Abraham Rodrigues de Rivera^[1]

- 1765

• Name	Abraham Rodrigues de Rivera  [2, 3]
  Born	Spain   [2, 3]
  Gender	Male
  Alt. Birth	Portugal   [2]
  Freeman	1726	New York   [2]
  Naturalized	1740-1741
  Arrival	1748	Newport, Newport, RI
  Reference Number	2028
  Died	7 Jul 1765	Newport, Newport, RI   [2, 4]
  Buried	7 Jul 1765	Colonial Jewish Burial Ground, Newport, RI   [5]
  Person ID	I2028	aojd
  Last Modified	14 Jan 2012

  
  

  Family ID

  F752

  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=315&letter=R Spanish Jewish family that appears in American history at an early date. The family seems to have come from Seville, Spain, though some members of it have been traced to Portugal; many were settled in Mexico before the middle of the seventeenth century. In connection with the trial of Gabriel de Granada by the Inquisition in Mexico (1642-45) there appear, as "accomplices" in the observance of the law of Moses and as Judaizing heretics, Dona Maria, Dona Catalina, Clara, Margarita, Isabel, and Dona Blanca de Rivera, all of whom seem to have been natives of Seville. Another person mentioned in the same connection is Diego Lopez Rivera, a native of Portugal. The name is frequently written "Ribera." Abraham Rodrigues de Rivera: The first bearer of the name "Rivera" in that region of North America now known as the United States; born in Spain; died in Newport, R. I., 1765. His family, even while still resident in Europe, was closely related to the Lopez family, afterward intimately associated with the history of Newport. In fact, he was a brother-in-law of Diego Jose Lopez of Lisbon, the father of Aaron Lopez; and Moses Lopez, a son of Diego, married Abraham's daughter Rebecca. Abraham Rivera was twice married in Europe; by his first wife he had a son, by the second a son and a daughter. With his family he went to America early in the eighteenth century, settling at New York. According to Marano custom, a remarriage took place in that city, and the first names of the entire family were changed. The original names are unknown, but those assumed were Abraham (by the father), Isaac and Jacob (by the sons), and Rebecca (by the daughter). As early as 1726 Abraham Rodrigues was enrolled as a freeman of the city of New York, being designated as a merchant. He took an interest also in the congregation of that city, his name appearing in the minutes of 1729. He was naturalized in 1740. After the death of his second wife he married a lady named Lucena. After her death he and his entire family removed from New York to Newport.

  
  

• Sources

  [S285] . [S4] PG. 175 LOPEZ I (1) (RIVERA, NEWPORT RI) (Reliability: 3). [S74] "THE GENEALOGY OF THE LOPEZ FAMILY," PRESENTED [CA. 1825] BY SARAH LOPEZ OF [OF NEW YORK] TO HER FRIEND, MRS. PRISCILLA LOPEZ, OF CHARLESTON, BY HER REQUEST. [APPNDIX I]. PG 197-201 (Reliability: 3). [S335] (Reliability: 3). [S336] (Reliability: 3).