History of the Marranos in England facts for kids

The History of Marranos in England tells the story of a special group of people called Marranos and their important contributions in England. Marranos were Jewish people from Spain and Portugal. During the Middle Ages, they were forced to become Christians, but many secretly continued to practice their Jewish faith. This article explores how they came to England and what they achieved there.

Marranos Arrive in England

Around the mid-1600s, many Marrano merchants came to London. They set up a secret Jewish community, led by a man named Antonio Fernandez Carvajal. These merchants were very good at business. They traded goods with places like the Levant (the Middle East), the East Indies (Asia), the West Indies (Caribbean), the Canary Islands, and Brazil. They also traded a lot with the Netherlands, Spain, and Portugal.

These Marrano traders were a key part of a large trade network, especially across the Spanish and Portuguese empires. Because of their connections, they could give Oliver Cromwell, who was a powerful leader in England, and his secretary, John Thurloe, important secret information. This information helped Cromwell understand the plans of Charles Stuart (who was in Holland) and the Spanish in the New World.

Outwardly, the Marranos in London pretended to be Spanish and Catholic. But they held secret prayer meetings at a place called Creechurch Lane. The government soon found out that they were secretly Jewish.

First Jewish Worship Places

Creechurch Lane became a very important place. Later, in 1701, the Bevis Marks Synagogue was built. These were the first Jewish places of worship in England since the Edict of Expulsion in 1290. That edict had forced all Jews to leave England.

Over the next 300 years, communities of Sephardic Jews (Jews from Spain and Portugal) grew in major European port cities like Amsterdam and London. These communities helped other Marranos who were escaping the Spanish Inquisition. They helped them start new trading businesses and rebuild their lives.

Puritans Call for Jews to Return

At the same time, many people in England, especially a religious group called the Puritans, started to think differently about Jewish people. The Puritans were part of the Parliamentary party. Some of them wanted Jews to be allowed back into England.

Petitions for Readmission

As early as 1649, two Baptists from Amsterdam, Johanna Cartwright and her son Ebenezer, asked the army to let Jews return. They wrote a petition called "The Petition of the Jews for the Repealing of the Act of Parliament for Their Banishment out of England." Other important thinkers like Roger Williams and Hugh Peters also suggested that Jews should be allowed back.

Many people who supported the return of Jews had religious reasons. They believed that if Jews were in every country, the Messiah (a savior figure in Judaism) would appear. This idea greatly interested Menasseh Ben Israel, a Jewish scholar. In 1650, he published a book called Hope of Israel. In this book, he argued that Jews needed to return to England for the Messiah to come.

According to a story told by Antonio de Montezinos, the Ten Tribes of Israel had been found among Native Americans in Ecuador. England was the only major country that still banned Jews. Menasseh Ben Israel believed that if England let Jews back in, the Messianic age would begin.

In Fiction

The historical novel "The Queen's Fool" by Philippa Gregory tells a fictional story about a Marrano girl. She lives in England during the time of Queen Mary I. The book is told from her point of view.

See also

• History of the Jews in England
• History of the Jews in England (1066-1200)
• Edict of Expulsion
• Resettlement of the Jews in England
• Menasseh Ben Israel (1604–1657)
• Jew Bill of 1753
• Influences on the standing of the Jews in England
• Emancipation of the Jews in England
• Early English Jewish literature
• History of the Jews in Scotland
• Spanish and Portuguese Jews