Jean Belmain facts for kids

Jean Belmain, also known as John Belmain or John Belleman, was a French scholar who lived a long time ago (he died after 1557). He was a Huguenot, which means he was a French Protestant who followed the teachings of John Calvin.

Belmain was a teacher of French to two very important future rulers of England: King Edward VI and Queen Elizabeth I. He taught them when they were young, at the court of their father, King Henry VIII.

Because he was a Protestant, Jean Belmain had to leave France. At that time, Protestants were often treated badly there. He was a very serious and dedicated person. He was well-paid for his teaching and probably helped shape King Edward's strong Protestant beliefs.

Teaching and Translations

Jean Belmain started teaching in 1546. Besides teaching, he was also a talented translator.

Important Books He Translated

Belmain translated a special book called Lamentacions of a Sinner into French. This book was written by Catherine Parr, who was King Henry VIII's last wife. Belmain added some extra excited phrases to his translation.

The British Museum in London has some of Belmain's handwritten translations. One of them is a French version of King Edward VI's second Prayer-book. This book has a special message from Belmain to his former student, King Edward. It was written on April 18, 1553, from a royal palace called Sheen.

Another important translation by Belmain in the same collection is a letter from a famous ancient writer named Basil the Great. This letter was about living a quiet, thoughtful life. Belmain dedicated this translation to Princess Elizabeth (who later became Queen Elizabeth I). He proudly stated that he translated it directly from the original Greek language. In his introduction to this letter, Belmain also wrote about how French spelling was changing and shared his ideas on how it should be done better.

Jean Belmain's Family Symbol

Jean Belmain was given a special symbol, like a family crest, for his achievements. This was granted to him on November 20, 1552, by a person named Sir Gilbert Dethick.

His family symbol, called a coat of arms, looked like this:

• Shield: A blue shield with a silver V-shape (called a chevron) that had wavy edges, like ermine fur. On the shield, there were three gold coins (called bezants). On each gold coin, there was a red half-lion standing up.
• Crest: Above the shield, there was a gold griffin's head (a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle) placed between two blue wings that also had gold coins on them.