TIME LINE FOR THE HUGUENOTS
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31 October 1517 Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on the door of the All Saint’s church in Wittenberg, Germany
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Autumn 1533 John Calvin experienced a religious conversion which he portrays as a sudden change of mind, brought about by God
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1533 John Calvin flees Paris after he supported the rector of the College Royal with his speech
1534 After the Affaire des Placards (protest against the Roman Catholic Mass) Calvin flees to Genève
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29 January 1536 Followers of this new Protestantism were soon accused of heresy against the Catholic government and the established religion of France, and a General Edict urging extermination of the Huguenots was issued
1536 John Calvin published his Institutio Christianae Religionis (The Institutes of the Christian Religion)
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1545 The Massacre of Merindol took place when Francis I of France ordered the Waldensians of the city of Mérindol to be punished for dissident religious activities.
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1555 The first Huguenot congregation is established in a Parisian house and the teaching of Johan Calvin were followed
25 May 1559 The first synod meeting of the French Reformed Church were held in Paris
28 January1561 Edict of Orléans is proclaimed to stop the prosecution of the Huguenots
17 January 1562 The Edict of Saint-Germain is promulgated and ensured limited tolerance of the Huguenots
1 March 1562 Many Huguenots were attacked and murdered at Vassy (Wassy-sur-Blaise in Champagne) and this is the start of the Wars of Religion (see also here)
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19 March 1563 Peace of Ambois ends the First War of Religion
September 1567 Start of the Second War of Religion
March 1568 The Second War of Religion ends with the Peace of Longjumeau
Summer 1568 Start of the Third War of Religion
8 August 1570 Signing of the Peace of St Germain-en-Laye where De Coligny negotiated the right that two cities per province have the freedom to practice their religion and granting the Huguenots control of four fortified cities.
23/4 August 1572 St Bartholomew's Day Massacre when thousands of Huguenots were murdered
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6 July 1573 Fourth War of Religion ends with Peace of La Rochelle and the Edict of Boulogne
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23 February 1574 Start of the Fifth War of Religion
May 1576 The Fifth War of Religion ends with the signing of the Edict of Beaulieu and the Peace of Monsieur
December 1576 Start of the Sixth War of Religion
September 1577 The Sixth War of Religion ends with the Treaty of Bergerac and the Edict of Poitiers
November 1579 Start of the Seventh War of Religion
November 1580 The Seventh War of Religion ends with the Treaty of Fleix
31 December 1584 Signing of the Treaty of Joinville
1585 The start of the Eighth War of Religion (The War of the Three Henry’s)
April 1598 The Eight War of Religion ends with the Treaty of Vervins
13 April 1598 Signing of the Edict of Nantes where freedom of religion was given to the Huguenots and they also received equal rights to the Catholics
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1621-1622 The Ninth War of Religion
1625-1629 The Tenth war of Religion
1629 The Merciful Edict of Nimes gave the Huguenots a certain right of existence but their political power was permanently removed.
6 April 1652 Maria de la Quellerie arrived at the Cape of Good Hope as the first Huguenot. See here a list of Huguenots who came to South Africa, further notes on them, as well as passenger's lists
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October 1671 Francois Villion arrived at the Cape as the first Huguenot refugee
1685 Jean le Long arrived at the Cape
22 October 1685 Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes and declared Protestantism illegal with the promulgation of the Edict of Fontainebleau
June/July 1686 Francois and Guillaume du Toit arrived in the Cape on board of the De Vrijheid
31 December 1687 The Voorschoten departs from Delftshaven, Zeeland
6 January 1688 The Borssenburg departs from Texel
3 February 1688 The Oosterlandt departs from Goree
19 February 1688 The Schelde departs to Table Bay
20 March 1688 The Berg China departs from Rotterdam
13 April 1688 The Voorschoten arrives in Saldanha Bay, the first ship with Huguenots on board as part of the official colonialisation of the Cape by French
22 April 1688 The Zuid-Beveland departs for Table Bay
25 April 1688 The Oosterlandt arrives in Table Bay
26 April 1688 The Voorschoten’s passengers arrived on board of the Jupiter in Table Bay
12 May 1688 The Borssenburg arrives in Table Bay
5 June 1688 The Schelde arrives in Table Bay
27 July 1688 The Wapen van Alkmaar departs from Texel
4 August 1688 The Berg China arrives in Table Bay
19 August 1688 The Zuid-Beveland arrives in Table Bay
9 January 1689 The Zion departs for Table Bay
27 January 1689 The Wapen van Alkmaar arrives in Table Bay
6 May 1689 The Zion arrives in Table Bay
25 May 1689 The Drie Bergen departs for Table Bay
April 1696 The Vosmaer departs from Holland
October 1696 The Vosmaer arrives in Table Bay
16 June 1699 The Westhoven arrives in Table Bay
20 July 1699 The Donkervliet arrives in Table Bay
2 May 1700 The Reigersdaal departs from Goree
22 August 1700 The Reigersdaal arrived in Table Bay
1710 Pierre Labuschagne comes to South Africa on board of the Verburg
1717 Anna Maria Bacat comes to South Africa
1718 Jacques Naude comes to South Africa on board of the Abbekerk
1723 Jean Blignaut comes to South Africa on board of the Huis ten Assenburg
1726 Francois Guilliaume comes to South Africa on board of the Berbice
28 November 1787 The Edict of Tolerance/ Edict of Versailles is declared which partly restored the rights of the Huguenots
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14 July 1789 Storming of the Bastille – this is part of the French Revolution and is not related to the French Huguenots fleeing of France
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1874 The Hugenote Seminarie (later Hugenote Kollege) is started in Wellington
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1 February 1882 The Gedenkschool der Hugenoten is opened in Dal Josafat
1940 The Hoërskool Hugenote in Springs is opened
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17 April 1948 Inauguration of the Huguenot Monument in Franschhoek. The decision to build the monument in Franschhoek was a compromise between Paarl, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. Paarl and Stellenbosch each got their own memorial: the Taalmuseum in Paarl and the frieze above the entrance of the Stellenbosch City Hall to commemorate the arrival of the Huguenots
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12 March 1953 The Huguenot Society of South Africa is founded
1954 The Hugenote Hoërskool and the Hugenote Laerskool in Wellington is founded
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11 March 1967 The Huguenot Memorial Museum in Franschhoek is inaugurated by State President CR Swart
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1987 The Huguenot Memorial is erected in the Johannesburg Botanical Gardens in the suburb Emmarentia
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18 March 1988 The Huguenot Tunnel in the Du Toitskloof Mountains is opened
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