The Origins of Rural Calvinism in Aunis: The Sphere of Influence of La Rochelle

Abstract

This article explores the origins of Protestantism in Aunis and suggests the reasons for its spread between 1520 and 1568. It examines the Reformed community through the vehicle of its religious and social structures. The Protestant baptismal, marriage, and church admission registers of La Rochelle and local notarial records are the primary sources. They reveal the demographic and social dynamics during the period prior to the Protestant coup d'etat of 1568 at La Rochelle: between 1559 (the date of the earliest baptismal act) and 9 January 1568. An estimate of the Protestant population of La Rochelle indicates that Protestants had been a majority at La Rochelle since the 1550s. But it is impossible to have an equally firm notion for Aunis. The sources do disclose that Calvinism spread from La Rochelle to the rest of the province even though the Rochelais and non-Rochelais were two distinct populations: one urban, the other rural. The diffusion can be traced through patterns of godparentage as well as through the activities of political figures, merchants, and artisans from La Rochelle. As members of the elite, they wanted proper education for their children who, in the process, came into contact with the Reformation. These people were members of the corps de ville and even lords of local seigneuries in the hinterland beyond La Rochelle. As such, they served as agents for the spread of Calvinism to the outlying region. Altogether, the Reformed churches of Aunis were situated near the city of La Rochelle, along the coast, and in the western part of the province where the population was concentrated.