Bullara, widow of Xibitellus de Cafisi: Sciacca, 1482
Bullara, widow of Xibitellus de Cafisi
Bullara, a widow, records her will when she is sick.
She names her grandson Sadiolus Sieli her universal heir. She leaves bed-related goods to her granddaughter Luna. She also leaves other female loved ones clothing and textile goods.
Bullara records that she is owed six florins by one Cavino de Galiano, to whom she sold "bisacia" of sugar. She asks for that recovered money to be given as charity to the synagogue in Sacca for the sake of her soul (pro anima sua). She likewise leaves to the same synagogue oil, to be given by her heirs within a year of her death.
The witnesses of the wills are both Christians (two) and Jewish (five).
TRANSCRIPTION from Scandaliato, pp. 207-208.
Archivio di Stato di Palermo, Notai defunti, notaio F. Giuffrida, vol. 1383, 6 Novembre 1482.
Sexto novembris.
Testamur quod presens coram nobis Bullara iudea, olim uxor condam Xibitelli de Cafisi de Sacca, iacens ii lecto egrota corpore, sana tamen mente et racionabilis intellectus, existens in sua bona et perfecta memoria, articulariter loquens, timens divinum iudicium et horam mortis incertam, cum nil certius morte et nil incertius hora mortis, dubitans ne forte ab hoc seculo decederet intestata, volens propterea, dum tempus habet, de bonis suis temporalibus disponere, ne inter successores lis aliqua oriatur, presens suum ultimum nuncupativum condidit testamentum per manus mei infrascripti notarii in hunc modum; imprimis dicta testatrix instituit sibi et sollenniter ordinavit suum heredem universalem in omnibus bonis suis, mobilius et stabilibus, iuribus et accionibus universis ubicumque existentibus et melius apparentibus Sadiolum Sieli, filium Iacop Sieli, eius nepotem; item legavit Lune, filie condam Muxe Galifi, eius nepti, par unum lintheaminum serici et cultram unam albam minatam a campu di fluri parti plini et parti vacanti. Item legavit Brache de Cafisi gramaglam unam cum caputeo panni de visito. Item legavit Stille, uxori Muxe de Galifi, eius clamidem sui proprii corporis. Item legavit Perne, uxori dicte Brache, eius nepti, fardam unam, lintheamina cannarum sex, gunnellam unam minatam muliebrem et pilliczam unam, que gunnella fuit et est panni ... Item dixit debere recipere a Covino de Galiano florenos sex ex vendicione bisaciarum de zuccaro, quos florenos sex pro anima sua legavit mischite iudeorum Terre Sacce ad opus emendi quamdam coverturam per Teura. Item legavit dicte mischite pro eius anima dimidium cantarum olei, quod oleum ipse eius heres universalis dare debeat dicte mischite infra annum unum post obitum dicte testatricis. Et hec fuit et est eius ultima voluntas et suum ultimum nuncupativum testamentum, quam et quod valere voluit iure testamenti, et si iure testamenti non valeret, quod valeat et valere debeat iure codicillorum etcetera, cassatis et annullatis omnibus aliis testamentis, codicillis et ultimis voluntatibus per earn hactenus factis, presenti tamen testamento in suo robore perdurante. Item dicta testatrix dixit habere tarenos quindecim census solvendos per heredes condam Salamuni Commissu super quadam conzaria sita in maritima Terre Sacce, quos tarenos XV voluit ipsa testatrix quod ipsi heredes quandocumque possunt reddimere ad racionem de unciis decem pro uncia. Et hec fuit et est eius ultima voluntas.
Ego Nicolaus di Magno testis fui. Ego Jacobo lu Conti testis fui.
Xilom Xilleni, Robinus Galiuni, Busac Commissu, Grabriel Summatu et Gracianus Azara.
Sciacca, Sicily
See Scandaliato, <em>L'ultimo canto di Ester,</em> p. 207.
6 November 1482
Latin
Italy
Baladre, widow of Yaakov ben Haninai: Girona, 1325
Baladre, widow of Yaakov ben Haninai
This will is part of the so-called "Girona Geniza," which is a collection of Hebrew documents which were preserved because they were reused as book bindings. Baladre's will was part of the binding of a notarial register belonging to the notary Berenguer Capella, and was identified by Idan Pérez of the National Library of Israel. The will exists as two pages of parchment written in a Hebrew Sephardic Semicursive script. The two-page will is not wholly complete; it lacks some material that went between the two pages, and also lacks a section that may have had witness signatures. Pérez notes that the will follows a known Hebrew testamentary formula (See Pérez, "The Testament...," 241 n. 81).<br /><br />Baladre, whose will demonstrates that she had significant assets, had two living sons, one from each of her marriages. She also had a daughter, Dolza. A third son, Haninai, seems to have predeceased his mother and left a minor son named Shelomo. Baladre's son with her second husband, an adult named Shelomo, is the executor, with the assistance of her nephew Yehoshua Ha-Levi. <br /><br />She takes great concern to support her grandson, the minor named Shelomo, who receives all of her "boilers and bronze syringes" as well as real estate in the form of a garden, whose boundaries are spelled out in the will. She names as tutor and guardian for the young Shelomo his mother, Boneta, the widow of her late son Haninai, spelling out that Boneta have "full power" along with the older Shelomo to control the assets Baladre leaves to the young boy. <br /><br />She leaves goods and money, including clothing, to her children. She notably bequeathes her synagogue seats to her daughter Dolza, son Shelomo, and grandson Shelomo in a bequest that seems to give ownership to the son and grandson, but lifetime usufruct of one seat to the daughter. Her son from her first marriage, Moshe, receives 100 sous, bedclothes, and some clothing. She also leaves money and clothing to her maid Astruga. Apparently a businesswoman of some sort, perhaps engaged in money lending, Baladre leaves funds that are owed to her in debt documents to her son and grandson. She also leaves 340 sous as charity for the poor. <br /><br /><span style="text-decoration:underline;">TRANSLATION:</span><br /><br /><p>(AHG: Gi 2, 72 <em>Hecodavant </em>5)</p>
<p>We, the undersigned witnesses, went to visit Ms. Bladre, widow of Rabbi Ya‘aqov son of Rabbi Haninai, who was sick and we found her lying in her bed. The words that came out of her mouth were coherent and she was in her sanity to answer yes when it was yes and not when it was not, just as a healthy person that walks through the market would. She said to us: Here I am sick and I fear to die of this disease, thus please be the witnesses of my testament which I</p>
<p>command in view of death. I separate for the poor 340 <em>sous</em> of <em>p</em><em>e</em><em>šitin </em>(simples) from the Barcelonan currency [common] in this city. This will be in any case of purchase or sale of the debt document worth 500 Barcelonan sous which pledged in front of me my son Rabbi Šelomoh and his wife Ms. Reina, as is [written] in the mentioned debt document. Here I designate treasurer of the aforementioned <em>Heqdeš</em> Rabbi Yehošua‘ ha-Levi, the son who bore my sister Ms. El[..]a to her husband Rabbi Šelomoh ha-Levi, son of Rabbi Yixhaq. And in relation to this matter I have separated the mentioned 340 <em>sous </em>for the poor. These will be paid in installments by my son, Rabbi Šelomoh aforesaid, from now until the next <em>Roš Hašanah</em>. The first installment will be of 30 <em>sous</em> of such currency which will be delivered [.] to the Rabbi Yehošua‘ ha-Levi aforesaid and distributed in the indicated time as deemed appropriate. And so it will be that my son, Rabbi Šelomoh aforesaid, will pay the installments to the Rabbi Yehošua‘ ha-Levi aforesaid. Rabbi Šelomoh aforesaid will pay from the aforementioned debt document 30 <em>sous </em>of the mentioned currency destined to the <em>Heqdeš</em>. This will be in the eve of <em>Roš Hašanah </em>each year until they have completed the 340 <em>sous </em>mentioned. My son, Rabbi Šelomoh aforesaid, will be present at the moment of the distribution with the aforementioned Rabbi Yehošua‘ ha-Levi, as long as my son will be in this city.</p>
<p>And I also grant and give from the aforementioned debt document for the benefit of my son, Rabbi Mošeh, which I gave birth to my first husband Rabbi Abraham Cabrit, 100 sous of such currency that will be charged from the aforementioned debt document after one year of my death.</p>
<p>Also I order my son, Rabbi Šlomoh aforesaid, to pay from the mentioned debt document one year after my death, 60 <em>sous </em>of the said currency and deliver to the hands of the aforesaid Rabbi Yehošua‘ ha-Levi in order to buy a gravestone to put over my tomb.</p>
<p>Also I order my heirs to give from my property to my son, Rabbi Mošeh aforesaid, 100</p>
<p><em>sous </em>of the said currency, who will take possession of them immediately after my death.</p>
<p>And I also order and give to my son, Rabbi Mošeh aforesaid, all the linen of my bed inwhich I lie, as it is. There is a bedspread and a mattress [..] and coverlet and bedsheet and [..].</p>
<p>And I also grant and give to my son, Rabbi Mošeh aforesaid, my new <em>Serval </em>of black brunet clothes.</p>
<p>And I also grant and give to Astruga, daughter of Ixaq Tensa, my maid, 10 <em>sous </em>of such currency, and she will take possession of them from my monetary goods immediately after my death.</p>
<p>Also I grant and give to her my middle <em>Serval </em>and my dark blue coat with the rabbit furs, and up to 10 <em>sous </em>of the said currency from another pledge I have. The rest of the attires I have, except the aforementioned clothes I have given, I grant and give to my daughter Ms. Dolça, wife of Ixaq Sardan. She will take possession of them immediately after my death. </p>
<p>Also I give and grant to my daughter Ms. Dolça, already mentioned, in order she can sit all the days of her life, and no more, the same seat that I have in the Synagogue of this city in the lower gallery of the women... </p>
<p>(AHG: Gi 2, 72 <em>Hecodarrere </em>9)</p>
<p>... the aforesaid Šelomoh, son of my son Rabbi Haninai, already mentioned, all boilers and bronze syringes I have, and all the garden that I possess at the limit of this region in the place called <em>ses Savaneres</em>, that I have in possession under property [...] door [...] and I [...] of it for that property, according to a known law, each year 10 <em>sous </em>of the said currency. And these are the boundaries of the garden: the Eastern boundary is the garden of the gentile Bernad Bobés, the Southern boundary is the garden of the gentile Jaqme of [...], the Western boundary is the garden of the gentile Grau Gorday and the Northern boundary is a public property.</p>
<p>And I also grant and give to my son Rabbi Šelomoh and the young Šelomoh, already mentioned,</p>
<p>the same seat mentioned above and marked with those signs. This is in the condition that [...] to my daughter the right to sit all the days of her life, and no more, in the mentioned seat marked with those signs. And I also order and give to the aforementioned Rabbi Šelomoh and to the young Šelomoh, son of my son, all the half that I Baladre possess of the three seats that are in the lower gallery of women in the same row that is sorted in a north-south direction and is bordering with the western wall of the gallery and [...] facing to the east and having its back to the west wall. To the right of these there is the seat of the representatives of Rabbi Šelomoh Bonafed and to the left there is the seat of the representatives of Rabbi Re’uben son of Rabbi Mošeh Qurtubí. The third on the right is the seat of the representatives of Rabbi Mošeh ha-Cohen son of Rabbi Binyamin and to his left there is the seat of Rabbi Yonah son of Rabbi Benveniste. The other half of these three seats was divided into inheritance, by virtue of my lord the elderly Rabbi Abraham Cabrit, between my son, the said Rabbi Mošeh, Rabbi Mošeh the son of Rabbi Šmu’el Cabrit</p>
<p>and Rabbi Mošeh the son Rabbi Yixhaq Cabrit. I have also given to my son the aforementioned</p>
<p>Rabbi Šelomoh and to the young Šelomoh, son of my son Rabbi Haninai already mentioned, two seats I own in the gallery of women. One is [on the row] that is sorted from north to south [...] in the eastern wall of the gallery. To the right there is the seat of the representatives of Rabbi [...] ha-Cohen son of Rabbi Šelomoh and to the left there is the mentioned seat of the representatives</p>
<p>of Rabbi [...] already mentioned. And the whole seat I have in the gallery of women in the same row sorted in an east-west direction and adjacent to the north wall of the gallery [....] to the South. After that, in the north wall, to the right, there is the seat of Rabbi Haninai son of Rabbi Šelomoh, son of Rabbi Me’ir [may his memory be for blessing] [...] seat of the mentioned Rabbi Yehošua‘ ha-Levi. </p>
<p>The rest of the goods I have [............] whether land, monetary assets, debt documents, whether movable property or property documents, I grant and give to distribute among my son, Rabbi Šelomoh and the young Šelomoh, son of my son Rabbi Haninai already mentioned, of which will take possession immediately after my death. </p>
<p>Here I nominate tutor and responsible for all the assets that I have left to the young Šelomoh, son of my son, already mentioned, to his mother Ms. Boneta, widow of my son, the mentioned Rabbi Haninai. I grant her full powers over all assets I have given as an inheritance to her son named above. Shall have full power, she and my son, the mentioned Rabbi Šelomoh, for [...] and deduct from the debtors and guarantors who are listed in my documents of debt, the entire fund of the loan, as well as the profit owed to me. They may also collect them at the deadlines and hand in notes and bills, general and private, without needing the permission of any court or person. All these things ordered before us Ms. Baladre in view of death.</p>
<p>And it has been that due to this disease, Ms. Baladre passed away; may life be with us and may comfort be with all Israel! All this happened before us on the third day of the month of Av of the year 5085 of the creation of the world, according to the reckoning that we follow here in the city of Ierunda, and we have written, we have signed and we have delivered it into the hands of Rabbi Šelomoh son of Rabbi Ya‘aqov already mentioned, and to the young Šelomoh son of Rabbi [Haninai].<br /><br />(Translation from Pérez, "The Testament of a Jewish Woman," 238-40.)<br /><br />For IMAGE and TRANSCRIPTION, see Pérez, relevant file pages attached. </p>
Girona, Spain
Arxiu Històric de Girona, Spain
AHG, Gi 2, 72 Hecodavant 5 and Gi 2, 72 Hecodarrere 9
Idan Pérez, "The Testament of a Jewish Woman..."
22 July 1325
Hebrew
Spain
Consola, wife of Giacobbe Katzav: Rome, 1558
Consola, wife of Giacobbe Katzav:
Consola is a businesswomen on her deathbed in her son Elia's house. She is co-owner of a <em>taverna</em> and a <em>pescaria, </em>and her will mostly deals with money she owes related to these businesses. Her will is recorded by either Leone (father) or Isach (son) Piattelli, Jewish notaries, in Hebrew. <br /><br />DETAILED DESCRIPTION FROM KENNETH STOW:<br /><br /><p>In the house of Elia di Giacobbe Katzav, his mother Consola, wife of Giacobbe, is dying. She wants to settle accounts for a <em>mahaneh,</em> that is, a <em>taverna</em> she has in partnership with Angelo Manai, his wife Perna, and his son in law Giuseppe di Terni (or Terreni). There are debts owed to Christians for wine, milk and candles. Also 12 sc. and 15 more sc. are owed to Eliezer Sonatore and to Perna, the widow of Consola's late son Eliezer. She also has a partnership with Angelo Manai in a <em>pescaria</em> called <em>lo cancelletto</em>.</p>
Rome, Italy
Archivio Storico Capitolino, Rome
ASC, F.12, l.1, ff.121v.-122r. 1558-03-27
27 March 1558
Kenneth Stow
Hebrew
Italy