- First name
- Antonio Fernandes
- Last name
- Carvajal
- Date of Birth
- 1590
- Date of Death
- 1659
- Born in
- Fundão
- Died in
- London
Antonio Fernandes Carvajal settled as a importer of wines in London (c.1635), where he became an influential merchant and shipping magnate. He was the principal grain contractor for Cromwell's armies in the war on Spain (1654). He became an English citizen, converted openly to Judaism, and led the Portuguese Jewry in England to worship privately. He founded the first post-expulsion synagogue in London (Creechurch Lane) in late 1656 (cf. Samuel, 2001, pp. 240–1). On July 20, 1651, in a document drawn up by Benedict Baddel, Michael de Espinosa appointed Carvajal as his legal representative in London. He had to recover for Michael two consignments (eight quarteaux, i.e., 456 litres) of olive oil loaded in Lisbon on the carrier Pieter en Jan (‘Peter and John’) and other large quantities of olive oil loaded in Aveiro on De Fortuin (‘The Fortune’) that were also seized on their return voyage to the Dutch Republic (cf. Israel, 2002, p. 166; id., 2002, pp. 133–4). Both vessels were captured as prizes of war by English vessels (Spinoza, mercator & autodidactus, p. 54, o–p). If and when Carvajal started legal procedures in London on Michael’s behalf is unknown. See: Wolf, 1894–5; ODNB.
Annotations
Alias: Abraham Isreal.