Barrow-Lousada.org]
"of Kingston according to will of Aaron #1174
married a Pereira as did his sister"Extract from en email by Polly Lawrence to Linda Powers 12 Dec 1997
"The LOPES family had originated in Cuba, but moved to Jamacia [sic - lp] where a knighthood was bestowed for services to the Crown. [? Is this the Baronetcy created in 1805, or an earlier honour? - pl] Sir Mannaseh Masseh LOPES was born in Jamaica in 1755. His father - Mordecai Rodriguez LOPES was a wealthy sugar plantation owner who had come to England and settled in Clapham. Mannaseh was an only son and after inheriting his father's large fortune, came to Devon in 1798, when the Heywood Estates were in the market. This, of course, included the lovely sited house of Maristow, which he made his principal seat."Granted arms 6th February, 1782 (College of Arms)
Alias: Mordet Lopes Of Surrey
Alias: Mordecai Henriques LopezBoth he(Sir Manasseh Masseh Lopez) and his father, Mordecai Rodriguez Lopez, became converts to Christianity in 1802 [Jewish Encyclopedia.com]
Towards the end of the 18th century his attendance and that of his son at the house of prayer, slackened; rumours as to his orthodoxy arose, and a letter to the following effect, dated 11th July 1802, did not cause much surprise to the Mahamad, to whom it was addressed: " " A recent circumstance in regard to my future situation, which will very soon appear, makes it incompatible to my remaining any longer a yahid or member of the congregation, and I have desired my friend, Mr Moses Lindo, junr., to apprise you of my intention and to pay my account with the Synagogue." In concluding his communication, Mordecai Rodriguez Lopez, like Moses Ximenes, expressed the best wishes for the welfare of his late brethren, and, moreover, he stated that he had instructed Moses Lindo, junr., to present the Synagogue with "150 fur the zedaka or charity fund. The " recent circumstance " adverted to by Lopez, was evidently his conversion and that of his son to the recognised religion of the State. The change in the theological opinions of Mordecai and of Menasseh Lopez happened by a singular coincidence to manifest itself at the time of a general election, and the fact was immediately followed by the return of Menasseh as member for New Romney. Menasseh Lopez was created a baronet in 1805, with remainder to his nephew, Ralph Franco
Burial Domingo 26 AD 5556: 6 Mar 1796In the Dictionary of National Biography is an entry which says, "Lopes, Sir Manasseh Masseh 1755-1831 [Mordecai's son], politician, a descendant of a family of Spanish Jews, and only son of Mordecai Rodriguez Lopes of Clapham, Surrey, by his wife Rebecca, daughter of Manasseh Pereira of Jamaica."
In "A Record of the Jews in Jamaica," Jacob Andrade wrote concerning Mordecai's son, "Sir Manasseh Masseh Lopez (1st Bart.) - English politician; born in Jamaica on January 22, 1755. Descended from ancient Sephardic stock. One of Jamaica's opulent families. In 1802 he was returned to Parliament for New Romney (having along with his father Mordecai Henriques Lopez embraced Christianity in that year)." [p. 148] With regard to the middle name of "Henriques," Mr. Andrade's book was sloppily edited and is in error.
Polly Lawrence quoted a note she had found concerning the Lopes family, "The Lopes family had originated in Cuba, but moved to Jamaica where a knighthood was bestowed for services to the Crown. Sir Mannaseh Masseh Lopes was born in Jamaica in 1755. His father - Mordecai Rodriguez Lopes - was a wealthy sugar plantation owner who had come to England and settled in Clapham. Mannaseh [sic] was an only son and after inheriting his father's large fortune, came to Devon in 1798."
In his will Mordecai Rodriguez Lopes stated that he lived at Percy Street, St. Pancras, Middlesex and that he also had a house at Clapham in the parish of Streathem, Surrey. He stated that he wished to be buried with Jewish rites, and he left money to the Synagogue and Poor Jews in Kingston, Jamaica, and to the Portuguese Synagogue in London. His will mentions his wife Rebecca; his sister Abigail Pereira, widow; Mr. Joshua Pereira of Jamaica; his son Manasseh Lopes; daughter Rachel Pereira, widow; grandchildren Raphael, Lydia, Rebecca, Abigail, and Esther Franco (infant children of my late daughter Esther Franco deceased by her husband Abraham Franco, Esq.); grandsons Mordecai and Manaseh Pereira; my other grandchildren Sarah, Rebecca, Abigail, Leah Esther, and Isaac Pereira (children of my said daughter Rachel Pereira).
In his christening record of 20 Jun 1802 in the IGI Manasseh Lopes gave his father's name as "Mordet."
Percy Street is off Tottenham Court Road. (Peter Thomas Pereira Letter 23 Apr 2004 to Alan Pereira)
of Jamaica
Burial shown as:
Ribca de Mordy Lopez buried 12 Ly 5555 : equivalent to 1 May 1795 at the Spanish and Potuguese Jewish cemetery, London
Marriage Notes for Mordecai Rodriguez Lopez and Rebecca Pereira
MARRIAGE: [Extract from "Sketches of Anglo-Jewish history"
Mordecai Rodriguez Lopez was descended from an ancient Sephardi stock, whose name we have met already, who flourished in the world of finance, and who realised fortunes in foreign trade. Mordecai Rodriguez Lopez dwelt in Clapham, and had wedded Rebecca, daughter of Menasseh Pereira of Jamaica, by whom he had a son, Menasseh Lopez, who was born in that island in 1755. The elder Lopez, after a residence in the West Indies, returned to England an opulent man. He conformed outwardly to the rites of Judaism for many years, and served the usual Synagogue offices. Towards the end of the 18th century his attendance and that of his son at the house of prayer, slackened ; rumours as to his orthodoxy arose, and a letter to the following effect, dated llth July 1802, did not cause much surprise to the Mahamad, to whom it was addressed : " A recent circumstance in regard to my future situation, which will very soon appear, makes it incompatible to my remaining any longer a yahid or member of the congregation, and I have desired my friend, Mr Moses Lindo, junr., to apprise you of my intention and to pay my account with the Synagogue." In concluding his communication, Mordecai Rodriguez Lopez, like Moses Ximenes, expressed the best wishes for the welfare of his late brethren, and, moreover, he stated that he had instructed Moses Lindo, junr., to present the Synagogue with 150 for the zedaka or charity fund. The " recent circumstance " adverted to by Lopez was evidently his conversion and that of his son to the recognised religion of the State. The change in the theological opinions of Mordecai and of Menasseh Lopez happened by a singular coincidence to manifest itself at the time of a general election, and the fact was immediately followed by the return of Menasseh as member for New Romney. Menasseh Lopez was created a baronet in 1805, with remainder to his nephew, Ralph Franco. In the next election, Sir Menasseh secured a seat 'for Barpstaple, for which borough he was again re-elected in 1818. Curious to say, we find that an attorney, named Dance, who had insulted Sir Menasseh Lopez, incorrectly described as " a Jew baronet," was condemned to twelve months imprisonment, and to be struck off the rolls. On the 18th March 1819, the "Jew baronet" was found guilty at the Exeter Assize of having bribed the electors of the borough of Grampound to secure his election, and sentence was deferred. On the 13th November he was again prosecuted for a similar offence, and convicted, and he received sentence in the Court of Queen's Bench. He was condemned for the first offence to be imprisoned for twenty-one months in Exeter Jail, and to pay to the King a fine of 10,000, and for the second infraction of the law, which had been committed in Devonshire, he was sentenced to a further confinement of three months and another fine of 2000. Notwithstanding these untoward circumstances, Sir Menasseh Massey Lopez was once more returned to Parliament, and this time he was chosen as a fit representative for the immaculate borough of Westbury. In 1826 he resigned to make room for Sir Robert Peel, who had been ejected from the Protestant University of Oxford, on account of his public conduct on the question of Catholic emancipation. Sir Men- asseh married the daughter of Mr John Yeates of Monmouth, and his only child, Esther, died in 1819, when twenty-four years old. Sir Menasseh Massey Lopez, Bart., died at an advanced age in 1831, at Maristow House. He was then fulfilling the functions of Recorder of Westbury, in addition to being a magistrate for two counties. He was succeeded by his nephew, Ralph Franco, who hecarne Sir Ralph Lopes, Bart., the last letter in the name being softened into S. The landed and personal property bequeathed by the first baronet was estimated at upwards of 800,000. Sir Massey Lopes, one of the present Lords of the Admiralty, is the son of Sir Ralph Lopes, Bart., otherwise Ralph Franco. It is worthy of remark that Sir Massey Lopes, the son of a Jew, holds a place in the present Conservative administration, which is headed by the son of another Jew, himself born within the pale of Judaism.Extract from the Will of Benjamin Pereira. LOS 42/60 Proved 5th January 1775
'I have duly executed a certain contract of Marriage to Mordecai Rodrigues Lopes of the Parish of Kingston given for and on behalf of my said son Isaac Pereira at the time of his marriage with Rachel Rodrigues Lopes the daughter of the said Mordecai Rodrigues Lopes in the consequence of the said Isaac Pereira being under the age of twenty one years and in order to settle and secure the sum of L3000 aforesaid to the said Mordecai Rodrigues Lopes for and on behalf of his said daughter Rachel Rodrigues Lopes signifying that in case my said son Isaac Pereira should depart this life before the said Rachel Rodrigues Lopes that then and in such case I would stand liable to the said Mordecai Rodrigues Lopes for the sum of L3000 .. and for which settlement and security thereof I have by the said contract made my whole estate both real and personal subject and liable for the same for and during and until such time as my said son Isaac Pereira shall attain the age of twenty one years and no longer'
NOTE from Peter T. Pereira 27Jun2004 "Source Society of Genealogists, London Boxed Family Histories \endash Surname LOPES D.MSS 751 V L Oliver MRCS"
Burials within the Jewish Burial Ground, Kingston, Jamaica
Abraham son of late Mordecay and Rebecca Lopes born 24 Nov 1753 died 18 Dec 1758
Alan D Pereira note: The above entry must have been made after 1796 for it to refer to Mordecai & Rebecca as being "late". Alternatively there could have been another Mordecai(y) Lopes(z) married to a Rebecca who died before 18 Dec 1758.