Miguel de Mendonça Valladolid - Prisoner of the Inquisition

Miguel de Mendonça lived an extraordinary life that took him from Spain to Portugal, Amsterdam, Brussels, Bayonne and colonial Brazil. Born into a New Christian family, he spent part of his childhood in Amsterdam's Portuguese Jewish community before becoming a merchant in Brazil, where he travelled widely and moved among networks of New Christians stretching from Bahia to São Paulo. Arrested by the Portuguese Inquisition in 1729, he left behind a remarkably detailed trial record that reveals a world of merchants, family connections, religious secrecy, long-distance migration and colonial life. Drawing on his Inquisition processo and other archival sources, this talk reconstructs the life of one man while offering a rare glimpse into the Sephardic diaspora and the workings of the Portuguese Inquisition. Our speaker, David Mendoza, is joint president of the Sephardic Genealogical Society. He is also descended from Miguel’s uncle. Join our free mailing list to hear about future talks on Sephardic Jewish genealogy. https://www.sephardic.world/sephardic... Please support the work of the Sephardic Genealogical Society in producing Sephardic World talks. A small monthly donation makes a huge difference.   / sephardi   The Sephardic Genealogical Society has a number of fascinating projects that need sponsorship. https://www.sephardic.world/