William Annyas

Who is William Annyas?

In 1555 William Moses Annyas Eanes became the Mayor of Youghal in County Cork, he was the first person of the Jewish religion to hold such an elected position in Ireland.

William Moses Annyas Eanes was the grandson of Gil Eanes of Belmonte, Portugal. Many of the first Jewish people to come to Ireland were Marrano merchants from the Iberian peninsula.

His daughter married Yacov Kassin son of Yehuda Kassin a Marrano merchant who had moved to Galway in Ireland.

The surname Eanes also, is from the Hebrew Ben Yohanan and in Arabic, Ibn Yahia.

There was a three-time Mayor of Youghal in 1569 and 1576 and 1581 called Francis Eanes, although the exact relation to "William" Moses is unclear.