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The Sale of the Hacienda of Tabaloapa: A Case-Study of Jesuit Property Redistribution in Mexico, 1771-1781

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 December 2015

H. Bradley Benedict
H. Bradley Benedict*
Affiliation:
“Lummilot”, Bellingham, Washington
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Extract

One of the most momentous actions in the history of the Spanish colonial empire was the crown's expulsion and expropriation proceedings against the Society of Jesus in 1767. This topic has long received much scholarly attention. Perhaps of greater significance, but of almost total historiographical neglect, was the Spanish government's management, redistribution, and liquidation of the Jesuit assets during 1767-1820. As a result of those processes, hundreds of the best real and improved properties in Spanish America changed hands and millions of pesos were siphoned to Spain from overseas.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Americas , Volume 32 , Issue 2 , October 1975 , pp. 171 - 195
Copyright
Copyright © Academy of American Franciscan History 1975

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References

1 For useful excerpts and a good bibliography, see Mörner, Magnus, ed., The Expulsion of the Jesuits from Latin America (New York, 1965).Google Scholar

2 A provocative exploratory essay is Bauer, Arnold, “The Church and Spanish American Agrarian Structure,” The Americas, 28 (July 1971),78–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

3 This essay is based primarily on MSS located at the Archivo General de la Nación, Mexico, in the Temporalidades collection (hereafter that repository and ramo will be cited AGN and Temps., respectively). According to a recently published index there is much material concerning the Mexican ex-Jesuit properties in the National Archives of Chile; however, no additional documentation for Chihuahua or Tabaloapa is listed. See Pinzón, Hermes Tovar, “Las haciendas jesuitas de México, índice de documentos existentes en el Archivo Nacional de Chile,” Historia Mexicana, 20, No. 4 (Apr.-June 1971), 563–617 Google Scholar; XXI, No. 1 (July-Sept. 1971), 135-189.

4 Additional background material is in Benedict, H. Bradley, “The Distribution of the Expropriated Jesuit Properties in Mexico, With Special Reference to Chihuahua, 1767–1790” (Ph.D. dissertation, University of Washington, 1970), 1–120.Google Scholar

5 Pious works were usually endowed in the form of annuities called “censos.” A good discussion of such instruments is in Zubillaga, Felix S.J. “La provincia jesuítica de Nueva España su fomento económico: siglo XVI,” Archivum Historicum Societatis lesu, 38 (Jan.-June 1969), 40 41Google Scholar. Endowments for chaplaincies (capellanías) also were annuities, but they were not termed “censos.” They are well described in Costeloe, Michael P., Church Wealth in Mexico: A Stuly of the ‘Juzgado de Capellanías’ in the Archbishopric of Mexico, 1800-1856 (Cambridge, Eng., 1967), 47–49.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

6 Real Cédula, 9 Jul. 1769, printed in Collección general de las providencias hasta aquí tomadas por el gobierno sobre el estrañamiento y ocupación de temporalidades de los regulares de la Compañía … (5 vols. Madrid, 1767–1784), III, 117–145. Hereafter this work will be cited as CGP. As this collection was a handbook compiled and published periodically for the use of officials in the field, it is the prime source for Spanish imperial policy. The last two volumes were not as widely distributed as the first three, so five-volume sets of this compilation are very rare. One exists in the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

7 Basic sources are Chevalier, François, Land and Society in Colonial Mexico: The Great Hacienda, trans. Eustis, Alvin, ed. Simpson, Lesley B. (Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1963), 229–262 Google Scholar; and Macera, Pablo, “Instrucciones para el manejo de las haciendas jesuitas del Perú (ss. XVII XVIII),” Nueva Coránica, 2 (Lima, 1966), 5–49.Google Scholar

8 Real Cédula, 27 Mar. 1769. CGP, II, 120–139. This was later printed in de Fonseca, Fabián and de Urrutia, Carlos, Historia general de real hacienda (1791–1793) (6 vols., vols., Mexico, 1845–1853), V, 119–133.Google Scholar

9 In Mendoza (now in Argentina), the commissioner was not considered to be a board member at all ( Fontana, Esteban, “La expulsión de los jesuitas de Mendoza y sus repercusiones económicas,” Revista Chilena de Historia y Geografía, No. 130 [Santiago, 1962], 77–78).Google Scholar

10 Real Cédula, 27 Mar. 1769, CGP, II, 127. Embodying the interests of royal and local government, the Church, and the public (three times over), the juntas municipales were intended to be broadly representative and, in the context of the Spanish Enlightenment, unusually democratic.

11 In addition to the twenty-six colleges, there were six seminaries, a novitiate, and the House of the Professed (Casa Profesa). See “Extracto de las applicaciones hechos por la Junta Superior,” in González, Victor Rico, ed. Documentos sobre la expulsión de los jesuitas y ocupación de sus temporalidades en Nueva España, 1771–1783 (Mexico, 1949), 54–67.Google Scholar

12 Relación of Capitán Lope de Cuéllar, 25 Mar. 1768, and the inventory (razón) for each hacienda, each dated 31 Dec. 1772—all in AGN, Archivo Histórico de Hacienda (hereafter cited as AHH), legajo 2020-4.

13 Cuéllar to Viceroy Marqués de Croix, 5 Jan. 1768, AGN, Provincias Internas, 98.

14 Real Cédula, 27 Mar. 1769, CGP, II, 120 139; Croix to Carrillo, 6 Oct. 1770, AGN, Temps. 47.

15 Carrillo summarized his efforts in two subsequent communications: “Escrito de D. Franco Ant0 Carrillo Comisionado que fue de esta Colegio sobre varios asuntos pendientes, [c. July 1780,] AGN, Temps. 62; and Carrillo to Viceroy Antonio María de Bucareli y Ursúa, 27 Mar. 1776, AGN, Temps. 47.

16 Auto (sworn statement in the presence of a notarizing scribe) of Junta Municipal, 28 Jan. 1771. AGN, Temps. 47.

17 Auto of Junta Municipal, 29 Jan. 1771, AGN, Temps. 47.

18 Autos of Junta Municipal, 5 and 6 Feb. 1771, AGN, Temps. 47. For the appointment and duties .of a defender, see Real Cédula, 7 Oct. 1767, CGP, I, 141-143, and Instrucción, 24 Feb. 1768, CGP, II,44-46.

19 “Quenta de los avaluos de Maestro Lorenzo Zepeda” and “Abaluos hecho por Maestro Jph Urbina,” each dated 4 Feb. 1771, AGN, Temps. 47. Both these documents have slight errors which were corrected on 20 Dec. 1773 in copies found in AGN, Temps. 106.

20 Autos of Márques, 31 Jan. and 4 Feb. 1771, AGN, Temps. 47. The volume of the titlepapers was substantial. Merely for the estates formerly owned by the College of Chihuahua, the Surveyor received 1,417 fojas (sheets, or 2,834 modern pages) of descriptions and measurements. Regarding the latter, the word “sitio” poses a problem of definition. It was a land measuring term used to express linear distance and area size. A property five sitios long and three sitios wide embraced an area of fifteen (square) sitios. Simple enough, except that a sitio was based on another measuring term, a vara (a Spanish yard or pace) which in different times, places, and amounts departed from a standard size. Apparently, the original linear vara was the equivalent of 33.38 inches. Five thousand such varas composed the old Spanish land league—and the ancient linear sitio—equal to 2.63 miles. In area, the old league and sitio embraced 25,000,000 (square) varas, or 6.76 square miles (or about 4,409 acres). However, in Mexico the vara became shortened over time to an equivalent of 32.99 inches. Therefore, in area a Mexican sitio, still composed of 25,000,000 (square) varas, came to contain about 6.71 square miles or about 4,340 acres.

21 Autos of Márques, 6-25 Feb. 1771, AGN, Temps. 47. In the surveying crew were two measurers (medidores), two markers (apuntadores), and a counter (contador). They worked with a surveyor’s line (cordel) fifty varas in length, counting cordel lengths essentially along north-south and east-west base lines. Regarding the size of a caballería, its legal area varied within the Spanish empire, but at least in the Province of Nueva Vizcaya it was supposed to contain 609,408 (square) varas, a measurement that converts to 106 acres. As thus prescribed, there were slightly more than forty-one caballerías per sitio.

22 Declaración of Márques, 15 Jul. 1771, AGN, Temps. 47. The efforts of the surveying team were arduous, and don Juan’s personal remuneration was to be substantial. According to rates approved for the Province of Nueva Vizcaya, he presented an itemized bill for 1,649 ps. Roughly one-third of that amount was chargeable to Tabaloapa and was to be assumed eventually by the hacienda’s purchaser. Of the total sum, Márques’ crew of five was to receive only 190 ps. (2 ps, each man per surveying day). The Surveyor himself was to obtain the balance in fees for various services: viewing title-papers, writing reports, and supervising the crew (@ 12 ps. per sitio and 2½ ps., or 20 reales, per caballería). See Tasación of Márques, 16 Jul. 1771, AGN, Temps. 47.

23 Irigoyen and Guzmán, “Abaluo de las tierras de Tabaloapa,” 3 Aug. 1771, AGN, Temps. 47.

24 Viceroy to Junta Municipal, 23 Nov. 1773, AGS,Temps. 47 (copy in Temps. 106).

25 Autos of Cadrecha, 29 Aug. and 22 Oct. 1771; Auto of Gradilla, 9 Oct. 1771; Auto of Carrillo, 31 Oct. 1771; Información of Cadrecha, 4 Nov. 1771; and Auto of Queipo, 4 Nov. 1771—all in AGN, Temps. 47. Also, minutes of the Cabildo of Chihuahua, 8 and 9 Oct. 1771, “Libros de Cabildo, 1768 1774,” Archivo Municipal de Chihuahua, leg. 1768-11.

26 One need not dwell here on all the duties of a fiscal de lo civil, but regarding the Temporalities that official served as the chief defender for all the properties in a superior-level jurisdiction. In connection with Temporalities’ affairs, he was often referred to as a “fiscal defender” or “fiscal defensor.”

27 Auto of Junta Municipal, 7 Nov. 1771, AGN, Temps. 47.

28 Auto of Carrillo, 13 Nov. 1770 [sic. 1771 ] and Edicto of Queipo, 16 Nov. 1771, AGN, Temps. 47.

29 The total commitments for all the Chihuahuan ex-Jesuit haciendas totaled nearly 98,000 ps., or roughly 8,000 ps. more than the improved real estate’s aggregate valuation.

30 Razón of the Hacienda of Tabaloapa, 31 Dec. 1772, AGN, AHH leg. 2020-4. Also, “Plan de las rentas eclesiásticas … [1 June 1767-31 Dec. 1771],” 13 July 1776, AGN, Temps. 196.

31 “Estado de dependencias … hasta fin de 1772,” 4 May 1773, AGN, AHH, leg. 2020-4; Pedimento of Fiscal Baltasar Ladrón de Guevara, 20 Nov. 1772, AGN, Temps. 8.

32 Pragmática Sanción de Su Magestad, …” 2 Apr. 1767, CGP, I, 39; also in Fonseca, and Urrutia, , Real hacienda, 5, 93.Google Scholar

33 Real Cédula, 27 Mar. 1769, CGP, II, 125, 132-133; also in Fonseca, and Urrutia, , Real hacienda, 5, 121,128–129.Google Scholar

34 Certificaciones of Fernández, 17 Nov.-19 Dec. 1771, AGN, Temps. 47.

35 Escritura de postura of Velarde and Tornera, 16 Dec. 1771, AGN, Temps. 47.

36 Auto of Cuéllar, 24 Nov. 1767, AGN, Temps. 8.

37 Autos of Queipo, 19 Dec. 1771 and Velarde and Tornera, 20 Dec. 1771, AGN, Temps. 47.

38 Auto of Junta Municipal, 3 Feb. 1772, AGN, Temps. 47.

39 Kinnaird, Lawrence, ed., The New Frontiers of New Spain: Nicolás de Lafora’s Description, 1766–1768 (Berkeley, 1958), passim Google Scholar; Escrito of Carrillo, [c. July 1780,] AGN, Temps. 62; Carrillo to Mangino, 9 Feb. 1773, AGN, AHH, leg. 304-6; O’Conor to Bucareli, 20 Dec. 1771, in Mañé, J. Ignacio Rubio, ed. “El Temente Coronel don Hugo O’Conor y la situación en Chihuahua, año de 1771,” Boletín del Archivo General de la Nación, 1st s. 30 ,No. 3 (Mexico, 1959), 372–391.Google Scholar

40 Auto of Junta Municipal, 8 Feb. 1771, AGN, Temps. 47.

41 “Reglamento de sueldos….,” [c. Jul. 1772,] Fonseca, and Urrutia, , Real hacienda, 5, 242.Google Scholar

42 Bucareli to Junta Municipal, 9 Mar. 1773, AGN, Temps. 8.

43 Escrito of Tomás de Zubiaur (“Agente de Negocios”), [c. Mar. 1769,]; “Extracto y plan del cargo dela cuenta de Dn Fernando Velarde,” 29 Jan. 1770; Pedimento of Guevara, 30 Nov. 1772—all in AGN, Temps. 8.

44 Acuerdo of Junta Superior de Aplicaciones, 12 Feb. 1773, and addenda, AGN, Temps. 8.

45 Dictamen of Director General Fernando José Mangino, 30 Dec. 1773, AGN, Temps. 8.

46 Mangino to Carrillo, 9 Mar. 1773, AGN, AHH, leg. 304–6.

47 Bucareli to Junta Municipal, 9 Mar. 1773, AGN, Temps. 8.

48 Auto of Junta Municipal, 24 May 1773, AGN, Temps. 155.

49 Bucareli to Junta Municipal, 28 July. 1773, AGN, AHH, leg. 304-6; Bucareli to Ayuntamiento, 16 Aug. 1773, Archivo Municipal de Chihuahua, leg. 1773–1.

50 Junta Municipal to Corregidor Queipo, 23 Sept. 1773, Archivo Municipal de Chi-huahua, leg. 1773-1; Junta Municipal to Bucareli, 22 Mar. 1774, AGN, Temps. 106.

51 After much prodding by the central officials, Commissioner Carrillo finally produced reports in 1776 from which one could make a rough comparison of pre- and post-expulsion productivity. Those reports were hardly satisfactory then, and they are inadequate now. See “Estado que manifiesta los Productos, Gastos, y Resultas … [1762–1766],” 7 Oct. 1774, AGN, Temps. 47; and “Estado que manifiesta los Productos y Gastos … de Tabaloapa [1 Jul. 1767–31 Dec. 1773],” 31 Dec. 1773, AGN, Temps. 106. For the transfer of cattle from the missions to the haciendas, see the razón for each mission in AGN, AHH, leg. 2020–4.

52 Escrito of Zubiaur, [c. Jun. 1773,] AGN, Temps. 8.

53 Bucareli to Junta Municipal, 20 Nov. 1773, AGN, Temps. 47. Most of the original MSS of the Tabaloapa-sale expediente are in this volume. Copies of documents from 20 Nov. 1773 to 26 Aug. 1776 can be found in AGN, Temps. 106.

54 Carrillo to Alcalde de primer voto, Durango, 15 Jan. 1774, AGN, Temps. 196.

55 Carrillo to Queipo, 7 Jan. 1774; Auto of Junta Municipal, 13 Jan. 1774; Auto of Velarde and Tornera, 15 Jan. 1774—all in AGN, Temps. 196.

56 “Pregones de las haciendas que dentro se expresan,” 30 Jan. 1774, AGN, Temps. 47.

57 Escritura de postura of Mariñelarena, 17 Feb. 1774, AGN, Temps. 47.

58 Real cédula, 27 Mar. 1769, CGP, II, 125; also in Fonseca, and Urrutia, , Real hacienda, 5, 122.Google Scholar

59 Examples of low down-payments can be found in “Razón individual de los productos líquidos … de fincas rústicas y urbanas,” [c. Jul. 1782,] AGN, Temps. 184. The most striking example of a sub-appraisal price was the purchase by Pedro Romero de Terreros of the Hacienda of Santa Lucía complex for 1,020,000 ps., slightly more than half the appraised-value. See Bucareli to Figueroa, 27 Jan. and 27 Mar. 1778, González, Rico, ed., Documentos, 194 197Google Scholar; and de Terreros, Manuel Romero, El Conde de Regla: Creso de la Nueva España (Mexico, 1943), 132–133.Google Scholar

60 Pedimento of Areche, 20 May 1774 and Acuerdo of Junta Provincial de Enagenaciones, 8 Jul. 1774, AGN, Temps. 47.

61 Edicto [of the Corregidor of Mexico], 9 Aug. 1774, AGN, Temps. 47. Observe that, while the Chihuahuan announcement of 30 Jan. 1774 at least mentioned one burden, the Mexican proclamation of 9 Aug. 1774 made no mention of any burdens.

62 Certificaciones of Scribe Juan Antonio Marino, 23 Sept.-l Oct. 1774, and [Avaluos de] Tabaloapa, [c. Sept. 1774,]—all in AGN, Temps. 47.

63 Auto of Junta Municipal, 12 Sept. 1774, and Afirmación of Executors, 23 Sept. 1774, AGN, Temps. 47.

64 Auto of Junta Municipal, with Velarde and Tornera, 1 Oct. 1774, AGN, Temps. 47.

65 Escrito of Velarde and Tornera, and Auto of Junta Municipal, both dated 10 Oct. 1774, AGN, Temps. 47. As one point the Board unilaterally decided to lower the approved price to 25 JOS ps. because a small duplication came to light in the real estate appraisal, but seemingly without consulting the Executors, the Junta left the total at 25,871 ps.

66 Auto of Junta Municipal, 12 Oct. 1774, AGN, Temps. 47.

67 Bucareli to Aranda, 27 Oct. 1773, Ceballos, Rómulo Velasco, ed. La administración de Frey Antonio María de Bucareli y Ursua (2 vols., Mexico, 1936), I, 115–117 Google Scholar; Mañe, Rubio, ed., “O’Conor y Chihuahua,” Boletín del Archivo General de la Nación, 1st s. 30, No. 4 (Mexico, 1959), 660 Google Scholar; Bobb, Bernard E., The Viceregency of Antonio Maria Bucareli in New Spain, 1771–1779 (Austin, 1962), 140.Google Scholar

68 Pedimento of Areche, 21 Jan. 1774, with addenda, AGN, Temps. 47.

69 Carrillo to Francisco Xavier de Corres and Fernando José Mangino [then, Co-Directores Generales], 16 Nov. 1770; Corres and Mangino to Carrillo, 26 Jan. 1771; Dirección General to Carrillo, 18 May 1771—all in AGN, AHH leg. 304 6; also see scribal-copied documents in an expediente labeled “San Juan y Santa Cruz,” in AGN, AHH, leg. 2020–1.

70 This question was further compounded by the fact that the 30,000-peso education fund and the 24,900-peso loan had been contributed to the Chihuahuan Jesuits by the same man, a former governor of Nueva Vizcaya, Manuel San Juan y Santa Cruz, who in assuming the debts of a corrupt uncle had over-committed himself. See the expediente cited in the preceeding footnote and “Expediente sobre Administración manejo de la Hacienda de Ensinillas,” 1788-1790, AGN, Temps. 159.

71 Pedimento of Areche, 25 Aug. 1775, AGN, Temps. 47.

72 Acuerdo of Junta Provincial de Enagenaciones, 7 Oct. 1775, AGN, Temps. 8. A few years later, the Settlements Board handed the problem back to the Property Transfers Board by placing the responsibility for the education endowment entirely on the Hacienda of Dolores. As a result, that estate became burdened for nearly twice is valuation, making it impossible to sell during the balance of royal rule.

73 The days prescribed for board-meetings are mentioned in Bucareli to Aranda, 25 Aug. 1772, in González, Rico, ed., Documentos, 101.Google Scholar

74 Acuerdos of Junta Municipal, 2-9 Dec. 1775; Verificación of Velarde and Tornera, 4 Dec. 1775—all in AGN, Temps. 47.

75 Auto of Carrillo and Velarde, 11 Dec. 1775, AGN Temps. 47.

76 Autos of Carrillo and Velarde, 13–16 Dec. 1775, and Auto of Junta Municipal, 5 Feb. 1776—all in AGN, Temps. 47.

77 Autos of Carrillo, 20 Feb., 21 Mar., and 10 Apr. 1776; Auto of Carrillo and Velarde, 23 Mar. 1776; Velarde to González Calderón (copy), 21 Mar. 1776; and Auto of Velarde, 13 Apr. 1776—all in AGN, Temps. 47. The only available record of the payment was in Director General to Viceroy, 23 Sept. 180, AGN, Temps. 159.

78 Chief Accountant to Director General, 4 Sept. 1777, AGN, Temps. 47.

79 Autos of Junta Municipal, 20 Jun., 23 and 26 Aug. 1776; and Auto of Velarde, 23 Aug. 1776—all in AGN, Temps. 47.

80 Escritura de traslación de gravámenes, 20 Feb. 1776 and Escritura de venta, 24 Feb. 1776, both in AGN, Temps. 47.

81 Addenda to Mangino to Viceroy, 13 Nov. 1777; Pedimento of Fiscal, 17 Mar. 1779, both in AGN, Temps. 47.

82 Real Orden, 5 Nov. 1778, “Colección de Reales órdenes y cédulas sre Jesuitas … 1774–1794,” Biblioteca Nacional, Mexico, MS 1033, p. 199.

83 Mayorga to Junta Municipal, 5 Sept. 1781, AGN, AHH leg. 304–6.