C-A 50 · State Papers, Missions, Tomos I–V

Manuscript scans: this volume on the Internet Archive (digitized microfilm of the Savage transcripts).

Printable finding aid (PDF) — the full one-line record list with provenance, for offline use and circulation.

Notable documents

• 1793 · not stated in Savage's abstract — 'Sn Francisco Javier.' [San Francisco Javier]. Church forty one varas long and 7 1/2 wide, of lime and stone with transept and half orange dome; tower of 3 bodies; sacristy 4 1/2 varas wide by eight long; counter sacristy the same; baptistery 3 1/2 wide by 4 1/2 long; choir the width of the church. Abundant images with jewels, ornaments… (orig. p. 598-611) manuscript scan ↗
• 1793 · not stated in Savage's abstract — 'San Ignacio' [San Ignacio]. The church is of one nave with its transept, 44 varas long and 7 1/2 wide; paved floor, vaulted roof, walls of lime and stone, likewise the 2 sacristies, baptistery and chapel, as also the choir. Four altars, 47 canvases with gilt frames, fourteen sculpted images, 17 canvases in the sacristy. Sacred vessels,… (orig. p. 630-35) manuscript scan ↗
• 1812-12-31 · Fr. Francisco Suñer & Fr. José Barona — Estragos del terremoto de 1812 — the Great Stone Church (cal y canto, blessed 8 Sep 1806) collapsed in one minute during the first Mass, 8 Dec 1812: the tower swayed twice, fell onto the façade & the congregation, bringing down the vault to the crossing — 40 Indians killed (38 adults, 2 children), only 6 escaped 'como por milagro'; no… (orig. p. iv.220–21) manuscript scan ↗
• 1827 · Fr. José Mª de Zalvidea & Fr. José Barona (San Juan Capistrano) → Echeandía (Gefe Político) — Petición al Gefe Político á favor de los Indios — a learned legal brief arguing the neophytes' aboriginal land title on the eve of secularization: 'todas estas tierras eran y son de los indios' (a scholastic proof via Esdras/Solórzano/Torquemada that the Indians descend from the land's first settlers, 'luego son suyas estas tierras'),… (orig. p. v.209–16) manuscript scan ↗
• 1834 (⚠ 'Feb 18' header conflicts w/ the Aug-1834 reglamento it cites) · Fr. Marcos Antonio de Vitoria & Fr. Juan Moreno — La Purísima SECULARIZATION INVENTORY — Inventario general de los bienes de la Misión per art. 15 of the Reglamento Provisional de Secularización de 9 Ago 1834. Avaluadores Guillermo G. (William) Dana & Santiago Laqui[?]; Comisionado Domingo Carrillo; Mayordomo José Antonio Domínguez. Full avalúo: casa principal (21 cuartos) $4,300; 14… (orig. p. v.457–69) manuscript scan ↗
• 1834-11-09 · Gov. José Figueroa → Secretario de Relaciones Interiores y Exteriores — Exposición sobre el derecho que tienen los indios á los bienes de las Misiones — the governor's statement on the Indians' right to the mission property at secularization (borrador original; Savage notes it is also in Figueroa's printed Manifiesto). Direct counterpart to the 1827 Zalvidea–Barona petition (Doc 413) (orig. p. v.476–91) manuscript scan ↗
• 1790-07-01 — Resumen de la población de los establecimientos de la Nueva [Alta] California — by establishment, gente de razón (H/M) vs. Indios (H/M): Monterey presidio 216, Carmel 742, San Antonio 1036, San Luis 614, San Diego presidio 222, Mission SD 916, San Juan Capistrano 698, San Gabriel 1051, 'San Miguel' 110 [?—a Baja Dominican mission… (orig. p. i.186–87) manuscript scan ↗
• 1791-12-31 · Arrillaga — Estado del censo y castas de los presidios y misiones de la Antigua [Baja] California — province-wide table (H/M/niños/niñas) for 18 poblaciones (Loreto presidio+mission, Real de Sta Ana, San José del Cabo, Santiago, San Javier, Comondú, La Purísima, Guadalupe, Sta Rosalía, San Ignacio, Sta Gertrudis, San Borja, San Fernando, Rosario,… (orig. p. i.202–04) manuscript scan ↗
• 1795-12 · Macario Castro — Padrón de todas las misiones sujetas a la jurisdicción de Monterey… con sus edades, estados y nombres — a 1795 NOMINAL census of the Monterey-district missions (Savage gives per-mission summaries): San Antonio (Frs. Sitjar & Cípres) 1148 almas; San Luis Obispo 808; El Carmelo/San Carlos 876 (matrimonios/viudos/solteros/párvulos… (orig. p. i.333–68) manuscript scan ↗
• ~1797 (data 1792–96) — Cálculo de la mortalidad en las misiones de la Alta California — from the 1792–96 annual mission states, computed annual death rates: San Francisco 15.75%, Santa Clara 12.06%, Santa Cruz 11.78%, San Carlos 7.08%, Soledad 6.33%, San Antonio 4.07%, San Luis 5.59%, La Purísima 5.90%, Santa Bárbara 8.73%, San Buenaventura 7.30%, San… (orig. p. i.554–55) manuscript scan ↗
• 1793 · not stated in Savage's abstract — 'Mision de Todos Santos.' [Mission of Todos Santos]. Church 24 varas long by nine wide, with an octagonal chapel of Na Sra del Rosario finished in a vault, all of adobes and timber; the sacristy at one side. Has jewels, ornaments and vestments fine, of gold and silver and fine stones; diverse images with rich clothing. The fathers'… (orig. p. 587-97) manuscript scan ↗
• 1793 · not stated in Savage's abstract — 'Comondu.' [Comondu]. The church is of three naves, 30 varas long and 13 wide, entirely flagged with dressed stone, vaulted roof, walls of stone, and choir, sacristy and baptistery of the same. Has 3 altars, 25 paintings and 6 images. Rich sacred vessels, jewels of silver, ornaments of tissue and other cloths. The fathers' house is very… (orig. p. 612-17) manuscript scan ↗
• 1793 · not stated in Savage's abstract — 'La Purisima.' [La Purisima]. The church is 25 varas long and 6 1/2 wide, flagged, with jacal roof and walls of adobes, the sacristy and baptistery the same. Various jewels, scanty ornaments and some clothing. The fathers' house is of adobe, spacious; library of 200 volumes; utensils for carpentry and a forge; and an account of the… (orig. p. 618-23) manuscript scan ↗
• 1793 · not stated in Savage's abstract — 'Na Sra de Guadalupe' [Our Lady of Guadalupe]. The church is 32 varas long and seven wide, its walls of adobes and roof of azotea (flat terrace). The sacristy is of the same material. Ornaments, jewels, ornaments etc. (Savage's repetition); the fathers' house is a hall with its bedchamber of adobes and azotea roof, and five offices. (orig. p. 624-29) manuscript scan ↗
• 1793 · not stated in Savage's abstract — 'Sta Gertrudis.' [Santa Gertrudis]. The church and sacristy are of adobes and tule; few ornaments and jewels; 'escases de todo' [scarcity of everything]. The shortest inventory in the whole 1793 series (3 pages) and the starkest statement of the north-frontier missions' poverty against the wealth of Loreto, Comondu and San Ignacio. (orig. p. 636-38) manuscript scan ↗
• 1793 · not stated in Savage's abstract — 'Sn Francisco Borja.' [San Francisco de Borja]. Church and sacristy of adobes and tule; the first is 32 varas long and 7 wide. Three altars, 20 pictures. The baptistery of equal material. The fathers' house is of lime and stone. There are various other offices and habitations. (orig. p. 639-42) manuscript scan ↗
• 1793 · not stated in Savage's abstract — 'San Fernando.' [San Fernando, i.e. San Fernando Velicata; Savage gives no surname]. The church 33 varas long and 5 1/2 wide; it is of adobes and jacal. Sacred vessels and ornaments scanty. The fathers' house is spacious, of adobes and jacal. Original page span read as 643-46: the closing two digits are blotted and written over, and 46… (orig. p. 643-46) manuscript scan ↗
• 1793 · not stated in Savage's abstract — 'Mision del Rosario.' [Mission of El Rosario]. The church is of adobes with roof of jacal, 46 varas long and 9 wide, the sacristy included. A single altar, various images and paintings, some jewels and ornaments and few sacred vessels. The fathers' house is of adobes and has several ample rooms. First of the four Dominican frontier… (orig. p. 647-53) manuscript scan ↗
• 1793 · not stated in Savage's abstract — 'Sto Domingo.' [Santo Domingo]. The church is 18 varas by 8 wide, of adobe with roof of jacal. Some sacred vessels and jewels and ornaments. The habitations of the fathers were of adobes. Savage's past tense ('eran de adobes') is his own and is preserved here without correction. (orig. p. 654-57) manuscript scan ↗
• 1793 · not stated in Savage's abstract — 'Sn Vicente Ferrer.' [San Vicente Ferrer]. The church is of adobes and roof of tule; it is 22 varas long and 6 3/4 wide. Few sacred vessels and jewels. This is the mission whose alferez Ildefonso Bernal reports to Borica at n177 (23 Sept 1795) and whose 1794 report appears at n176. (orig. p. 658-61) manuscript scan ↗
• 1793 · not stated in Savage's abstract — 'Sto Tomas de Aquino.' [Santo Tomas de Aquino]. Church of adobe with roof of petates and jacal, 12 varas long and 5 wide. The fathers' house also of adobes. Ornaments and jewels scanty. The smallest church fabric recorded in the entire 1793 series (12 x 5 varas), the northern terminus of the Dominican chain as inventoried here. (orig. p. 662-67) manuscript scan ↗
• 1795-03-01 · Fr. Fermín de Lasuén — Notas on the Alta-CA missions — a rich qualitative report (see Expanded Entry 5): 1794 totals (1,746 baptisms, 502 marriages, 736 deaths, net +1,015); notes 26 sínodo-friars + 4 supernumerarios for 13 missions; a striking passage attributing infant deaths to mothers' aborto/sofocar; 9 numbered notes on churches, sínodos (ex-Jesuit… (orig. p. ii.4–8) manuscript scan ↗
• 1795-07-13 · Diego de Borica (Monterey) → Viceroy — Estado de las Misiones… en los años de 1793 y 1794 — a 13-mission comparative census table (ministros / sínodos / indios H-M / gente de razón / almas), end-1794 vs end-1793 = +932 Indians; + 9 Notas (see Expanded Entry 6): mission-industry survey, '17 o 18 idiomas de SF a SD,' no gentile hostility, ⭐⭐⭐ proposal to found 5 new missions… (orig. p. ii.90–92) manuscript scan ↗
• 1797-05-19 · Diego de Borica → the Escort *Comisionado* — Instrucción for the commander of the escort assigned to found Mission San Juan Bautista — a 19-article conduct code (see Expanded Entry 7): friars pick the site + defensibility; treat as if facing enemy Indians; ramada guardhouse + day/night sentinel; gentiles may not approach armed; ⭐ gentle dealing mandated — punish 'luego luego' any… (orig. p. ii.222–228) manuscript scan ↗
• 1796-01-12 · Fr. Fermín de Lasuén → Borica — Informe sobre lugares a propósito para fundar nuevas Misiones (see Expanded Entry 8) — the definitive site-selection synthesis of the five 1795 reconnaissances: (1) SD–SJC = 'Palú' [→ San Luis Rey]; (2) SG–SB = still undecided (candidate far from firewood) [→ San Fernando]; (3) SL–SA = 'las Pozas' [→ San Miguel]; (4) Monterey–Sta Clara… (orig. p. ii.267–69) manuscript scan ↗

Search all 472 records of this volume in the interactive catalog →