Henry Martyn Baird

author

Henry Martyn Baird

1832–1906

Known for vivid histories of the French Reformation, this 19th-century American scholar brought a dramatic chapter of European religious history to a wide English-speaking audience. He also wrote on travel, biography, and church history, combining careful research with a clear narrative style.

2 Audiobooks

History of the Rise of the Huguenots, Vol. 1

History of the Rise of the Huguenots, Vol. 1

by Henry Martyn Baird

History of the Rise of the Huguenots, Vol. 2

History of the Rise of the Huguenots, Vol. 2

by Henry Martyn Baird

About the author

Born in Philadelphia on January 17, 1832, Henry Martyn Baird was an American historian and educator. He was the son of Presbyterian minister and writer Robert Baird, and he studied both in the United States and in Europe before building a career in scholarship and teaching.

Baird became best known for his major works on the Huguenots and the French Reformation. His books helped introduce many readers to figures such as Theodore Beza and to the wider religious and political struggles of 16th-century France. Alongside these historical studies, he also wrote travel and biographical works, showing a broad interest in religion, culture, and public life.

He died in New York City in November 1906. Today he is remembered chiefly as a patient and readable historian whose work kept the story of French Protestantism alive for later generations.