This Happened in My Presence: Moriscos, Old Christians, and the Spanish Inquisition in the Town of Deza, 1569-1611

This Happened in My Presence reveals life in the small Spanish town of Deza during a period that was complex and tumultuous. The introduction explains the medieval origins of Deza's Christian, Muslim, and Jewish populations and the changing policies toward religious minorities under the Catholic Monarchs and the Hapsburgs. The workings of the Spanish Inquisition and of Deza's local religious and political institutions are clearly described. Helpful pedagogical materials enhance the primary sources: a timeline interweaving local, national, and international events; a cast of characters; four modern images of Deza; maps; a glossary; discussion questions; and a bibliography. Each set of documents is accompanied by a brief introduction and focus questions.

Table of Contents:
List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Notes to the Reader Timeline Introduction Cast of Characters Documents 1. The Visitation of Licentiate Reynoso (1569) 2. The Confession of Román Ramírez the Younger for the Edict of Grace (1571) 3. The Visitation of Dr. Arganda (1581) 4. The Examinations of Román Ramírez the Younger and Angela de Miranda (1581) 5. The Sentence of Román Ramírez the Younger (1599–1600) 6. Letters Home from the Royal Jails of Cuenca (1611) Note from Miguel Ramírez to Francisco de Arcos Letter from María la Jarquina to Francisca de Ropiñón Letter from Luis de Cebea the Youngest to María de Hortubia Letter from Juan de Cebea to Francisca de Baptista Letter from Juan de Hortubia to Diego Fadrique the Elder and Diego Fadrique the Younger Letter from Juan de Hortubia to Lope and Luis de Hortubia Letter from Leonor de Hortubia to Guiomar Carillo, with a Note from Lope Guerrero the Younger Letter from Luis de Cebea the Youngest to Isabel de Liñán Letter from Miguel Ramírez to María de Almotazán 7. Efforts to Evade the Galleys (1611) Letter from the Moriscos to King Philip III Medical Examination of the Moriscos Letter from the Inquisitors at Cuenca to the Suprema (April 16) Letter from the Inquisitors at Cuenca to the Suprema (October 13) Statement of Compliance from the Inquisitors at Cuenca The Fulfillment of the Suprema's Order Appendices Appendix I: Glossary of Terms Appendix II: Discussion Questions Bibliography Index of Topics Index

About the Author :
Patrick J. O’Banion is Associate Professor of History at Lindenwood University. He is the author of The Sacrament of Penance and Religious Life in Golden Age Spain (2012).

Review :
"Patrick O’Banion has set a high standard for collections of translated documents. The book is clearly geared towards undergraduates. It would be a valuable resource to anyone teaching early modern Spanish or European history, and is a must for any course on the Inquisition." - Carolyn Salomons, Bulletin for Spanish and Portuguese Historical Studies "This Happened in My Presence will acquaint students with a diverse set of everyday people from four centuries ago, set them to work like detectives, inform them about Muslim customs, and give them a sense of cultural interactions in a small town at a time when neighbors held excessive power over one another. They will face the hard issues historians face when assessing accusations, denunciations, denials, and confessions in a context of coercion, and see at close hand a run-up to ethno-religious cleansing." - William A. Christian Jr., Catholic Historical Review "This Happened in My Presence is a good introduction not only to the fate of the Moriscos, but also to the history of the Spanish Inquisition." - Alastair Hamilton, Journal of Ecclesiastical History "The sources in this volume are important not only for courses on early modern Spain or inquisitorial history, but also for courses that focus on various aspects of early modern life and thought. The documents illuminate the minutiae of daily life, offer insight into how gender, religion, and social class affected relationships in early modern Deza, and elucidate the differences between Christian and Muslim religious observance in theory and in practice. This Happened in My Presence is both accessible and informative and provides students with an important set of sources and helpful guidance to facilitate their interpretation." - Christina Moss, Renaissance and Reformation "O’Banion translates and edits documents from the town of Deza within the jurisdiction of the Inquisition of Cuenca…[He] includes a cogent introduction, a cast of characters, maps, figures and accompanying ‘focus questions.’ The volume will work easily for a history course on the Inquisition, Spain or using primary sources. " (Journal of Early Modern History 22) "This book makes a fascinating collection of records accessible to a wide audience. It also succeeds as a device for reflecting upon and learning about the work done by historians – collecting, transcribing, translating, organizing, questioning, representing, curating – and invites readers to participate in the analysis of those historical records." (Renaissance Quarterly, Vol. 71, No. 2)