The members of Huguenot Society of South Carolina claim descent from almost 700 French Protestant (Huguenot) refugees. These men and women left France, or in some instances, another country, prior to the Edict of Toleration in 1787. Descendants of the ministers who served the Huguenot congregations in South Carolina prior to 1787 are also eligible for membership in the Society. Membership in the Huguenot Society of South Carolina is open to all descendants of these Huguenot ancestors, without regard to the country to which the ancestor fled or to current race, religion or residence.
Benefits
Membership in the Society includes a copy of Transactions of the Huguenot Society of South Carolina (not sent to Junior members) and The Huguenot Herald, the newsletter of the Society, as well as research privileges at the library of the Society and a 10% discount on requests for research done by the Society. Only one copy of Transactions and the Herald will be sent to an address, unless members request separate copies. In addition, members are invited to use the library at the Society for no fee and receive a 10% discount when requesting research by the staff of the Society.
The Annual Meeting of the Society is held close to April 13, the date of the Promulgation of the Edict of Nantes in 1598, and is open to all members. The business meeting is followed by a talk and a collation. A service in French is held at 10:30 am by the French Protestant Church of Charleston on the Sunday following the Annual Meeting.The Fall Service is held in the French Protestant Church of Charleston in memory of the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes on 22 Oct 1685. It is followed by a collation in the Parish House on Queen Street.
Annual Dues
Junior Members (birth through 17) $10
Young Adult Members (18 through 29) $50
Regular Members (30 through 80) $60
Senior Members (81 through 89) $50
Members aged 90 and above do not pay dues.Former members whose membership has lapsed can contact the Society to apply for re-instatement of their membership privileges.
HSSC Application Information
Overview on how to apply for membership to the Huguenot Society and how to establish lineage.
Lineage Sheet
New applicants for membership are encouraged to complete and submit a copy of the Lineage Sheet to the Society. A staff member will determine what documentation is already on file and what documentation is still needed. If there is an electronic copy of the lineage in the files of the Society, that can also be sent to the applicant. The cost is $50.
Huguenot Society of South Carolina Membership Application
Applicants for membership in the Society may want to begin the application process by completing the lineage sheet and sending it with the $50 lineage fee to the Society. The staff of the Society will then notify the applicant what documentation still needs to be provided for that particular lineage and will send an electronic copy of the application form with the information from the Society’s files on it to the applicant.
Huguenot Ancestors updated 2014
The Huguenot Society of South Carolina accepts as members descendants of any French Protestant (Huguenot) who left France (or in some cases another country) prior to 1787. Applications are accepted from interested descendants without regard to their place of birth. This list gives the names of people claimed as Huguenot ancestors by members of this Society since it began in 1885. This list does not represent all Huguenot ancestors and some names on the list are now known not to have been Huguenot.