Huguenot Noël in 1745

This Winter scenario was produced with help from Dr. Tessa Murdoch, Trustee, Huguenot Museum.

The Billet family showcase their new brocade silks with intricate floral designs in a carefully arranged display, working busily in December to fulfill orders before Christmas.

What's happening

New fabrics are on show at the home of the Billets, a family of weavers. The children Anne and Samuel have carefully arranged the room to show the silks to best advantage. December is a busy time for the family as they rush to get their orders finished before Christmas. Clients are anxious to purchase the latest fashions including brocade silks with intricate floral designs.

The Billets are second generation Huguenot immigrants from France. On Christmas Day they will visit the French church to take communion where they will reflect on past Christmases and the journey their ancestors made from France to London.

Huguenots in England

Huguenots are French Protestants who fled Europe between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries due to religious prosecution. Around 50,000 Huguenot refugees came to England in the mid-seventeenth century. A large number settled in Spitalfields and brought with them many skills including weaving.