The Huguenot Society of America is a hereditary patriotic society, organized in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
on April 12, 1883, and incorporated on June 12, 1885.
About
The Huguenot Society of America is a New York City–based genealogical organization. On April 12, 1883, the Society was inaugurated by a group of descendants of
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 who had fled persecution in France and who (or whose descendants) settled in what is now the United States of America. The purpose of the Society is primarily to promote the cause of religious freedom and to perpetuate the memory of the
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 ...
settlers. Its first president was John Jay—lawyer, diplomat, abolitionist, and grandson of the first Chief Justice of the United States.
Today, the Huguenot Society of America has members in forty-three of the fifty States, the District of Columbia, Great Britain, Italy, and the Netherlands. The Society maintains an extensive library of books relating to Huguenot history; preserves pictures, sculptures, and artifacts relating to the Huguenots; presents lectures on topics of Huguenot interest; supports important research in Huguenot history; and gives annual scholarships to American Huguenot descendants attending selected colleges and universities.
[Reeser, Philip A. (ed.). The Huguenot Society of America: History, Organization, Activities, Membership, Constitution, Huguenot Ancestors, and other Matters of Interest. New York: The Huguenot Society of America, 2005]
The Huguenot Society of America is sometimes confused with the similarly named but unaffiliate
National Huguenot Society which was founded in 1956.
Notable members
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John Jay (lawyer)
John Jay (June 23, 1817 – May 5, 1894) was an American lawyer and diplomat to Austria-Hungary, serving from 1869 to 1875. He was the son of William Jay and a grandson of John Jay, a former Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Jay w ...
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Martha J. Lamb
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Henry Gurdon Marquand
Henry Gurdon Marquand (April 11, 1819 – February 26, 1902) was an American financier, philanthropist and art collector known for his extensive collection.
Early life
Marquand was born in New York City on April 11, 1819, not long after the dea ...
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Frederic James de Peyster
Frederic James de Peyster (February 5, 1839 – May 10, 1905) was a prominent American soldier, lawyer, and member of New York Society during the Gilded Age.
Early life
Frederic James de Peyster was born on February 5, 1839, in New York City. ...
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Jacqueline Noel
Jacqueline Noel (June 28, 1886 – 1964) was librarian for the city of Tacoma, Washington. She was a leader in promoting the colonial history of the United States and helped to expand Washington State's public library system. Noel is also credite ...
References
External links
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Organizations based in New York City
Huguenot history in the United States
1883 establishments in the United States
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