The History of the Huguenot Settlers in Ireland and other Literary Remains

Cat No.:   IET0088:

First published in 1888, Thomas Gimlette's The History of the Huguenot Settlers in Ireland and other Literary Remains offers a fascinating insight into the persecution, flight and ultimate survival of one of Europe's minority Protestant faiths.

Made infamous by the Edict of Nantes, its Revocation and the subsequent events of the Reformation, the history of Europe's Huguenots preceded these events by some four centuries when small communities of worshipers could be found all over Europe and especially in Province, southern France, worshipping simply and in their own language, which put them at odds with the established faith. The origin of the appellation 'Huguenot' is unclear, but may have its root in the French work 'Hugon', a cave-dwelling creature.

Gimlette's work, pursued out of interest and contact with the descendants of Huguenot settlers in Waterford where he held his ministry, amply describes the history of the Huguenots from the earliest French Reformers, the doctrines of John Calvin until the Edict of Nantes in 1598 and its eventual Revocation nearly a century later. These events, described in some 100 pages, maybe the history that readers interested in Gimlette's work are less familiar with, than the eventual diaspora and settlement of the Huguenots in Ireland. The latter theme encompasses the entire second portion of Gimlette's publication.

The Huguenot settlement of Ireland began after the Reformation of Henry VIII, but continued a pace during the reign of his successor, Elizabeth I. It was during this period that Dublin became the home to many Huguenot merchants, traders and artisans chiefly from Rochelle and Bordeaux. These settled in the area around Christchurch and the High Street and many of the street names in these areas still can still be found. Huguenot settlement in Dublin and other enclaves of Ireland reached its zenith with the Victory of William of Orange at the Boyne, when he shortly after inaugurated a number of French Churches, both Calvinistic and Episcopalian.

Gimlette pays great attention to fate of the Huguenot settlers in Dublin and Waterford in the periods immediately following the revocation of the Edict of Nantes and details to some extent the roles played by leading Huguenot's in Dublin under the patronage of William III. Amongst these elite were numbered the families of Chevenix, Westerna and Nassau, which would leave their indelible marks on Irish History.

Gimlette's History of the Huguenot Settlers in Ireland is encapsulated in just over 380 pages. Fully searchable on this CD-Rom publication the history presents a fascinating account of the hoist of European Huguenots in general and the to some extent the role the played in the making of modern Irish history.

No. of CDs is:  1 ;   Format is:  PDF ;   Searchable?:  YES;

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