1622. Carta de Francisco Cardoso de Oliveira, clérigo, para o irmão, João de Oliveira, padre.

Family letter from Francisco Cardoso de Oliveira, cleric, to his brother João de Oliveira, cleric.

The author complains to his brother that he has not written to him for four months, and makes him see the importance of them remaining united in the face of the adversity lately suffered by their family.

The defendant in this process is the cleric João de Oliveira arrested by the Inquisition in October 7, 1622. His parents, Tomás Rodrigues and Violante de Oliveira, New-Christians, had been arrested and released before. This time Tomás Rodrigues was arrested again, however, under the accusation of intending to flee the country. Two of his sons were not arrested, since they were abroad at the time, but all the other family members went to prison: his wife, his daughter, who was a nun, and another three sons, among which João de Oliveira. Only his daughter and one of the sons survived, all the others died in prison. Some of the letters in the process have been handed over to the Inquisition by one of the recipents, and others were found in the pockets of the defendant, when we was arrested.