Replies

Interestingly enough, the French Reveolution returned to the nation's vomit in the Vondee. Carrier proceeded to kill peasants like there was no tomorrow ~ even built this drowning machine.

If there were any Protestants (Huguenots) left in the Beauge, this got rid of them ~ and in numbers far exceeding all of the intentional hits on Catholics! Even today, this part of France has proportionally fewer Evangelicals than the other parts, and the disparity is usually attributed to both the rage of Louis XIV and the stupidity of the Revolutionaries.

When you are doing a genealogical search and you find the targeted surname shows up everywhere but France circa 1650 to 1800, look in the older French records ~ they probably lived there before they fled for their lives into all neighboring or accessible countries.

"The "Religious Wars" of the 16th and 17th Centuries (I include the Thirty Years War) involved millions and millions of deaths, mostly of the innocent."

No argument there. But there was also political impetus to the battles credited to religious differences. Theology wasn't all, maybe not even most, of what set the Swedes into Germany. Richeleu was Catholic (but French first?).

"~ even built this drowning machine. This got rid of them; ~ stupidity of the Revolutionaries."

Yes, the revolution tends to eat its own, in addition to many others.

"When you are doing a genealogical search . . ."

Yes, you have to learn about history, too. My French ancestors were Catholic rather than Huguenot; I found them, but boy did Napoleon's date system cause me grief. (I am trying fill in the dots for some who were prob. Anabaptists from Switzerland.)

I read of the Prussian Huguenots in an autobio. of Fred. the Great, and in Guenter Grass' Too Far Afield.