Witnesses Against Marina Gonzalez: February 1494

At least ten statements from witnesses are included, whole or in part in 'Document 5' of Lu Ann Homza's The Spanish Inquisition. They answer the questions as prepared and presented by defense lawyer, Diego Tellez throughout February, 1494. In January, the chief prosecutor had called witnesses and they had been questioned. One of these was Marina Gonzalez' husband, Francisco de Toledo, spice merchant. Another witness, a 'good friend' of his, Pedro de Teva swore she had refused to eat pork even after her husband told her to. Another was a visitor at their house, when formerly the couple were living in Almagro, a couple years before who testified that Marina did no work on Saturday, but then was 'working linen' on Sunday.

After nearly two months of this, the defense attorney asked a 'reverend lord inquisitor' for the proof lobbied by the prosecution to be published. This request, on February 26, 1494 shows how unsure that the defense was as to any outcome of the case. We also have no record, as our translator and editor points out, if the prosecutor even had a sworn witness notarized in his deposition, accusing Marina Gonzalez of the crime of silent-conversion away from the Catholic Church. But to find out that at this late stage, after the witnesses had interrogated for and against, the defense lawyer had to ask for a published record of proof, seems so out of place. No, this was how they did it.

"... reverend lord inquisitor Fernando Rodriguez del Barco was in the hearing, and defense lawyer Diego Tellez appeared before him and requested the publication of the proof offered in this trial. His reverence ordered the publication of the witnesses' statements that were presented by both parties, and ordered that both parties be given a copy and transcript, with a limit of nine days in which to respond, etc." [p. 39]

When her husband was called to testify he gave a mostly positive picture of her life and actions.

"Francisco de Toledo, spice merchant, resident of Ciudad Real, sworn witness, under charge of the oath he had sworn, said that after her reconciliation, Marina Gonzalez, his wife, sometimes refused to eat pork when they had it. And because this witness scolded her for not eating it, she certainly only stopped eating out of concern for her health, not on account of any religious ceremony. She ate everything that was cooked in the house, and even ate pork sometimes."[pp 37-8]

 But he said he warned her that she would have to 'answer to God and the world' for leaving the house on Saturday to do errands, that 'she was thumbing her nose at God and the world'.

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notes from Document 5, pp 37-39 in The Spanish Inquisition 1478-1614: An Anthology of Sources, edited and translated by Lu Ann Homza, Indianapolis, Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. 2006