{"id":59,"date":"2025-06-29T10:32:05","date_gmt":"2025-06-29T10:32:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/huguenotlodge.com\/?p=59"},"modified":"2025-06-29T17:52:24","modified_gmt":"2025-06-29T17:52:24","slug":"about-huguenot-lodge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/huguenotlodge.com\/?p=59","title":{"rendered":"About Huguenot Lodge"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

About Huguenot Lodge No. 2140 \u2013 \u201cLux Lucet in Tenebris\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Light Shines in the Darkness<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consecrated on 10th May 1886<\/strong>,\u202fHuguenot Lodge No. 2140<\/strong> stands proudly within the heart of London Freemasonry, meeting at the historic Mark Masons\u2019 Hall<\/strong> in Westminster. For well over a century, we have upheld the traditions of the Craft while honouring the legacy of our namesake: the French Huguenots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Who Were the Huguenots?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Huguenots<\/strong> were French Protestants of the 16th and 17th centuries who followed the teachings of John Calvin<\/strong>, advocating for religious reform, liberty of conscience, and intellectual independence. In a time when Catholic orthodoxy dominated France, the Huguenots faced severe persecution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What followed were the French Wars of Religion<\/strong>\u2014a period of bloodshed, turmoil, and faith-driven conflict. The St. Bartholomew\u2019s Day Massacre<\/strong> of 1572, in which thousands of Huguenots were slaughtered across Paris and other cities, remains one of the darkest chapters in European history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though briefly granted protection under the Edict of Nantes<\/strong> in 1598, their religious freedoms were rescinded in 1685 by Louis XIV<\/strong> through the Edict of Fontainebleau<\/strong>, launching a campaign of forced conversions known as the Dragonnades<\/strong>. Churches were burned, children taken from families, and tens of thousands imprisoned or executed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between 200,000 and 400,000<\/strong> Huguenots fled France. Many found refuge in England, bringing with them artisan skills, commercial acumen, and a profound sense of resilience. Communities flourished in Spitalfields, Soho, Wandsworth,<\/strong> and Canterbury<\/strong>, where they contributed to industries such as silk weaving, glasswork, banking, and silversmithing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Notable Huguenots in History<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n