Benjamin Ribot, Seigneur du Caila et Du Plan (13 March 1688 – July 1763) was a leader of the French

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...

s. He was born into a Protestant family at the Château de la Favède, northwest of

Alès Alès (; oc, Alès) is a commune in the Gard department in the Occitanie region in southern France. It is one of the sub-prefectures of the department. It was formerly known as ''Alais''. Geography Alès lies north-northwest of Nîmes, o ...

. Receiving a military education, he became an officer under the name of Du Caila, but abandoned this profession in 1710 in order to promote the Protestant faith. In 1715, the same year that

Louis XIV Louis XIV (Louis Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was List of French monarchs, King of France from 14 May 1643 until his death in 1715. His reign of 72 years and 110 days is the Li ...

died, he met

Antoine Court Antoine Court (27 March 1696 – 13 June 1760) was a French reformer called the "Restorer of Protestantism in France." He was born in Villeneuve-de-Berg, in Languedoc, on 27 March 1696 (although at least one writer lists a different date). ...

; they became friends and worked together, occasionally clashing on the subject of the ''inspirés'', whom Du Plan admired. At the Synod of Nîmes in 1725 he was named Deputy General of the Reformed Churches of France. He spent four years at

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Situa ...

and one in

Lausanne , neighboring_municipalities= Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Chavannes-près-Renens, Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Crissier, Cugy, Écublens, Épalinges, Évian-les-Bains (FR-74), Froideville, Jouxtens-Mézery, Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lugrin (FR ...

, where he helped Court found a seminary in 1729. He then travelled through Protestant Europe, pleading the Huguenots' cause and arranging financial support for the exiles. His efforts were often ineffective, and he was wounded by criticisms he received on this account. In 1738 he settled in England, where he continued to help French refugees. His integrity was called into question, and he was attacked for his support of the ''inspirés''. He fell into destitution in 1744, only re-establishing himself in 1749, and achieving a certain amount of rehabilitation in 1751.He married Mrs Elizabeth Denman ( née de Voutron)in 1751 and had two children, Andre 1755 (died 1781)and Mary Francoise 1753 who married John Lloyd in 1793. Benjamin died at

Kentish Town Kentish Town is an area of northwest London, England in the London Borough of Camden, immediately north of Camden Town. Less than four miles north of central London, Kentish Town has good transport connections and is situated close to the open ...

, London in July 1763.

Bibliography

* Daniel Bonnefon. ''Benjamin Du Plan, gentilhomme d'Alais. Député-Général des Eglises Réformées de France, 1688-1763.'' France: Sandoz et Fischbacher, 1876. * E. Clot. ''Benjamin du Plan et la fondation du séminaire de Lausanne.'' 1909 * C. Lasserre. ''Le séminaire de Lausanne (1726-1812).'' 1997, 183-224 * H. Bost, C. Lauriol, ed. ''Entre Désert et Europe, le pasteur Antoine Court (1695-1760).'' 1998 {{DEFAULTSORT:Du Plan, Benjamin Huguenots 1688 births 1763 deaths