Huguenots

• France was a Catholic country but it experienced a series of religious civil wars between 1560 and 1590. This resulted in French Protestants [Huguenots] migrating to England.
• August 1572: St Bartholomew's Day Massacre

  • Thousands of French protestants were killed, many migrating to Britain.
• In 1685 Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes which meant that all French Protestants had to convert back to Catholicism or leave France.
• The Edict of Nantes (1598) gave the Huguenots freedom of worship and allowed them to live where they wanted
• In 1685, the Huguenots were officially heretics and faced persecution once more. Around 50,000 escape to England.
• Many Huguenot refugees settled in London as skilled craftsmen and merchants. They set up their own businesses and became successful.
• From 1572 to 1598, Elizabeth I made England a safe place for Huguenots, inviting them to work in England and teach apprentices.