Gomez Articles
The
Gomez Family: An Old Family Record
The
Search for the Gomez Past: Old Castile to Newburgh, N.Y.
A
Few of the Books Published by Benjamin Gomez
Don't
Forget The Cousins
Benjamin
Gomez — Bookseller
The Gomez Collection
Gomez Family Prayer Book
Act of Denization from
Queen Anne Recorded for Luis Gomez
Queen Anne
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Queen Anne
Queen Anne, born February
6, 1665, was the last English monarch to preside over cabinets
and veto parliamentary legislation. The daughter of James
II, she remained devoted to the Church of England despite
her fathers conversion to Roman Catholicism. To uphold
the Anglican church, she unhesitatingly joined her brother-in-law,
William III, when he invaded England in 1688 and forced her
father into exile. During Williams reign, Anne became
great friends with strong-minded Sarah Churchill, later Duchess
of Marlborough, whom she called Mrs. Freeman.
When Anne came to the throne in 1702, she gave Sarah the highest
court appointments and made her husband, the Duke of Marlborough,
commander-in-chief in the War of the Spanish Succession.
Anne had a mind of her own,
however. After seven years of the war against France, she
realized her subjects were tiring of it. In 1710, she employed
her influence to overthrow the Whig government, which was
committed to an uncompromising peace treaty, and instituted
a Tory government instead. Like her, the Tories staunchly
supported the Church of England and favored an immediate peace.
Anne ruthlessly broke with the Churchills, turning for comfort
to other women friends and to her chief minister, Robert Harley,
who concluded the Peace of Utrecht in 1713.
Anne adored her husband, Prince
George of Denmark. Despite frequent pregnancies, however,
none of her children survived childhood. Suffering from constant
ill health, she enjoyed cards and gossip to distractions.
Through overeating, she grew fat and finally had to be hoisted
into her coach. Patriotic and conscious of her rights, she
aimed at improving her peoples welfare, and they loved
her. She died August 1, 1714, as members of her Privy Council
jostled for power around her deathbed. The Hanoverian George
I succeeded her.
Act of Denization from Queen
Anne Recorded for Luis Gomez
Anne, by the
Grace of God, Queen of England, Scotland, France & Ireland
Defender of the Faith, to all to whom these presents shall
come, Greetings. Know ye that for various good reasons and
causes, moved by kindly considerations and from positive knowledge
and for honorable purposes, we have granted and by these presents
in our own name and for our heirs and successors hereby do
grant to Luis Gomez (a man) chosen
by us, who, although born across the sea is hereby made our
faithful subject and will ever be our licensed denizen; and
our heirs and successors of our English realm are to so consider
him And in respect to this, his heirs are and will be licensed
subjects, and he and his heirs are to be held reputed, treated
& governed as our faithful subjects born within the Kingdom
of England & he and his heirs may hold, possess, use and
enjoy all property and acquisitions of whatever kind or nature
in whatever places & jurisdictions within our Kingdom
of England. Furthermore, he & they may engage in and carry
on, may appear and contest, may defend & be defended in
all places and for all things, just as may any of our subjects
or any of our faithful lieges dwelling within our kingdom
born or to be born therein.
And that the said Luis
Gomez & his heirs may be able to acquire and receive,
take, hold, have, buy, & possess lands, holdings, inheritances
within our English Domain & any of our Dominions to use
and enjoy for himself and his heirs in perpetuity or to give,
purchase, buy, sell, alienate and dispose of in any manner
whatsoever to whatever person or persons he or they choose
or shall choose as freely, fearlessly, fully, wholly, peaceably,
quietly, and without disturbance as he or they may desire,
just as may any faithful citizen born within our Kingdom.
And that the said Luis
Gomez & his heirs may as freely and fully as he or
they may desire declare, retain & enjoy all such lands,
tenements and hereditaments, given, granted, or assigned;
and they may transfer the same as freely, wholly, peaceably
and quietly, as may any of our faithful subjects native to
our Realm.
And that the said Luis
Gomez and his heirs may peaceably, freely & fully,
have, possess, use & enjoy each and all franchises &
privileges as any of our loyal citizens born within the kingdom,
without any disturbance, molestation, hindrance or vexation,
without trouble or annoyance by our heirs and successors,
or ministers or Officials, or by anyone whatsoever, or for
any cause or reason, anything to the contrary notwithstanding.
Moreover, we wish and through these patents
we charge the said Luis Gomez that
the same Luis Gomez and his heirs
be vassal and subject to us and to our heirs and successors,
and as such shall one and all pay & contribute the lot
& scot (the customary duties according to the ability
of each), in the same manner as our subjects do and shall
each & all pay & contribute as is just; and that the
said Luis Gomez & his heirs shall
pay and contribute to our heirs and our successors the custom
duties and subsidies for materials and merchandise, just as
immigrants and aliens are always required to do.
It is further decreed that Luis
Gomez shall observe each & every act, statute, ordinance,
& proclamation of the English Realm (issued in the past
or to be issued in the future), and shall regard them &
be obedient to them in conformity with the laws and statutes
and each provision thereof.
We also wish that the said Luis
Gomez & his family, which he now has or shall have
in the future shall be and continue to be residents within
our Kingdom of England or elsewhere within any other of our
Dominions.
And finally, it is our decree & with
this condition that if the said Luis
Gomez shall be a master of a vessel or shall act as a
mercator within the boundaries of the English Realm contrary
to the liberties & privileges of an incorporated licensed
alien, and counter to those given to each and all merchants
of our English Kingdom, through my charters or letters patent,
or those granted by each or any one of our predecessors up
to this time, by this very decree these letters patent shall
be void and of no effect.
In testimony of which we hereby cause these
letters patent to be issued & our seal to be affixed by
my own witness.
Given at Westminster the eighteenth day
of April in the fourth year of our reign. (April 18, 1705)
Attachment of seal and endorsement (per
breve deprivato sigil)
(signed) Cocks
Thank you to Sister Mary Francis McDonald,
Ph.D., St. Marys College, Newburgh, NY for her fine
translation.
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Act of Denization from
Queen Anne Recorded for Luis Gomez
Sunday, October 11, 1998
at 2:00 PM The certificate of Denization (naturalization)
from Queen Anne, that enabled Luis
Moses Gomez, a Sephardic Jew fleeing the Spanish Inquisition,
to buy 6000 acres in the Orange/Ulster area to build a trading
post in 1714 and to purchase the land in Manhattan so Shearith
Israel, the oldest Jewish Congregation in America would
have a synagogue and building to worship in, will be returned
and unveiled at the Gomez Mill House in Marlboro, NY for
the first time in almost three hundred years thanks to a
friend of the Gomez
Foundation for Mill House.
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