Ferrand (or Ferrán) Martinez (fl. 14th century) was an elite Spanish cleric at the Cathedral of Seville and archdeacon of ÃÂcija most noted for being an antisemitic agitator whom historians cite as the prime mover behind the series of massacres of the Spanish Jews in 1391, beginning in the city of Seville.ÃÂ
Little is known of MartÃÂnez's early life.àBefore taking up the position at ÃÂcija, he was the confessor of the queen mother of Aragón.
MartÃÂnez was made an alcalde (royal judge) in 1376.
In 1378 he began preaching sermons against the Jews. Although Enriques II's heir Juan I commanded him to cease his rabble-rousing, he ignored the royal order, as well as commands from the primate of Spain, Archbishop Barroso of Toledo. For more than a decade MartÃÂnez continued his verbal assaults, telling Catholics to "expel the Jews...and to demolish their synagogues."
His preaching on February 19, 1388, alarmed SevilleâÂÂs Jewish community, known as the aljama.
A tipping point occurred when both Juan I and Barroso died in 1390, leaving his 11-year-old son Henry III to rule under the regency of his mother. MartÃÂnez continued his campaign against the Jews of Seville, calling on clergy and people to destroy synagogues and seize Jewish holy books and other items. These events led to a further royal order deposing MartÃÂnez from his office and ordering damaged synagogues be repaired at Church expense. Declaring that neither the state nor the local church authorities had power over him, he ignored the commands.
MartÃÂnez was imprisoned again by royal order in 1395, and although he was quickly released, he died soon after, leaving his fortune to a hospital he had founded at San MarÃÂa, Seville.