1684. Carta de Fernando Morales Penso para o padre jesuíta José Ferreira, seu amigo.

Friendship letter from Fernando Morales Penso to the Jesuit priest, José Ferreira, his friend.

The author writes his friend asking him to intervene on his behalf next to the Inquisition. He confirms his religious belief in the Catholic faith and he says he gave a false testemony, accusing his family and recognizing guilt, in order to save his life

The proceedings number 5414 from Lisbon Inquisition, which contain two letters (PSCR0376 and PSCR0377), concern Ana Maria de Morales Penso, accused of Judaism. Fernão Rodrigues Penso, father of Ana Maria, Mariana and Fernando de Morales Penso was first accused of Judaism in 1669. He spent seven years in prison, during the Pope’s interruption of Inquisitorial activity (1674-1681). He had been married to Beatriz Pessoa, but, after becoming a widower, he had children with other women, namely with Ana de Sousa, with whom he had seven children, including a boy named Fernando Rodrigues Penso. During his time in prison, his illegitimate children were taken care of by Mariana de Morales Penso and her husband, Pedro Olivares. This situation originated some setbacks between the several siblings, especially between the two sisters Ana Maria and Mariana and their brother Fernando, who they believed was better taken care of by their father than them. Although the father, Fernão, has never accused any of his children, Fernando accused the whole family. The three siblings were arrested and the two sisters were exposed to the rack, even though its use in women was forbidden. Fernando was sentenced to the exil in Brazil, but later, they were all set free. Before departing to Brazil, Fernando wrote a letter to a friend who was a priest, asking him to intervene on his behalf (PSCR0462).

There is a wide bibliography concerning the history of the Penso family. Bibliography: Saraiva, José António (2001), The Marrano Factory: the Portuguese Inquisition and its New Christians 1536-1765, Leiden-Boston-Koln, Brill; pp. 186. Correia, Arlindo (2012), "A Família Penso na Inquisição (1672 ‒ 1684)", http://arlindo-correia.com/101012.html (consulted on April 1st 2016). Silva, Filipa Ribeiro da (2011), Dutch and Portuguese in Western Africa: Empires, Merchants and the Atlantic system 1580-1674, Leiden-Boston-Koln, Brill; pp. 290-291.