2018 Absconding and Chasing Across the Western Sephardic Diaspora
Traveling in the Western Sephardic diaspora often raised questions among their creditors whether the purpose of a travel was really for legitimate business interests or an attempt to abscond with their funds. By analyzing sources from Portuguese Inquisition files, and notarial records from both Amsterdam and Oporto, this presentation examines the tension between legitimate and illegitimate mobility within the diaspora, and widespread surveillance of debtors across long distances.