JEWISH LINEAGE
EMILIA BASSANO LANYER'S FAMILY TREE TRACED TO JEWISH ANCESTORS IN MOROCCO
1300s
Emilia’s earliest known ancestors were Sephardic scholars in Morocco.
Sometime in the 1300s, her forebears moved from Morocco to Lorqui, Castile (SE Spain today.)
Her first known ancestor: Joseph ben Joshua (died in 1372). He revised Tibbon’s translation of Maimonides’ work Millot Higgayon. His son was Joseph ibn Vives al-Lorqui.
1400s
1400-1440: Joseph ibn Vives al-Lorqui’s son born, named Joshua ben Joseph al-Lorqui. He died in 1440.
Joshua ben Joseph al-Lorqui was not a rabbi but well versed in Talmud and rabbinic literature. He became a converso and took the name Maestro Geronimo de Santa Fe (on SE coast).
Geronimo (Joshua ben Joseph) had two sons: Pedro and Andrea.
1480s-Early 1500s
Pedro imprisoned during the Spanish Inquisition. He committed suicide in prison to avoid burning at the stake.
Andrea had a son named Jeronimo (c. 1480-1545). Together, they left Spain either prior to or just after the Edict of Expulsion. They traveled to Crespano del Grappa in the province of Treviso, Veneto, in today’s northern Italy. Andrea takes de Crespano as a surname but dies soon after arriving in 1492.
Jeronimo moved to Bassano del Grappa, a small town 9 miles southwest of Crespano, 45 miles northwest of Venice. Jeronimo is Amelia Bassano’s grandfather.
Jeronimo started a musical instrument making business (bassoons, bassonellas, lutes, pivas)
He had six sons:Alvice, Jacomo, Jasper, Anthony, John, and Baptista (Amelia’s father).
1515-1530
1515: Emilia’s father, Baptista (c. 1515-1575) born in Bassano del Grappa. He’s given a Christian-sounding name to make it easier to pass as a Christian. He is nicknamed “Piva” – small bagpipe. He became an accomplished musician.
1516: Jews are expelled from Bassano del Grappa. The family moves to Venice, expand their business, and sell to the Doge’s musicians and into Austria and Bavaria.
All of Jeronimo’s sons become skilled musicians, play for the Doge.
1516: Most Venetian Jews forced to live on Il Ghetto island.
1528-30: Henry VIII sends Edmond Harvel to Venice to acquire theological justification from rabbis for divorcing Catherine of Aragon. Harvel hears the Bassano brothers performing at the Doge’s palace and tries to recruit them to play in Henry VIII’s court.
1531-1569
1531: Alvise traveled to London.
1539: Baptista and his brothers moved to England and began playing for Henry VIII’s court.
About 1560, Baptista introduced to Margaret Johnson (1545-1587), sister of a fellow court musician, John Johnson.
Margaret became Baptista’s common-law wife, but they never officially marry.
Emilia was born in 1569. (Jewish father, probably Christian mother).
1576
1576: Baptista died,
Emilia (age 7) became the ward of Duchess Katherine Willoughby and daughter, Countess Susan Bertie.
Author's Note
While there is evidence of Emilia’s lineage, Orthodox Jews would not consider her Jewish because of her likely Christian mother. To them, biological Jewishness is matrilineal. Reform Jews would accept her Jewishness.
