The OGS Huguenot Collection
When the Huguenot Society of Canada closed in 2003, they donated their collection to The Ontario Genealogical Society. It contains applications from Huguenot descendants made to the Huguenot Society as well as files containing indices of names and brief family histories. The collection contains 1,050 individual files and a total of 4,489 digitized records.
- This collection is organized by surname. Each surname could include a single reference to an Issue of the Huguenot Trails newsletter, a brief history of the surname. You may also find personal histories, correspondence and pedigrees. We will be reviewing other items from the collections and adding new items as they become available.
- The collection has been OCRed but handwritten items are often not recognized. We suggest scrolling through the collection carefully.
- If you find only a title page with a reference; that refers to an particular issue of Huguenot Trails, the newsletter of the Huguenot Society of Canada. Unfortunately, we only have a few issues in our collection.
- Please refer to the index to determine how the surname is filed especially if it begins with Le, La, Du, De or D’.
Continue reading below for more general information and links to external sites or click the button to be taken to the index of names and the collection.
Who Were The Huguenots?
Huguenots are French Protestants (or Calvinists) who followed the teachings of John Calvin beginning around 1550.
They faced religious persecution in France starting the the 16th century up until the 18th century and because of this largely had to practice their religion in secret. It was also during this time that saw many flee France for other countries around the world.
Brief History of the Huguenots
1517– New Protestant Faith moves across Europe
1572 St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre- 40,000 -100,000 Huguenots were killed
1568– Edict of Nantes- signed to protect Religious Freedom in France
1685– Edict of Nantes revoked- Louis XIV wanted everyone in France to be Catholic
1789 French Revolution- Protestants free to practice their faith in France
Migration of the Huguenots
200,000 Huguenot refugees left France during he reign of Louis XIV.
They emigrated to England, Netherlands, Germany, Scandinavia and the Americas.
They tended to migrate as families as not in large groups and they were very successful assimilating into the culture of the communities that they joined so tracing families can be difficult. It is estimated that 2 million Huguenots left France. They brought artisan skills like jewelers, wood carvers, textile worker, glassmakers and more.
In Ontario the Huguenots settled in the Niagara Peninsula, Essex, Kent, York, and Waterloo Counties and along the St. Lawrence River.
Research Suggestions
The Ontario Genealogical Society has books on the subject in both the society collection at the Toronto Reference Library as well as many of our Branch collection.
Other records and information can be found below: