J. H. (Jean Henri) Merle d'Aubigné

Born in Geneva in 1794, Jean-Henri Merle d'Aubigné came from a family with Huguenot roots and was originally steered toward business before turning to theology. He studied in Geneva, was ordained in 1817, and became closely associated with the Evangelical revival that shaped much of his ministry and writing.

He is best remembered for his multi-volume history of the sixteenth-century Reformation, a work that made him widely known far beyond Switzerland. Rather than writing only for specialists, he told the story of the Reformation in a lively, accessible way, helping many general readers see its religious and historical importance.

Alongside his work as a pastor and church leader, he supported Evangelical and Free Church convictions in Geneva. He died there in 1872, leaving behind a reputation as one of the nineteenth century's best-known Protestant historians.