The Crucible of Family, Money, and Conversion

Abstract This article examines the evolution of the French government’s policy concerning Huguenot mobility by analyzing legal petitions, primarily passport requests, submitted by nouveaux convertis (new converts) and rémigrés (returning Huguenot refugees) from the Revocation period to the Regency of the duke of Orléans. While the French state closely scrutinized the passport applications of nouveaux convertis and rémigrés , local officials increasingly recognized the practicality of easing harsh restrictions on Huguenot mobility to curb their emigration to Protestant countries and their resistance to conversion efforts. Huguenot families also carefully crafted their petitions, strategically considering familial connections, financial concerns, and the necessity of conversion for obtaining passports. The intersection of family, money, and conversion, as manifested through these passport narratives, shows us how interactions between state actors and passport petitioners nudged the government toward a moderation of the severe Revocation policy.