Imprisoned during the Catholic League, 1588-1594
In the late1580, Amiens joined a confederation of French cities, known as the Ligue whose organizing principle was a stanch defense of Catholicism and a determination to prevent the Protestant leader Henry of Navarre from succeeding to the throne of France. Protestants who had not taken the path of exile after 1585 but had remained in Amiens found themselves subject to various forms of repression including forced contributions, imprisonment and expulsion from the city. A number of the signatories in this exhibit underwent these privations: Laurens Lescuyer, Jacques Salle to name a few….
Political enemies of the Ligue or political suspects also were surveiled and repressed. Their experiences are mostly recorded in the series BB of the communal archives of Amiens. I have written previously about two of the Protestant victims, Pierre Barbier and Loys Harembourg. Barbier a refurbisher of used fabrics (viesier) had a long experience of suspicion and accusation from Catholic neighbors.
In this document, Barbier had got into a heated argument with a certain who called Barbier a “Huguenot” as the latter was speaking to his lawyer in the public square in 1562. Barbier reacted with insults of his own and the case wound up before the magistrates court where the parties backed off. Anger management continued to be one of Barbier’s challenges as the decades wore on. During the Ligue his spiritedness showed itself in a constant stream of petitions to the town council for release from confinement: His wills meanwhile continued to reflect his religious commitment.
A court case heard before the town council in 2 Jan 1562 -- and Pierre Barbier’s trials and tribulations under the Ligue
Loys Harembourg, though not among the signatories in the exhibit, also came to the attention of the Ligue authorities. A master weaver he had gone into exile once after 1572 to the refugee church of London. During the passage over from France to London, he and his wife and child contracted the plague but apparently survived thanks to medical attention. Returning to Amiens in 1576 he was part of the Protestant delegation headed by Jacques Talle that attempted to reestablish the church and initiate prayer meetings inside the city. In 1590, he was on a list of Ligue prisoners ordered to be expelled. He took refuge in London where he planned to marry but the consistory would not allow the marriage because he had attended mass during the Ligue. The consistory demanded he publically repent before the congregation. He felt that was excessive and that the church officials had no idea of the pressures Amiens Protestants were under to appear to conform.
The case of the weaver Loys Herembourg, who was part of the 1576 delegation. The document is also used in the Protestant delegations article.
A page from the Register of Trades showing Loys Herembourg's inscription as a master weaver, which is earlier in date than the delegations page above.
