Culte catholique
Item
Country
FR
Name of institution (English)
Bordeaux Municipal Archives
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
fra
Contact information: postal address
Parvis des Archives, 33100, Bordeaux
Contact information: phone number
0033 (0)556102055
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
archives@bordeaux-metropole.fr
Reference number
Bordeaux GG 1 to 841
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Catholic religion
Title (official language of the state)
Culte catholique
Language of title
fra
Creator / accumulator
Nation portugaise de Bordeaux
Date(s)
1541/1793
Language(s)
fra
Extent
841 storage units
Type of material
Textual Material
Scope and content
The Culte catholique collection comprises vital records from Catholic parishes in Bordeaux. The fonds is divided into 19 sub-fonds, each related to a different parish. Each of them contains baptism, marriage, and burial register books organised chronologically.
Since Bordeaux was the home of an important New Christian community since the 16th century, this collection includes numerous documents related to Portuguese and Spanish conversos living in the city. Some examples are the following:
GG 33, Paroisse Saint-André, Registre des baptêmes (Baptism records) (1654-1658), 211, nº 1377: Baptism register of François, son of Rafael Henriques, a New Christian from Portugal, who became a well-known member of the Portuguese "nação" (nation, community) of Bordeaux.
GG 294, Paroisse Saint-Eloi, Registre des mariages et sépultures (marriage and burials records) (1675-1678), fol. 214: comprises information about the marriage of Joseph Cardose and Ester da Fonseca. Alphonse Romero, Jacques Cardose, and Philipe Dias attended the ceremony. Carvalho (1936) refers to numerous members of the Portuguese nation mentioned in records of the Parish of Saint-Eloi, such as Emanuel Costa, Balche Gomes, Pierre Gomes Louys Gaspard Fernandes, Emanuel Garcia, François Lopes, Beatriz Demezés, Melchior da Gama, Catherine Mendes, Alphonse Rodrigues Mendes, Diego Mendes, Raymond de Louberes, Emmanuel Garcia, Alphonse Gomes, David Pinte, Dominique Lopes, Iean de Roques, Violente Lopes, Louis Rodrigues Cardose, and Anne Francia.
GG, 352, Paroisse Sainte-Eulalie, Registre des mariages et sépultures (1677-1679), 715: marriage of Éléonore Dacosta and François, the eldest son of Rafael Henriques, a Sephardic Jew who lived in Amsterdam.
GG 368, Paroisse Sainte-Eulalie, Registre des mariages et sépultures (2 février 1717-13 avril 1722) et des sépultures des Juifs portugais (26 septembre 1716-18 mars 1722) (register of marriages and burials of Portuguese Jews): Carvalho (1936) found in this book numerous burial records regarding Portuguese Jews living in the parish of St. Eulalie. For instance, a permission to bury a child named Abraham Cardoso, son of Isaac Cardoso, who had died on October 1, 1716, at about three years of age; or a permission to burry Sara Ester, the wife of Jacob Peixoto, who had died on March 24, 1717. In the same parish, Cardoso also identified numerous marriage records of Portuguese New Christians, such as Joseph Depas and Isabel de Castro (February 26, 1664), or Antoine Rodrigues Gradis and Agnes Mendes Moreno (April 8, 1695). He also refers to other New Christians registered in the parish of St Eulalie records, such as David Lameyra, Louys Lopes, Abraham Rodrigues, Abraham Mendes and Jacob Mendes, Mouse Medina, Samuel Levy, Isac Gradis, Rachel Lameyra, Jacob Lameyra, Biayle da Costa, Marques Basilio, Jacob Escoudero, Rachel Blanca, Pedro Sierra, Isac Ibar, David Cardoso, and Ester Campos.
Since Bordeaux was the home of an important New Christian community since the 16th century, this collection includes numerous documents related to Portuguese and Spanish conversos living in the city. Some examples are the following:
GG 33, Paroisse Saint-André, Registre des baptêmes (Baptism records) (1654-1658), 211, nº 1377: Baptism register of François, son of Rafael Henriques, a New Christian from Portugal, who became a well-known member of the Portuguese "nação" (nation, community) of Bordeaux.
GG 294, Paroisse Saint-Eloi, Registre des mariages et sépultures (marriage and burials records) (1675-1678), fol. 214: comprises information about the marriage of Joseph Cardose and Ester da Fonseca. Alphonse Romero, Jacques Cardose, and Philipe Dias attended the ceremony. Carvalho (1936) refers to numerous members of the Portuguese nation mentioned in records of the Parish of Saint-Eloi, such as Emanuel Costa, Balche Gomes, Pierre Gomes Louys Gaspard Fernandes, Emanuel Garcia, François Lopes, Beatriz Demezés, Melchior da Gama, Catherine Mendes, Alphonse Rodrigues Mendes, Diego Mendes, Raymond de Louberes, Emmanuel Garcia, Alphonse Gomes, David Pinte, Dominique Lopes, Iean de Roques, Violente Lopes, Louis Rodrigues Cardose, and Anne Francia.
GG, 352, Paroisse Sainte-Eulalie, Registre des mariages et sépultures (1677-1679), 715: marriage of Éléonore Dacosta and François, the eldest son of Rafael Henriques, a Sephardic Jew who lived in Amsterdam.
GG 368, Paroisse Sainte-Eulalie, Registre des mariages et sépultures (2 février 1717-13 avril 1722) et des sépultures des Juifs portugais (26 septembre 1716-18 mars 1722) (register of marriages and burials of Portuguese Jews): Carvalho (1936) found in this book numerous burial records regarding Portuguese Jews living in the parish of St. Eulalie. For instance, a permission to bury a child named Abraham Cardoso, son of Isaac Cardoso, who had died on October 1, 1716, at about three years of age; or a permission to burry Sara Ester, the wife of Jacob Peixoto, who had died on March 24, 1717. In the same parish, Cardoso also identified numerous marriage records of Portuguese New Christians, such as Joseph Depas and Isabel de Castro (February 26, 1664), or Antoine Rodrigues Gradis and Agnes Mendes Moreno (April 8, 1695). He also refers to other New Christians registered in the parish of St Eulalie records, such as David Lameyra, Louys Lopes, Abraham Rodrigues, Abraham Mendes and Jacob Mendes, Mouse Medina, Samuel Levy, Isac Gradis, Rachel Lameyra, Jacob Lameyra, Biayle da Costa, Marques Basilio, Jacob Escoudero, Rachel Blanca, Pedro Sierra, Isac Ibar, David Cardoso, and Ester Campos.
Archival history
The Archives Bordeaux Métropole preserves the documentation of Catholic and Protestant parishes and the Jewish congregation of the city of Bordeaux from 1541 to 1793. Before being transferred to the municipal archives, these records were kept by the parishes' or congregations' religious leaders.
Administrative / Biographical history
The origins of the Portuguese "nação" (nation, community) of Bordeaux date back to shortly after the expulsion of the Jews from the Iberian kingdoms in the late 15th century. Bordeaux was then an important commercial centre, and most of the Iberian New Christians (Jews converted to Christianity and their descendants) who settled in the city, mainly in the parishes of St. Eulalie and St. Eloy, were merchants. The growing importance of this community justified the decision of King Henry II (1519-59) to issue letters patent authorising them to take residence in any French town.
Judaism was not allowed in France, but the control was not strict enough to completely avoid the secret practice of Jewish rituals by New Christians who lived outwardly as Catholics. After 1710, the conditions changed, and New Christians began to profess Judaism more openly. A sign of this is the annotation found in some parish records that certain marriages of New Christians were performed in accordance with the rites of the Portuguese nation. However, the public profession of the Jewish religion was still forbidden.
On December 14, 1769, King Louis XV (1710-74) approved the status of the "Nation portugaise" of Bordeaux. In April 1789, on the eve of the French Revolution, the community appointed two representatives, Salomon Lopes Dubec (1743-?) and Abraham Furtado (1756-1817), to attend the Malesherbes committee, which evaluated possible reforms to be applied to the status of the Jews in France. Finally, on January 28, 1790, the Estates-General issued a decree granting citizenship to the Portuguese, Spanish, and Avignonese Jews. German Jews only received the same rights in September 1791.
A census of 1806 records 2,131 Jews living in Bordeaux, of whom 1,651 were of Spanish or Portuguese origin; 144 Avignonese; and 336 of German, Polish, or Dutch origin. On May 14, 1812, a large synagogue opened in Rue Causserouge, which was partly destroyed by fire in 1873. In the mid-19th century, Jewish institutions in Bordeaux included a school for boys and girls, a trade school, and a Talmud Torah. In the second half of the 19th century, many Jews sat on the general council of the department on the municipal council, and in the chamber of commerce. Adrien Léon was elected to the National Assembly in 1875.
Judaism was not allowed in France, but the control was not strict enough to completely avoid the secret practice of Jewish rituals by New Christians who lived outwardly as Catholics. After 1710, the conditions changed, and New Christians began to profess Judaism more openly. A sign of this is the annotation found in some parish records that certain marriages of New Christians were performed in accordance with the rites of the Portuguese nation. However, the public profession of the Jewish religion was still forbidden.
On December 14, 1769, King Louis XV (1710-74) approved the status of the "Nation portugaise" of Bordeaux. In April 1789, on the eve of the French Revolution, the community appointed two representatives, Salomon Lopes Dubec (1743-?) and Abraham Furtado (1756-1817), to attend the Malesherbes committee, which evaluated possible reforms to be applied to the status of the Jews in France. Finally, on January 28, 1790, the Estates-General issued a decree granting citizenship to the Portuguese, Spanish, and Avignonese Jews. German Jews only received the same rights in September 1791.
A census of 1806 records 2,131 Jews living in Bordeaux, of whom 1,651 were of Spanish or Portuguese origin; 144 Avignonese; and 336 of German, Polish, or Dutch origin. On May 14, 1812, a large synagogue opened in Rue Causserouge, which was partly destroyed by fire in 1873. In the mid-19th century, Jewish institutions in Bordeaux included a school for boys and girls, a trade school, and a Talmud Torah. In the second half of the 19th century, many Jews sat on the general council of the department on the municipal council, and in the chamber of commerce. Adrien Léon was elected to the National Assembly in 1875.
Access points: locations
Access points: persons, families
Access points: corporate bodies
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
The fonds is organised by parish and by ritual type. Series are arranged chronologically.
Access, restrictions
Digital copies of the records are available online.
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Kevin Soares, 2023
Bibliography
Linked resources
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|---|---|---|
| Archives Bordeaux Métropole | Collections (official language of the state) |