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

• 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 ↗
• 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 ↗
• 1796-01-13 · 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 ↗
• 1796-08-24 · Borica (Monterey) → Viceroy — *Estado General de las Misiones de las Californias en 1795* (see Expanded Entry 9) — Real-Hacienda herds (~2,800 yeguada + ~2,000 cattle, much *alzado/cimarrón*) ravaged by a 3-year drought & by cattle-rustling by 'indios Gentiles y Cristianos, hostigados del hambre'; ⭐ a copyist's note signed 'Martínez' addresses Bancroft directly,… (orig. p. ii.327–30) manuscript scan ↗
• 1796 · Borica (Monterey) → Viceroy — *Conversión de Indios Gentiles* — forwards Goycoechea's survey of the still-independent Chumash rancherías of the Sta Bárbara Channel & recommends congregating them as pueblos in their own lands (not missions) since they subsist by fishing & are 'los más vivos é industriosos de ambas Californias… comparados á los de las Islas de Sandwich… (orig. p. ii.545–46, 557–58) manuscript scan ↗
• 1796-03-12 · Felipe de Goycoechea (Sta Bárbara) → Borica — *Rancherías de Gentiles* — nominal census of ~19 coastal Chumash rancherías, each with its name, captain's (indigenous) name, distance & gentile souls; totals 31 leguas / 1,983 souls; + reduction proposal (instruct in the rancherías, don't force mission-residence; grain incentive) (see Expanded Entry 11) (orig. p. ii.547–56) manuscript scan ↗
• 1797-06-30 · Borica — *Estado de las Misiones de la Nueva California… 1795 y 1796* — Sínodos ($800 × 13 = $10,400; 26 friars + 5 supernumeraries); Indian pop. 11,216 ('desde 1769… se han bautizado… 21,653 indios y solo existen 11,216'); ⭐ Borica's four-cause etiology of mission population decline (loss of liberty; excessive labor + scarce food; disease/filth;… (orig. p. ii.559–63) manuscript scan ↗
• 1812-12-31 · Fr. Mariano Payeras & Fr. Antonio Ripoll — *Informe sobre los estragos de un terremoto* — the 21 Dec 1812 earthquake ('día del glorioso Apóstol Santo Tomás') entirely ruined the church & most adornments; buildings collapsed; 100 neophyte adobe houses rendered useless; heavy rains followed; the friars dug out valuables & built a *jacalón* + huts, delaying rebuilding 'hasta que se… (orig. p. iv.208–10) manuscript scan ↗
• 1812-12-31 · Fr. Francisco Xavier Uría & Fr. Ramón Olbés — *Relación sobre el terremoto* — 21 Dec 1812 ~10 AM, two quakes 15 min apart: the 1st cracked a church corner, the 2nd toppled it; a quarter of the new houses fell to the foundations, all mission roof-tiles down, many main walls opened — but serviceable 'si no hay mayor novedad' (orig. p. iv.211–12) manuscript scan ↗
• 1812-12-31 · Fr. Luis Gil de Taboada & Fr. Marcos Amestoy — *Estragos del temblor de tierra* — with the terrible earthquakes of 21 Dec & subsequent days, the Mission is badly damaged, all buildings needing inspection & lengthy repair, 'especialmente la Iglesia' (orig. p. iv.213–14) manuscript scan ↗
• 1812-12-31 · Fr. José de Miguel & Fr. José Mª de Zalvidea — *Estragos de un terremoto* — the 8 Dec 1812 quake at sunrise: sacred vessels survived but the carved images of St. Joseph/St. Dominic/St. Francis + the main-altar crucifix shattered to pieces; church badly cracked, its finial + weathervane fell; sacristy cracked; repairable (orig. p. iv.217–18) manuscript scan ↗
• 1813-01-01 · Fr. Marcos Antonio Vitoria & Fr. José Señan — *Efectos del terremoto de 1812* — buildings much damaged by 3 earthquakes ('nos pareció se venía abajo la misión'); church façade toppled, presbytery rear-wall opened (to be rebuilt); ⭐ the tower unusable — 'vamos á derribarla' (to be demolished) (orig. p. iv.223–24) manuscript scan ↗
• 1812-12-31 · Francisco Mª Ruiz — *Informe sobre los efectos del terremoto en las Iglesias de su jurisdicción* — the commander's summary: San Gabriel & San Juan Capistrano churches ruined by the 8 Dec 1812 quake (SJC unable to hold Mass); San Diego's new & old churches unharmed (orig. p. iv.178–79) manuscript scan ↗
• 1833-12-31 · Fr. Narciso Durán — 1833 cumulative *Cuadro Estadístico* of all Alta California missions — living neophyte population down to 10,482, against 82,882 baptized and 58,417 died since founding. The demographic sink at the eve of secularization (cf. Doc 387's 1817 figures: 64,675/41,767/20,238 — the living population roughly halved in 16 years). ganado/cosecha… (orig. p. v.304–5) manuscript scan ↗
• 1835-03-15 · Anastacio Carrillo (Comisionado) & Fr. Antonio Jimeno — Sta Bárbara secularization inventory (church/sacristy/library extract of the general one) — church of 1 nave, 63×10 varas, cal-y-canto, 2 towers of 25 varas = $16,000; 8 bells $3,270; sacristy $1,500; imágenes/ornaments/vasos sagrados $4,576.75; library $152; total $25,518.75 (orig. p. v.531–36) manuscript scan ↗
• 1835 · Fr. José Mª de Zalvidea & peritos Antonio Ríos, José Antonio Fuentes, José Manuel Silva, Ignacio Ezquer — San Juan Capistrano inventory + avalúo — active credits $13,183; habitation bldgs $7,298; furniture + smith/vintner/farmer tools $14,708; church/sacristy $1,230; vasos/imágenes/ornaments $15,568; Rancho de San Joaquín $12,019 + la Misión Vieja; library $490. Existencia total $54,436, líquido $53,026 (orig. p. v.572–601) manuscript scan ↗

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