Family Cohesion under Stress: Inquisition and the Jews in 17th-Century Mexico

Between the years 1640-1649, the Inquisition in Mexico City held the largest and most complicated tribunal against Portuguese Conversos, culminating in the imprisonment of hundreds of suspected jews and the largest auto de fe ever held. Marriage, family, and familial associations played an important role in the arrests and charges of suspected crypto-Jews. Once in prison, marriage and family continued to play an important role as people communicated, mourned, had conflicts, and offered each other care and support over the many years of the tribunal. Some husbands and wives expressed regret at marrying into the families of suspected Jews, while at the same time sixteen new cells were built and fifteen neighboring homes were rented to accommodate the families which grew. This paper examines events of this tribunal where marriage led to the arrest of suspected crypto-Jews and how married couples struggled and supported each other while in prison.