French Protestants of the 16th-17thC, who were inspired by the writings of John Calvin and severely persecuted by the Catholics. By the end of the 17thC most had fled to England, Switzerland, Northern Europe, the Americas and South Africa. Many were skilled textile manufacturers of silk, lace, weaving and tanning and took their skills with them to set up new businesses and successful legacies–for example, the renowned silk weaving of Spitalfields, East London.
