Assignments of the Various Friars 1747

ASSIGNMENTS OF THE VARIOUS FRIARS 1747

Sevilla, Mexico 61-3-1 (It does not appear on Hoffman’s conversion table), JTCC, reel 1. Sup.r Govt. - Year of

1747.

Testimony from the Autos made at the request of the Rev. Frs. Missionaries of the presidio of St. Augustine about

the salaries being paid to them that they have earned. It came with a letter of the Viceroy of New Spain of

15 of March of 1748-- no. 2.

1741 p. 17 Memoria, Fray Ygnacio Venegas, Missionary Procurator and Provincial Commissary of these regions of Florida... certified that the religious who have served in the Convent and Doctrinas of these parts in the past year of 1741...are as follows: in the Convent, the Rev. Fr. fray Juan de Torres, Preacher of the King.

Interpreters: the retired fray Joseph de Yta, in the Chiluca idiom, the fr. procurator, fray Manuel de San Antonio, in the Yamás idiom; the Brother fray Manuel de la Torre, Sacristan- supernumerary according to the royal decree-.... / p. 2.... Doctrineros- the Father Procurator fray Antonio Navarro in Tolomato- ...fray Francisco Gómez in

Pocotalaca- fray Juan Callejas in la Punta- Apalache - fray Luis Vecines.... dated 16 Oct. 1744 and signed--thus in

English--fray Ygnacio Venegas, Provincial Commissary.

GENERAL ARCHIVE OF THE INDIES, Sevilla

Secretariat of New Spain-- Secular-- Audiencia of Santo Domingo-- Province of la Florida. Letters and dispatches from the Governor of that province. Years 1728 to 1739. Stand 58-- Box 1-- Bundle 31. (Santo Domingo 844 in the modern system). Jeannette Thurber Connor Collection, reel 5. Typescript.

Florida- Year of 1726.-- Testimony of the autos and statements that have been taken concerning the justifying up to where the limits and jurisdiction of this Government reach in the area to the north of this Presidio.

AUTO.-- In the city of St. Augustine of Florida on the sixteenth day of the month of September of seventeen hundred and twenty-six, the señor Don Antonio de Benavides Vazan y Molina, cavalry colonel of the armies of his Majesty, exempt from his Royal guards of Corps and their Governor and Captain General of this said

city and its provinces belonging to its jurisdiction & (sic). He stated that, inasmuch as His Majesty (May God save him), in his Royal decree, dated in Madrid on the second of June of the current year, has deigned to order anew that his lordship should put into execution what is contained in the one that accompanies it, with the date of the twenty- second of June of the year just past of seventeen hundred and twenty-five, in which there is cited the ones of the tenth of the said month of June and eighteenth of August of seventeen hundred and twenty-four, with the ones and the others issued concerning the demolition / p. 2 of the fort that the English of Carolina have constructed in dominions belonging to his Majesty, and the adjustment of the limits of that province and including the jurisdiction that belongs to it. And because, before proceeding to the said business, it is very important to establish (justificar) the extent of the dominions that are subject to this government so that they may make with a clearer right the recommendations (? reconheciones)1 and defenses that are appropriate to the governor of that colony in the case of

[their] resisting the just possession of the ones that belong to His Majesty, his lordship was ordering and ordered me the notary that at once and for the continuation of this auto, that an inquiry be held involving all those persons who individually are able to provide an accounting and a report about the limits and jurisdiction of the lands that His

Majesty has and had to the north of this presidio and the ones that, in times past he was preoccupied with and that he possessed as his own and the rest that they may know about on the matter. And done, up to in the part that is sufficient so that the measures may be taken by his lordship as His Majesty may dispose in the Royal decrees cited.

And by this his lordship so provided, ordered, and signed, which the notary certified. -- Don Antonio de Benavides

-- Before me, Juan Solana, notary for the public and for the government.

STATEMENT of the Captain Don Juan Ruíz Mexia.-- In the city of St. Augustine of Florida, on the sixteenth day of the month of September of this year of seventeen hundred and twenty-six......

The Captain Don Juan Ruíz Mexia, who is such of infantry by His Majesty. He said that, to the one making the statement, while being an infantry soldier in one of the companies of this Presidio, he was named in an armament

(armamento) of ships and pirogues that in order to exterminate (? dasterminar) them, the English of Carolina made on this Presidio because of that territory belonging to the jurisdiction of this government. And when they were already on the point of carrying it out, in the mouth of the bar of the said Carolina, a northwind overtook them that obliged all the vessels to avail themselves (? fauorecerse) of the bay of Santa Elena, distant fifty leagues more or less from this presidio. In this bay a presidio was established that lasted for some time until it was demolished, with the garrison shipping out to this one of la Florida. And similarly the one making the statement said that, while he

was a soldier, he was stationed (destacado) with twelve men on the island of Santa Catalina, which was peopled by

Christian Indians of the Yguaja (Guale) nation, which existed for many years, who were under the obedience of this government, as also [was] the island of Sapala, the one of Azago- the one of Guadalquina- the one of Parauan- the one of San Phelipe, Santa María, and the island of San Juan. And that on all the islands alluded to, they were settled by Christian Indians, with religious of St. Francis who administered the holy sacraments to them and a garrison of soldiers on the island of Santa Catalina as head of the rest. The which is forty-six leagues distant, to the north, from this Presidio [St. Augustine]. And that with the hostilities that the said villages of Indians received from the English of Carolina, they went on retreating down to the Island of Santa María, on which they maintained themselves, divided into three villages until the year of 1702, when the abovementioned English from Carolina beseiged this plaza and they withdrew to this Presidio, where they are settled at present and it is evident at the time. That since he has had the use of reason, he knows about all of these dominions up to St. Jorge and its territory belonging to the

King, our master and lord. And what he has said and stated is the truth / p. 4 and what he knows and has seen under the burden of the oath that he has taken, which he reaffirms and ratifies whenever they ask him about it. And he is eighty-two years of age more or less. And he signed it and his lordship initialed it. Signed Juan Ruiz Mexia.--

Before me, Juan Solana, notary for the public and for the government.

STATEMENT of the: Sergeant-major Don Juan de Ayala.-- In the city of St. Augustine of Florida on the seventeenth day of the month of September of seventeen hundred and twenty-six......

The sergeant-major Don Juan de Ayala de Escobar said that he came to this presidio forty-four years ago, although he had many reports about it and its population long before. And that the lands that he has heard of before and after, that belong to the King our lord (May God save him) and that have belonged to him, are from St. Jorje (Charleston), which is where the English are today, down to the head of the Martyrs [the Keys] in the direction of the south. And that since the year of eighty-three that the one who is testifying is in this presidio, with the sergeant-major Don Juan

Márques de Cabrera governing, the English nation began to disturb the Spaniards and contrary to reason and justice they threw them out and settled on the Bay of Santa Elena. The latter had a presidio of Spaniards there, and so ancient before it happened. And while they were going to extinguish the presidio of Spaniards that was there, the

Indians killed the Royal officials of this plaza. For this reason, the said Presidio was suspended. Afterward, while

Don Francisco de la Guerra y de la Vega was governing these provinces, the one testifying heard that the said

English has settled in the said region. And he again heard it said that they had sent a de / [p. 5 which I failed to xerox] / p. 6 said city on the said day, month, and year...... (sic).

Juan de Sandoval, a soldier, stated that it was fifty-six years ago that the one testifying has been in this Presidio serving His Majesty with the position of an infantry soldier. And that on various occasions they named him to go on garrison duty to the island of Santa Catalina more or less forty leagues distant from this presidio, where he was stationed for six years on garrison duty. And that the said island was settled by Christian Indians. And that it had another seven places also settled by Christian Indians with their religious doctrineros. And that the one testifying knows and considers the region a dominion of his Majesty, where they say the English from Carolina have made a fort, because, in the year that the one testifying came to this presidio to serve his Majesty, with Don Francisco de la

Guerra y de la Vera governing, the heathen Indians allied with the English had depopulated the place of Talaje, which is the same territory where the fort exists today. And that because of the damages that they receive from the enemy Indians, it is evident to the one testifying that the island of Santa Catalina alluded to, like the rest that they withdrew to the one of Santa María from the island of Santa Catalina alluded to as well as from the rest on which they had been settled. They remained on it [Santa María] until all the Indians withdrew to the Presidio with the motive of the siege (citio) that the aforesaid Englishmen had placed on it. And that this is the truth and what he knows and has seen under the burden of the oath that he has taken, which he reaffirms and ratifies. And he would say it again every time that he is asked about it. And he is twenty-two years old. And he signed it and his lordship initialed it.- Juan de Sandoval......

STATEMENT of the adjutant Joseph Rodrígues / [pp. 7 & 8 were not xeroxed] / p. 9 he has said and declared is the truth and what he knows under the burden of the oath that he has taken, which he reaffirms and ratifies and what he will say every time that they question him. And that he is seventy-five years old or seventy-six. And he signed it and his lordship initialed it.- Alonso Dauila y Saauedra......

STATEMENT of the Captain of horse, Don Francisco Menéndez Márquez.--

In said city, on said day, month, and year......

The captain of horse Don Francisco Menéndez Márques, Accountant...... stated that since he has the use of reason, the one who is making the statement knows and has seen that, to the north of this presidio from the island of Santa Catalina down to the bar of San Juan [the mouth of the St. Johns], there were villages of Christian Indians, each one with their religious doctrinero belonging to the order of St. Francis, not only the islands, but also the

mainland. And [on] the occasion of the said island of Santa Catarina’s place having withdrawn to the one of Santa

María [as had] all the rest of the places that were on the mainland, because the heathen Indians allied to the

Englishmen were waging great hostilities. And the one testifying knows that in Santa Elena, fifty leagues distant from this presidio, was [where] the first presidio [was] that the King our lord had and the first conversions among the Indians. And the cause for the garrison of soldiers’ having withdrawn [from it] to this presidio of la Florida, he has heard say commonly that it was because of the royal officials having gone to pass from this presidio to the one of the said Santa Elena, they killed them on the trail. And it is evident to him about having heard that, where the fort exists today belonging to the Englishmen of St. Jorge, which they call the mouths of Talaja, distant likewise from this presidio, / (next page not xeroxed) / p. 11 that they came to disembark. And the other that, after the royal officials’ having gone from this presidio in order to pay the garrison of soldiers belonging to the Presidio of Santa

Elena, the Indians killed them on the trail. And it is evident to me that the spot (paraje) where today the Englishmen find themselves settled, which they call Carolina was the province that they called of Scamaqu. [meant to be

Escamacu.] And that from this presidio they were accustomed to go (se yba) [there] (? aya) by sea in vessels to search for fruits and by way of the rivers in pirogues until the Englishmen settled it while Don Francisco de la

Guerra y de la Vega was governing these provinces, who, as soon as he learned it, on finding two vessels belonging to his Majesty and one that had come to bring the situado from New Spain, he armed them for war. And they set out from this port and went to enter by way of the bar of Santa Catalina, the Indians of the province of Guale and some

Spaniards were mounted on these eight pirogues. And the said vessels and the pirogues having gone out by way of the rivers, while already being about to carry it out on the very port of the said St. Jorje, a strong storm came up in which the vessels were not able to remain and the said dislodgment was frustrated. And it is evident to me because of having seen it, all the islands settled to the north of this Presidio, which they used to call the province of Guale, of

Christian Indians with their religious doctrineros of the order of St. Francis and placed in front (y frontero) of the said islands on the mainland three places of Guale (yguajas) Indians, the one they used to call Oatuache [San Diego de Satuache], the other ones Tubieque and Talaje which is where they say the English have constructed a fort of wood. And it is evident to me by way of the operation that they are experiencing in this presidio of the said

Englishmen that since the settlement of St. Jorge began of finding themselves with some / forces favored from the

Indians allied to them. They have ruined and destroyed all the province of Guale in order to take possession of it, as it has been experienced. It is evident to me to be land of the King our lord up to the said Santa Elena. And so that it

may be evident according to what was ordered by his lordship in his auto of today, the day of the date, I am giving the present in la Florida on the nineteenth day of the month of September of seventeen hundred and twenty-six and in certification (fee) of it. Juan Solana, notary for the public and for the government.

Auto......

[The lower two-thirds of this page is blank.]

John H. Hann

October 9, 2003

Bureau of Archaeological Research

Note

1My rendition of this word is tentative inasmuch as no such word exists in modern Spanish. Accordingly, one must conjecture as to what the governor had in mind when he chose this manner of expressing it.