Introduction

The Library holdings can be found on UCL's online catalogue, and on the union catalogue COPAC. Help with using the catalogue is available here.

The Library contains both published and unpublished works on both the history of the Huguenots in general and on Huguenot families in particular. While the focus of the collection is on the Huguenots as refugees, including their occupations and trades, there are also works on the Huguenots in France and the Reformation. The Library aims to hold the most recent scholarly works on the subject in order to complement the historical collections of rare books and pamphlets.

Rare Books

The Library’s rare book collection began as the library of the French Hospital, and grew considerably through the efforts of the Hospital Trustees and the founders of the Huguenot Society around 1885. The bulk of the collection dates from the 17^th and 18^th centuries, and were printed in France, England, and the Netherlands. Included are works recounting the sufferings of the Huguenots in France, individual tales of persecution and conversion, political tracts and pamphlets on religious debate, and histories of the religious wars. Biographies of prominent figures in Huguenot history also feature. There are interesting early editions of the Bible, psalms, hymns and prayer books, and a large collection of sermons by French Protestants. Many of the items are in their original bindings, and some have clear associations with previous Huguenot owners. All items can be found on the catalogue.

Periodicals and journals

The Library holds around 50 periodical titles, both current and historic. In addition to complete runs of the publications of the Huguenot Society of Great Britain and Ireland, the periodicals collection includes the journals of Huguenot Societies from around the world, such as America, Poland, South Africa and Australia. The Huguenot Society Quarto Series, and the Proceedings of the Society, together with a complete run of the Bulletin de la Société de l'Histoire du Protestantisme Français, are available on the open shelves in the Reading Room.

The periodicals are currently not catalogued online, but a handlist of titles is available here.  Further enquiries should be directed to the Librarian.

Obituaries and memorials

There is a small collection of obituaries and memorials which are held under classmark XJ. These are not catalogued; please enquire at the Library for details.

Genealogical research

The library holds complete sets of the publications of the Huguenot Society, which form the principle source for researching Huguenots in Britain and Ireland. We also have Family Research files and Wagner Pedigrees for some Huguenot families, and the archive contains records of Huguenots receiving charity and support. The library’s book collection includes works on Huguenot genealogy and on individual Huguenots and their families. A general guide to the Library’s resources for family historians is available here. Please search the catalogue, and see the Society’s family history page for more information.