) By mostly 1800, just about all Huguenot churches have been disbanded or dissolved. | *5) By mostly 1800, just about all Huguenot churches have been disbanded or dissolved. | ||
*6) Because the Church of England was considered a Protestant religion, (even with similarities to the rites of the Catholic Church), numerous new generation descendants among the Huguenots fairly quickly and easily assimilated into the Anglican church. There were but a handful of churches still open and preaching Calvinistic doctrine, with few new converts among them, by 1800 | *6) Because the Church of England was considered a Protestant religion, (even with similarities to the rites of the Catholic Church), numerous new generation descendants among the Huguenots fairly quickly and easily assimilated into the Anglican church. There were but a handful of churches still open and preaching Calvinistic doctrine, with few new converts among them, by 1800 | ||
*7) Researching Huguenot ancestry is complex in that many of these Calvinist adherents’ names are to be found in church registers of numerous other denominations due to their open (Protestant) views on religion. However, Church of England parish registers are key record sources for Huguenot research for the following reasons: <br> 1) most had to be buried in Church of England churchyards, from 1754 to 1837 <br> 2) most Huguenots married (law required) in Church of England parishes<br> | *7) Researching Huguenot ancestry is complex in that many of these Calvinist adherents’ names are to be found in church registers of numerous other denominations due to their open (Protestant) views on religion. However, Church of England parish registers are key record sources for Huguenot research for the following reasons: <br> 1) most had to be buried in Church of England churchyards, from 1754 to 1837 <br> 2) most Huguenots married (law required) in Church of England parishes<br> | ||
3) often some families baptized the first-born in the Church of England for cases of providing proof of rights for heirs to obtain lands as rightful heirs. Church of England records therefore are an important diet of records for most Huguenot researchers to use. | 3) often some families baptized the first-born in the Church of England for cases of providing proof of rights for heirs to obtain lands as rightful heirs. Church of England records therefore are an important diet of records for most Huguenot researchers to use. | ||
*8) Depending on the Huguenot congregation or church, some were considered a Nonconforming church and others, as “conforming” church (based whether a church adopted and used the Church of England’s Book of Common Prayer in their religious rites) | *8) Depending on the Huguenot congregation or church, some were considered a Nonconforming church and others, as “conforming” church (based whether a church adopted and used the Church of England’s Book of Common Prayer in their religious rites) | ||
*9) The Huguenot Society of Great Britain provides researchers with some archival and published materials, including their Quarto Books, dedicated to records which include, French Hospital, the Westminster French Protestant School and Foundation, Huguenot charities and Friendly Societies, together with family records and research notes, original manuscripts, transcripts, businesses in India, of 18th and 19th century soldiering, and of 17th and 18th century theological questions. *10) Huguenot settlements in England and Ireland included the following—with or without church registers: | *9) The Huguenot Society of Great Britain provides researchers with some archival and published materials, including their Quarto Books, dedicated to records which include, French Hospital, the Westminster French Protestant School and Foundation, Huguenot charities and Friendly Societies, together with family records and research notes, original manuscripts, transcripts, businesses in India, of 18th and 19th century soldiering, and of 17th and 18th century theological questions. *10) Huguenot settlements in England and Ireland included the following—with or without church registers: | ||
== French Protestant Settlements and Records == | == French Protestant Settlements and Records == | ||
Click on the link to find the settlements and records.<br> | Click on the link to find the settlements and records.<br> | ||
=== Step by Step === | |||
Huguenot ancestral research in England— | |||
* 1.Requires searches in the 19th and later centuries to be conducted in the parish registers of the Church of England. Most of the Huguenots assimilated into the Church of England society. | |||
* 2.Requires knowing that French surnames by the 20th century are very likely to have been anglicized, sometimes rendering it difficult to determine the original “Huguenot” spelling of the family surname | |||
* 3.Requires tracing them according to usual English ancestral research procedures viz, in not only Church of England parish registers and in Nonconformist registers, but in borough registers of occupations and trades, in tax assessments, churchyard inscriptions and burials, wills, parish chest records from the 1560’s to 1700 | |||
*4.Assume that most Huguenot refugees came over to England in very poor or destitute conditions, although the average person was a skilled craftsman in a trade. Thus searches should be made in parish chest records in cases when they were poor or destitute, i.e. Rye or Winchelsea (Sussex) parish records. These records may be the only available record for a refugee, before moving on to or migrating to a larger township or city, such as Norwich, Canterbury, Dublin or London, or another country in the empire, etc. | |||
*5.searches to be made in borough archive records of guilds or livery companies, estate or land tax assessments—when they were wealthy such as a skilled tradesman or professional occupations | |||
2 Nonconforming Church – Protestant church which conforms to the Church of England’s Book of Prayer | |||
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