The original French Huguenot Threadneedle Street Church - 17th Century The last part of this chapter consists of verbatim extracts from the Actes de Consistoires which were the daily or weekly minutes of the deliberations of the Elders of the French Threadneedle Street church. The Actes were compiled by Antoine du Ponchel session clerk of St. Anthony's chapel. Huguenot Society volumes 38 and 48 record most of the earlier years from 1550 onwards in diary form. The Elders were very strict and families entered in the records were definitely in disgrace. This seemed to happen to 16th century Delaforces quite frequently. A. In 1560 Jehan Fortin (Latin version of De Force) was on the mat! B. In 1564 "Jaques de la Fose, quy a espouse (Denise) la vecue (widow) de feu (late) piere le cuiginier se presenty pour comuniquer a' la Cene (Masse) se excusant que de 2 ans ny avoyt point este prometant aire meilleur diligence pour launiere, lui fut a corde de sy presenter. Jeudi dernier de Novembre". C. In 1564 "ledy jour Jehan Fortin amenyt une fille au consistoire nomme Katerine Gergart. Ledyt Fortin de prendre pour femme ladyte Katerine. Jehan Fortin fut admoneste' de ce qu'il ne honte point les sermons ne qu'il ne vient a' la Cene..". D. In 1564 "Ledyt jour fut faiet Raport par Maistre Fichet du scandale adueau a la maison de Jaques de la Fosse et Jaques Chaumois de ce que la femme didyt Jaques a appelle' son beau pere (father-in-law) "Ruffien", et "Maqueaureau" (Pimp!): il furent tous appelle's an Consistoire". E. In 1571, 12 September "Jan de le Fosse venu de Lille depuis Un an. En quis comme desus a dit qu'il na cognu Ia fille fly comment Ia chose est venue seullement qu'il a entendu que Si l'homme se fut bien garde' ii ne fut pas mort et que les voisins (neighbours) disoient que le cop (body) restoit mortel qu'il a cognu le personage et veu aller les rues frequentant les tavernes et yttonnant comme de coustume par lespace de 3 sepmaines (weeks) apres le coup (blow) donne.". F. 1572 Jan de Ia Fosse sera manle pour mercredy prochaine par Fontaine (name of the Priest). G. 2 January 1572 Jaques de le Fosse, sa femme et la femme de Jacques Chermoise ont faict plaincte (complaint) de Jean de Vick disans que ledict de Vick auroit dict que Pierre le Cuisinier estoit ung larron (thief) et qu'il jamais faict autre chose que de rober et quant il estoit trouve' au faict disoit qu'il ne faisoit que jover et disent les dictz plaindans que ledict de vick aur&it dict en presence de Jaques Chermoise et de Pierre Hernet dict Le Pelau. Tout ce different et debat ne procede que dune cedule portant a Ia somme de 23s 4d sterlin que le dict Jaques de la Fosse demand au dict de Vick (Viguer). H. 16 January 1572 Jan De La Fosse enquis sil na point baille un soufflet a Anthoine Troielle en plaine vue sil ne Ia point appelle faux raporteur aiant une fausse lange de serpent (!) un garcon et Un Glistre Confesse que ovy se plaindant quil avoit charge' sa femme destre pailarde mesme en ce pays... I. 30 January 1572: Fontaine (the Minister) a exhibe par escrit les plaintes de Jan de la Fosse on les envoiera a Nordwis (Norwich) et les remains seront ovys pour mercredy prochain... J. 6 February 1572 Jehan de Ia Fosse plaintif contre Anthoine Truyelle demovant a Nordwits Ia produict pour tesoins Jeanne L'homme femme a' Hubert Lengle... que A.T. disoit en sa maison que la femme Jehan de Ia Fosse estoit ribaude (ribald) ce propos furent tenus en Arras plus par le chemin de Nordwits il y a demy an ehviron... K. 9 January 1574 Jaques de Ia Fosse et Jan de Vignes sestant remis pour un different en arbitrage, Robert Huttal, Estienne Le bras et Thomas Hasqvent raportent que Ledyt de Fosse ne veut obtemperer. L. in 1574 Isabeau Pennis venue au Consistoire remonstrance luy a este faite des injures dites par elle a Jean Fortin lesquelles elle n'a voulu recognoistre et sa mocquant desdytes admonitions et du Consistoire sen est allee. M.1574 Remonstrance luy a este' faicte touchant ses rebellions appiniatres et detractemens quil a fait et dict par cyderant tant de leglise (church) du consistoire que des arbittres lesquels sestvient emploies affin de Ia pacifier avec Jean Fortin. Dont il en a recognu faute en consistoire en la presence desdict arbittres et s'est reconsilie' a' la compagnie et ausdictz arbittres confessant sa faute en demandant pardon a Dieu et a tons ceux qu'il avoit offer se promettant aussy de vivre plus christienement a lavenir. N. 1577 Des promesses que Guillaume Fortin auroit faire a la Fremine et quilz ont trouves. Although the old French is difficult to translate the gist of the capers of John, James and William with their spouses or girlfriends is clear. The Elders obviously thought they were a difficult family to have in the congregation, either because they thought the sermons too boring or because of noisy domestic scenes which were brought to the notice of the Elders. In a foreign land the new churches were on their best behaviour and the Elders were most strict with their sometimes unruly flocks. The Dutch Walloon church of Austin Friars has records from 1559 and the parish records are published in books by Mr W.J.C. Moens. On 29 August 1594 Bernard de la Fosse of Bruges married Abigail Vrombouts of Sanwits (Sandwich, Kent). 6 daughters were born. In 1619 their son Bernard la Fosse was a wedding witness. Bernard was grandson of Bernard Le Fors/La Fosse who was married to Margaret (nee Tannekin Van Alselot) and born about 1544. They were silversmiths living in Dukes Place near the Cree church in Bishopsgate. Various Anthonies (Anthoni de Fosse in 1594) were also recorded as being part of the Dutch church congregation during the 16th century. Peter Duffoij(s) of Bruges married Tannekin Backer of Brussels on 5 May 1590 in the Dutch church. Immigrants from the Low Countries came into England to escape from the Spanish invaders catholic regime. The repressions in the Low Countries were severe but not on such a scale as in France where major pitched battles were fought between rival armies of Huguenots and Catholics. Members of the French family who as refugees had found refuge in Bruges usually worshipped at the Austin Friars Dutch Walloon church rather than at Threadneedle Street which was dominated by the French silkweavers. The Bernards, Anthonies and Peters in the Dutch church were either 'money men' or politicians and certainly not silk weavers. The other French Huguenot Churches were La Patente, Spitalfields; Thorney; Bristol; Plymouth; Stonehouse; Thorpe-lesoken; Savoy; Le Carre'; Berwick St; Spring Gardens; Les Grecs; Chapel Royal; St. James; Swallow St; the Tabernacle; Glasshouse St; Leicester Fields; Rider Court; Hungerford Market; Le Petit Charenton; West Street; Pearl Street Crispin St; Swallow St; St. Martin Orgars; St. Jean Spitalfields; Artillery Church, Wheeler St; Swanfields, Hoxton; La Patente de Soho; and Rerpertoire Generale. There were Huguenot churches in Ireland: St. Patrick & St. Mary, Dublin; various French Nonconformist churches in Dublin and Portarlington. Some 40 churches spread over England and Ireland served the spiritual needs of the 100,000 Huguenots who had fled from France. Baptisms and marriages are faithfully recorded and well indexed. These volumes should be considered a prime source for families with Huguenot ancestors. The main sources for this chapter are the Huguenot Society volumes of Parish Registers of Threadneedle Street church and well researched books containing the registers of the Walloon church at Austin Friars. The First French Protestant Church of London This congregation was founded on July 24, 1550, when English King Edward VI granted a charter to Protestant refugees led by Polish cleric, Jean a Lasco. The charter granted the freedom of individualized worship at the Temple of Jesus -- Austin Friars in the City of London. By the charter the name of any new pastor was to be submitted to the English sovereign for his approval. The first Protestant House Church in Paris appeared in 1555, a few years prior to the premier synode national des Eglises réformées de France (1559) Some of the refugees were Dutch while others were French. Soon, the congregation spit, the French Huguenots establishing a congregation at Threadneedle Street (St. Anthony's Hospital), where they remained until 1841. Links were established with other Huguenot congregations in England, notably those in Canterbury, Norwich and Southampton. The Threadneedle Street church, destroyed in the Great Fire of London (1666), was rebuilt quickly. Édit de Fontainebleau, the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes by Louis XIV, roi-soleil de France, (1685 -- date sombre dans l'histoire des malheurs de la liberté en France: car la révocation de l'édit de Nantes, le catholicisme a «gagné» : victoire à la Pyrrhus qui fut la cause de l'anticléricalisme des Lumières françaises), also caused many other French churches to be founded in London; but, not one survives today. In 1841, the congregation moved from Threadneedle Street to St. Martine-Le-Grand, where it remained until 1887. That site was chosen because many French residents and industries were to be found in Soho at the close of the 19th century. Huguenots were French Protestants, followers of John CALVIN who established the Reformed Church c. 1550. Significant dates in Huguenot history are: 29 Jan 1536: General Edict urging extermination of Heretics [Huguenots]. 01 Mar 1562: About 1,200 Huguenots killed at Vassey, France, igniting the Wars of Religion. 24 Aug 1575: St Bartholomew Massacre. 13 Apr 1598: Edict of Nantes signed, ending the Wars of Religion, and permitting Huguenots to practice their religion in a limited number of French towns. 22 Oct 1685: Edict of Nantes revoked; escalation of persecution. 28 Nov 1787: Partial restoration of civil and religious rights to Huguenots in France by The Promulgation of the Edict of Toleration.