Place Name
Commemorates the French theologian, John Calvin (July 10, 1509 – May 27, 1564), who led the Protestant Reformation in France. His revolutionary views gained considerable support but angered the Roman Catholic church, which led to widespread violence in his home country. He is remembered here because the French King Henry II and subsequent monarchs severely persecuted Protestants during the 16th and 17thCenturies resulting in many seeking refugee in the UK. Many of these Huguenots set up home around Spitalfields where they transformed the British silk industry.
