Who was Dr. Samuel Nunes? 

In 1536, the Portuguese Inquisition was officially established throughout the country of Portugal. The Inquisition forbade practice of any other religion besides Catholicism, leaving Portugal’s Jewish citizens with two options: to convert or to flee. 

Some brave Jewish families defied this decree and continued to practice Judaism in secret, while outwardly identifying as converts. These families are called Marranos or crypto-Jews. Nunes was born into one of these Marrano families and was raised practicing Judaism in secret within his family’s home. 

Young Diogo showed a great talent for science and medicine. He quickly gained acclaim and became one of the most prominent doctors in Portugal. He became the official doctor of both the King of Portugal and the Grand Inquisitor. But his success at such a young age drew jealousy, and rival doctors reported their suspicions that the Nunes family was secretly practicing Judaism. 

Diogo, his mother, his wife, and his children were all apprehended at a secret Passover ceremony and imprisoned. But the doctor’s talent and reputation came to the rescue when the Grand Inquisitor intervened and got the family released. The release, however, came with a condition: two Inquisition officials were to move into the Nunes mansion and monitor the family’s behavior. 

Nunes became a socialite, throwing big parties and hosting important Portuguese figures. Secretly, he began selling some of his assets and arranging for his family to flee to England. At one big party, an English captain invited the Nunes family to come take a look at his ship. As had been previously arranged, the captain released anchor and sailed the family to London—with the unknowing Inquisition officials on board!

In London, Nunes was finally able to publicly practice Judaism. Diogo changed his name to the more Jewish Samuel, and he and his sons got circumcised as a representation of their faith. He also remarried his wife in a wedding according to Jewish law. In 1733, the family was off to America. 

On board the William and Sarah were several large Sephardic Jewish families, some of the earliest Jewish people to attempt to move to the colonies. On July 11, 1733 the ship arrived in Savannah, Georgia, only five months after General James Oglethorpe had first arrived and established the colony. 

While Georgia had been founded with the idea of inclusion of the other, meaning poor Christians, the trustees of the colony were wary about letting in these Jewish families. They feared that Georgia would become known as a Jewish colony and that rich Londoners would no longer contribute to its success. They pleaded with General Oglethorpe to remove the new settlers at once. 

Meanwhile, the earlier settlers of Georgia were facing their own issues. Namely: yellow fever and other infectious diseases. The colony’s original doctor, William Cox, was one of the first to succumb to the disease and with no medical professionals, more colonists were dying. Nunes knew exactly what to do. He told Oglethorpe how he had been one of the most successful doctors in Portugal and possessed an immense knowledge of infectious diseases. Defying the trustees’ requests, Oglethorpe agreed to let the Jewish colonists into Georgia so that Nunes could treat ill settlers. 

The newly arrived Jewish colonists brought with them Jewish items that were necessary for the practice of their faith and set out to establish a synagogue as one of their first objectives. They founded Congregation Mickve Israel, the third oldest Jewish community in America, which is still thriving in Savannah today. If it had not been for Dr. Samuel Nunes, the Sephardic Jewish settlers in search of a better life and religious freedom may not have ever been let into the colony. 

With hard work, Nunes curbed the epidemic and healed many sick Georgians. The trustees again urged Oglethorpe to oppress the Jewish settlers, telling him not to give them land grants. Oglethorpe again defied them, giving land to multiple Jewish families including the Nuneses. 

Unfortunately, when Spanish forces entered Georgia from Florida in 1740, many of the Jewish settlers fled the colony. They feared that the Spanish Catholic forces would persecute and kill them as they were doing to Jews in Spain. Nunes fled first to Charleston, South Carolina and then to New York City where he lived until he died in 1744 at the age of 76. 

The story of Doctor Samuel Nunes is one of bravery and dedication to faith, medicine, and building a better life for his family. His unique and inspirational life has been mostly lost to history, but he should be remembered for his contribution to the success of the colony of Georgia and the foundation of a Jewish community for Spanish and Portuguese Jewish families who fled to the colony for a new life. 

Sources: New Georgia Encyclopedia, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library