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Author: mgchapin
Surnames:
Classification: queries
Message Board URL:
http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.chapin/203.318.1.2.1/mb.ashx
Message Board Post:
Au Contraire, Mme Chapin:
While the largest departure of the Huguenots occurred in the later half of the 17th
century, they are recorded as being very active both religiously and politically by the
mid 16th century. A short perusal of Wikipedia's article on Huguenots can enlighten
us:
Quote:
"Francis I (who reigned 1515-1547) initially protected the Huguenots from
Parliamentary measures designed for their extermination. The Affair of the Placards of
1534 changed the king's posture toward the Huguenots: he stepped away from restraining
persecution of the movement.
Huguenot numbers grew rapidly between 1555 and 1561, chiefly amongst nobles and city
dwellers. During this time, their opponents first dubbed the Protestants Huguenots; but
they called themselves reformés, or "Reformed." They organised their first
national synod in 1558, in Paris.
By 1562, the estimated number, concentrated mainly in the southern and central parts of
the country. The Huguenots in France likely peaked in number at approximately two million,
compared to approximately sixteen million Catholics during the same period. Persecution
diminished the number of Huguenots. Close to 70,000 Huguenots were killed during St.
Bartholomew's Day massacre alone, and many times that amount before and after. Many
fled from France to Switzerland, the Netherlands, Italy, and England.
As the Huguenots gained influence and displayed their faith more openly, Roman Catholic
hostility to them grew, even though the French crown offered increasingly liberal
political concessions and edicts of toleration.
In 1561, the Edict of Orléans declared an end to the persecution, and the Edict of
Saint-Germain of January 1562 formally recognised the Huguenots for the first time.
However, these measures disguised the growing tensions between Protestants and
Catholics." --end of Wikipedia cite.
So, there was not only the development of the movement during the mid 16th century, but
also persecution and emigration to other countries, England included. It is possible, and
has been suggested, that one ancestor of Samuel Chapin (b. 1598, Paignton, Englant) had
been among the earliest Huguenot refugees from persecution.
While Martin Luther was active in Germany in the first half of the 16th century, the
early publication of the Gutenberg Bible (in vernacular languages vs. Latin) in 1450
caused a rapid spread of religious interest, criticism of the Roman church, and reform
(protestant) movements in many European countries. John Calvin was actually French, and
broke with the Roman church in 1530--he fled to Switzerland.
--Mark Chapin, 12 generation from Deacon Samuel
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