HUGUENOTS-WALLOONS-EUROPE-L Archives

Archiver > HUGUENOTS-WALLOONS-EUROPE > 2006-11 > 1163607643


From: "Marc Demarest" <>
Subject: Re: [HWE] Occupations
Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2006 08:20:43 -0800
In-Reply-To: <002e01c708a0$011680b0$2b62d556@toshiba01>


<SNIP>
Tony sez:

"I always think that the occupation thing is something of a red herring.
Like 'Huguenot names' 'Huguenot occupations' are somewhat spurious - whilst
many were weavers, the majority were not."
</SNIP>

IMHO, and looking at the sociohistorical data (of which there is a fair bit
in academic publications), Tony is right.

One of the reasons why Huguenot emigrants are associated in popular
histories and studies with certain trades -- weaving, silversmithing -- is
that (a) Huguenots of these backgrounds were studied by historians at
various points because (b) organized attempts were made to woo Huguenots
with those skills to various locales at particular times -- weaving in
particular, given the "trade secret" knowledge around (a) fabric types and
(b) methods of production. Courting a group of Huguenot emigrants from the
right part of the low countries and/or Northern France was an excellent way
to build particular kinds of industries in one's country/region/county, and
(as I've pointed out before) several locales in what is now Germany, and in
England, did such things.

As far as the general data sets will let us speculate, there was no
particular affinity between any trade and Huguenots. Huguenots were far more
likely than Catholics to be involved in trades associated with urban
concentration and capital formation, but (a) that correlation could indicate
"lawyer" or "mechanic" (i.e., engineer) as much as "silversmith" or "weaver"
and (b) that reflects the fundamental link between money and literacy (on
the one hand) and Huguenot predisposition on the other. Scripture in the
vernacular and a (pseudo) democratic form of local church organization are
only of interest to people who can read, who understand power and who want
to exercise both.


This thread: