John Calvin

John Calvin (1509-1564) was born on 10 July in Noyon, Picardy, in north-eastern France. His parents, Gerard and Jeanne Cauvin, were described by a biographer as ‘widely respected and in comfortable circumstances’. Calvin’s father intended John to become a priest. In 1523, young Calvin went to Paris to study for a Bachelor of Arts degree which would eventually lead to the priesthood. But, in 1528, John’s life underwent a sudden change when his father instead sent him to Orleans to study law.