- First name
- Rachel
- Last name
- Espinosa, de
- Date of Birth
- -
- Date of Death
- 1627.02.21
- Born in
- -
- Died in
- -
The exact date of the marriage between Michael and Rachel is uncertain. Some stress 1620 as the date of their marriage. However, 1622 or early 1623 is also possible (Meinsma, p. 56).
Rachel, Michael’s first wife, died in [Amsterdam] on 21 February 1627. No details are known about the circumstances of her death. She was buried (row 9, no. 18) at Beth Haim in Ouderkerk aan de Amstel on the same day. The text in the burial register ‘Livro de Bet Haim’ reads:
On 21 February 5387 [of] the year 1627 is buried Rachel de Espinosa spouse of Michael d’Espinosa in row 9, no. 18.
(‘Livro de Bet Haim’, quoted in Walther and Czelinski, vol. 1, p. 187, no. 14).
The inscription on the (extant) headstone of Rachel’s tomb has the following text:
Grave of Rachel de Espinosa spouse of Michael d’Espinosa who died on 5 Adar of the year 5387.
(quoted in Spinoza, mercator & autodidactus, p. 3, I,A).
On the day of Rachel’s burial Michael commemorated his wife’s death by offering one (Carolus) guilder to the Amsterdam Sephardi community (Walther and Czelinski, vol. 1, p.188, no. 16).