Jean-Baptiste de Saussure

Jean-Baptiste de Saussure was born c. 1575. He was the son of Jean de Saussure and wife Catherine de Veillet. He was baptized in January, 1576 at Chesaux, Vaud, Switzerland. He married Suzanne Diodati in 1597.

Suzanne was from a distinguished Italian Calvinist family who had sought refuge in Geneva. Her parents were Pompee Diodati and Laura Calandrini. Her cousin Jean Diodati was a famous Bible translator, a dangerous occupation in those days of religious intolerance.

In 1598, King Henri IV signed the Edict of Nantes, restoring some basic rights to French Protestants and guaranteeing a degree of religious tolerance. He himself was a Protestant and had to renounce his faith in order to take the throne. The Edict ended the religious wars in France for a few years. Those French Protestants living outside France had a difficult decision to make - stay in a foreign country that accepted their faith or return to France under the Edict.

Jean-Baptiste de Saussure, because of his marriage into the Diodati family, had already moved philosophically further from France. He was now accepted as Genevese bourgeoisie. He and his family stayed in Switzerland.

Links to additional material:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_IV