Jacques Reclus

Jacques Reclus (27 July 1796 – 8 April 1882) was a French Protestant minister.

Life

Following studies in Bordeaux, he worked as a librarian at Château de Bonzac, home of Elie Decazes (1780-1860), minister of Louis XVIII. From 1819 he studied theology in Montauban, becoming ordained as pastor at Nimes in December 1821. Afterwards he served as a minister in La Roche-Chalais (1822), then Montcaret (1824).

In June 1831 he resigned as pastor and instructor at the Protestant college in Sainte-Foy-la-Grande in order to head an independent evangelical community in Castétarbe. In 1850 he founded a home for the aged in Orthez.

Family

Reclus was the father of fourteen children who survived beyond infancy, including five sons who gained distinction during their careers:

• Élie Reclus (1827-1904), journalist and political activist
• Élisée Reclus (1830-1905), geographer and political activist
• Onésime Reclus (1837-1916), geographer
• Armand Reclus (1843-1927), geographer and explorer
• Paul Reclus (1847-1914), surgeon

Publications

• Scènes d’une pauvre vie; Pau 1858.

References

• Les Protestants by André Encrevé (biography in French)
• Parts of this article are based on an equivalent article at the French Wikipedia, namely: Bulletin du Centre d’Étude du Protestantisme Béarnais, numéro 40 ; décembre 2006.