Miqueli Family History & Genealogy

History

"The Miqueletes" = (Before) Derogatory for civil guards were mercenary soldiers recruited by the councils of the Crown of Aragon in the seventeenth century as a reinforcement of the regular forces. Also called to the armed forces and provincial Northern Spain (Basque Country, Navarra) that were suppressed in the mid-nineteenth century.

Miquelet were irregular local troops in Catalonia who some say derived their name, it is said, from Miguel or Miquelot de Prats, a Catalan mercenary captain in the service of Cesare Borgia.

They enjoyed a certain prominence in the minor wars of Spain during the 17th and 18th centuries and in peace seem to have plundered travelers.

In the War of the Spanish Succession (q.v.) the Miquelets continued the struggle against the French claimant until long after the peace.
During the Peninsular War they were exceedingly successful in harassing the French invaders in the mountains of Catalonia. Sometimes they even attempted operations in large bodies, as in the operations round Gerona in 1808 and 1809.
They were maintained by several parishes, not by the central or the provincial governments, and they turned out for duty on the sound of the village alarm-bell (somaten) they are frequently called somatenes.

'Miquelot Prats' a military Catalan, seventeenth century, probably born in Prats de Lluçanès, was one of the chief body Miquelets. They were a band of mercenaries founded in 1640 during the War of the Reapers, which saw the Catalan revolt against the Spanish monarchy. The nickname of the auxiliary troops come from this name.

Name Origin

Miqueli - J2: Semitic Origin. Mostly found in the Middle East, Mediterranean, and North Africa. This haplogroup contains the Cohen modal lineage which is found in about 5% of those with this origin. Sephardic Jews and Arab Moors belong to this Haplogroup and they were among the earliest settlers of the Iberian Peninsula. About 28% of Sephardic Jews have this origin. 6% of modern day Iberians have J, J1, or J2 origin.

Spellings & Pronunciations

It is believed that the word MIQUELET (Miqueletes or Migueletes) developed directly from Miqueli.
The origins of Miquelet are somewhat known but the origins of the Miqueli name itself remains unknown except it can be traced only as far back as 1724 Nuremberg Germany.

Nationality & Ethnicity

In the 10th century, a distinctive Jewish culture formed in Central Europe. This came to be called Ashkenazi, from Ashkenaz (Genesis 10:3), the medieval Hebrew name for northern Europe and Germany.
Ashkenaz was centered on the Rhineland and the Palatinate (notably Worms and Speyer), in what is now the westernmost part of Germany. It's geographic extent did not coincide with the German principalities of the time, and it included northern France. Ashkenaz bordered on the area inhabited by another distinctive Jewish cultural group, the Sephardim or Spanish Jews, which ranged into southern France.

Nothing is known with certainty about the vernacular of the earliest Jews in Germany but several theories have been put forward. The first language of Ashkenazi Jews may, as noted above, have been Aramaic, the vernacular of the Jews in Roman-era Judea and ancient and early medieval Mesopotamia.

MIQUELI are members of an ancient german-jewish family. Ashkenazi Jews who can be traced as far back as 1724 Nuremberg Germany.

They relocated to Sicily after being persecuted by the Prussians. They departed Italy after being persecuted by Garibaldi's Red Shirts and settled in Spain as Sephardic Jews till they converted to Catholicism during the 'Converso' after being persecuted during the Spanish Inquisition.

Eventually they left Europe in 1894 settling in San Antonio de los Banos & Habana Cuba.

In 1959 Cuba became a Communist state under Fidel Castro. Fearing persecution based on the socialist system now controlled by a dictator, they exiled from Cuba in the mid-1960's, settling in the United States, particularly New York and Florida.

Famous People named Miqueli

Francisco Miqueli arrived on Ellis Island enroute to Havana Cuba in 1909 at age 25,
Pedro Miqueli arrived on Ellis Island enroute to Havana Cuba in 1920 at age 27,
Ramiro Miqueli US Army Vietnam War fought in the Battle of Ia Drang Valley 1965,
Violeta Miqueli Author "Women in Myth and History",
Alfredo Miqueli real name of Lorenzo Brieba.

Early Miquelis

These are the earliest records we have of the Miqueli family.