Letter from bishop of Durango to gobernador which accompanies documents detailing proceedures for secularization of fray Jose Benito Pereyro. (Raul P Saba F) (1981)

(J. Hiller, may 1989)

(T. Sheridan, March 1990)

Ugarte y Loyola informs of judicial, administrative, spiritual, economic, and defensive conditions in Sonora and Nueva Vizcaya. Notes problems in judicial branch including inexperience of secondary judges; lack of prisons, lawyers to consult with, and scribes to handle judicial proceedings; costs of prisons, paper, mail, etc.. Reports (f.30) of robberies and murders committed by Apaches and others, including bands of Taraumaras escaped from their mission. Proposed creation of a high court (f. 31.5). Discussion of founding capital city of 6 provincias (f. 32.5) and its relation to comandante general's residence and site of high court. Most advantageous site would be in San Bartholome Valley. Salt production and prices (f. 34). Report (35.5) that spiritual of gospel deeply affected. Much information (f. 37) regarding many Indian nations with respect to their geographic domains, hostilities, and relations to Spanish plan for defense. (J. Hiller, may 1989)

Martinez Caballero request funds withheld by the bishop of Sonora and owed him for work at the Bacadeguachi mission; Ugarte y Loyola writes Nunez de Haro y Peralta regarding report on Martinez C.'s sinodos, complaints by Indians of Martinez C. And therefore does not wish to grant Martinez C.'s request. 1208 pesos confiscated from Martinez C. To be used for Bacadehuachi mission improvements. (L. L. Woodward, August 1989)

Monumental Tome detailing everything you ever wanted to know about the missions of Nuevo Santander. One document comprising many assembled, transcribed reports from missions of Jalpam, Conca, Tancoiol, Tilaco, Landa, Herrera, Rioverde. Most of first half deals with Tancoiol, second half with Conca; others interspersed. F.359 concerns Landa; F.365 Jalpam; F.374 Conca; F.386 caderreita, Sierragorda; F.387 Rioverde, Nuevo Santander. Topics shuffled together, include minutely detailed description of architecture, ornamentation, furnishing of missions; reports on population (especially ff.349, 358, 375), crops planted (f.356), Indian labor in construction (344), livestock. Occasional mention of number of weddings, deaths of Indians. F.388 mentions Guastecos at Conca deserting. F.399 Indians gathered from mission to search of deserters. Throughout document are references to various missionaries, their document appears on ff.407-417 of this volume; See next entry. (A. Dean, April 1990)

Autos describing excandon's visit to five Sierra Gorda missions. Dismissal of missionary Cabeza de Baca for negligence of responsibilites, also discussion of need to rebuild mission structures, inventory of mission furnishings especially images of saints and religious paraphernalia, measurement of mission lands, list of Mecos Pames of Xalpa mission ff 97-100, including number of Christian converts. Auto regarding election of Alcaldes and other officials attended by Mecos Pames officials. Saldivar reports that in all missions the children and adults go to Christian doctrine classes and provide details on attendance. (L. L. Woodward, September 1989)

Copy of law requiring civil and ecclesiastical authorities to provide annual reports on reduccion and conversion work at missions and mission towns, also request for relacion on number and qualifications of religious personnel; complaints of negligence in providing reports in past. Discussion and summary of law, Series of documents attesting to knowledge of law by frays and request for their compliance. (L. L. Woodward, September 1989)

(L. L. Woodward, August 1989)

Copy of a letter from the king to the virrey ordering the Franciscan order to obey the statutes given in the preceding folios dated may 20, 1782, and the copy is dated December 15, 1787. Fiscal Oliva suggests virrey deny Boix permission on the Basis of the king's letter. Virrey grants permission to Boix but his punishment is to become a religious penitent. The virrey sends a letter to each of the colegios reminding them of the Ten year commitment and that those who seek to leave before then must become religious penitents. The virrey asks for information on Boix' departure from Veracruz and when he will arrive in Spain. (D. Bautista, June 1990)