Little is known about a Huguenot presence in Tiverton – but there is evidence of people with Flemish descent in the town at this time.
In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Protestant Huguenots in France, Belgium and the Netherlands were persecuted by the ruling Catholics. Many fled, including to Britain. Quite a number were weavers, some of whom settled in Tiverton and contributed to the growth of the town’s trade. The painter Richard Cosway’s family were of Flemish descent.