Alcaraz - History Lab https://historylab.es Fri, 20 May 2022 15:17:48 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://historylab.es/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-icono-historylab-32x32.jpg Alcaraz - History Lab https://historylab.es 32 32 Genealogy of noblemen: the Corro Bustamante family – Auñón de Alcaraz (Albacete) in the 1730s https://historylab.es/genealogy-of-noblemen-the-corro-bustamante-family-aunon-de-alcaraz-albacete-in-the-1730s/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=genealogy-of-noblemen-the-corro-bustamante-family-aunon-de-alcaraz-albacete-in-the-1730s Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:36 +0000 https://historylab.es/2022/02/19/genealogia-de-hidalgos-la-familia-corro-bustamante-aunon-de-alcaraz-albacete-en-la-decada-de-1730/ Genealogy hidalgos as a reflection of social reproduction

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]]> Marriage relations between different families obeyed reproduction strategies based on the concentration and accumulation of patrimony. Among the nobility, it was common to carry out similar operations in search of material benefit. The town of Alcaraz was no stranger to these mentalities and two of its most important families, the Corro Bustamante and the Auñón, joined together. This union came about through a double marriage: two sons and two daughters forged matrimonial bonds that would bear fruit 13 years later when one of them, Juan Manuel, monopolised most of the properties when his brother died without offspring. Juan Manuel also inherited from his mother-in-law all the bonds and free property that she had at her disposal. In this way the patrimony and status of both families was perpetuated, even more so in the accumulation by one of the sons.

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]]> Genealogy of a family of bureaucrats: the Asenjo de Alcaraz family (1688-1814) https://historylab.es/genealogy-of-a-family-of-bureaucrats-the-asenjo-de-alcaraz-family-1688-1814/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=genealogy-of-a-family-of-bureaucrats-the-asenjo-de-alcaraz-family-1688-1814 Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:36 +0000 https://historylab.es/2022/02/19/genealogia-de-una-familia-de-burocratas-la-familia-asenjo-de-alcaraz-1688-1814/ Family tree of a family with bureaucratic and administrative offices in Alcaraz (Albacete)

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]]> Enrichment and social advancement were the leitmotiv of many families. Although social mobility was very controlled in the Ancien Régime, it did exist. An example of this is the Asenjo family of Alcaraz (Albacete). The genealogy of this family shows us how marriage strategies, social networks and kinship helped to achieve patrimony. Beginning with the union of Isabel Galdón, a native of Alcaraz, with Pedro Asenjo, a native of Las Navas del Marqués (Ávila) in 1688, the family created parallel branches that intertwined throughout the 18th century. Pedro Asenjo was notary public of Alcaraz in 1703; his first son Juan was also a notary public, while the second, Pedro, was a clergyman of minors. It was Juan who married into the well-positioned Vargas Machuca family, and by 1753 he had accumulated a large amount of wealth that made him one of the leading cattle ranchers and farmers in the region. Based on their good social and economic status, the Asenjo family’s marriage policies were oriented in three directions: to get closer to public offices and positions; to reinforce those already established within the family; and to place some of their children in the clergy. This last route had a twofold objective: to ensure that the children would pursue a career within a privileged estate and that, with celibacy, the assets of the same would return to the family nucleus, thus concentrating the patrimony once again and avoiding its atomisation.

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]]> Distribution of land ownership in the Sierra de Alcaraz (1753). Cultivated land. https://historylab.es/distribution-of-land-ownership-in-the-sierra-de-alcaraz-1753-cultivated-land/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=distribution-of-land-ownership-in-the-sierra-de-alcaraz-1753-cultivated-land Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:31 +0000 https://historylab.es/2022/02/19/distribucion-de-la-propiedad-de-la-tierra-en-la-sierra-de-alcaraz-1753-tierra-cultivada/ Distribution of cultivated land ownership as a reflection of the inequalities of the Ancien Régime

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]]> In mountain areas such as the Sierra de Alcaraz, land ownership was conditioned by the orography of the territory. In 1753, 28.3% of the land in this mountain range was under cultivation. Of this figure, almost 50% of the cultivation belonged to only 2% of the owners. Likewise, almost half of the total landowners owned only 2% of the arable land. The marked imbalance of ownership translated into different economic benefits: the concentration of land in a few hands meant that 17% of landowners owned more than 1,000 reals of gross produce, a figure that rose to more than 40,000 for the few individuals who owned the most; again, conversely, more than 70% of landowners owned less than 500 reals of produce. The rest of the uncultivated land, 71.7%, could belong to the Council, which was also controlled by the local elites. Livestock farming, like agriculture, showed the same tendency towards concentration in the hands of a few individuals. The survival and future of the less well-off depended on the leasing of land, either for cultivation or as pasture for livestock. These data are but one concrete example of the inequalities that existed in the Ancien Régime and which were perpetuated throughout southern Spain.

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]]> Distribution of servants according to age in some towns in the province of Albacete in the mid-18th century https://historylab.es/distribution-of-servants-according-to-age-in-some-towns-in-the-province-of-albacete-in-the-mid-18th-century/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=distribution-of-servants-according-to-age-in-some-towns-in-the-province-of-albacete-in-the-mid-18th-century Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:28:33 +0000 https://historylab.es/2022/02/19/distribucion-de-los-criados-segun-su-edad-en-algunas-poblaciones-de-la-provincia-de-albacete-a-mediados-del-siglo-xviii/ Age bracket of the servants: their number, job specialisation and salary in some areas of Albacete

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]]> Within the province of Albacete, the majority of servants and servants were young (up to 25 years of age). After that age, their number decreased, although it was equally important (42.1% of the total). These data acquire significance if we take into account their life cycle. The Cadastre of the Marquis de la Ensenada for the town of Villarrobledo shows that of the 368 whose marital status is known, there were no married women; among the men, 31.5% were already married and 5% were widowed. Returning to age, the internal hierarchisation of work was related to the length of experience in the work performed: age. Thus, the work of young servants was secondary or subordinate; likewise, the pay was lower.

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]]> Socio-professional group and sex of the relatives in the jurisdiction of the city of Alcaraz (1753-1787) https://historylab.es/socio-professional-group-and-sex-of-the-relatives-in-the-jurisdiction-of-the-city-of-alcaraz-1753-1787/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=socio-professional-group-and-sex-of-the-relatives-in-the-jurisdiction-of-the-city-of-alcaraz-1753-1787 Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:28:27 +0000 https://historylab.es/2022/02/19/grupo-socio-profesional-y-sexo-de-los-parientes-en-la-jurisdiccion-de-la-ciudad-de-alcaraz-1753-1787/ Household structure linked to the domestic aggregates according to the professions carried out by the heads of household. Process of inversion in the structures throughout the 18th century.

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]]> Within the studies on the family, the analysis based on sex reveals the different characteristics of the household: productive, welfare or ostentatious. The professions set the trends: while among labourers and day labourers the proportion of male relatives living in the household was around 40-45%, merchants, waiters and the liberal professions had the fewest, with 28.6%, 20% and 33.3% respectively. Between 1753 and 1787, the parameters were reversed, with the domestic aggregate among the clergy (from 35.3% to 80.8%), waiters (from 20% to 63.8%) and merchants (28.6% to 65.4%) standing out. In general terms, the presence of men in the household increased by 29.5%, while the number of women fell from 192 (59.6%) to 125 (31.4%). Finally, it is worth noting the importance of servants in the household. By sex, these were determined according to the professions of their employers; in 1753, while among the farm labourers almost 95% of the servants were men, among the members of the liberal professions, women accounted for 40%, a figure which increased over time.

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]]> Children over 25 years old in the household by socio-professional group (jurisdiction of the city of Alcaraz) https://historylab.es/children-over-25-years-old-in-the-household-by-socio-professional-group-jurisdiction-of-the-city-of-alcaraz/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=children-over-25-years-old-in-the-household-by-socio-professional-group-jurisdiction-of-the-city-of-alcaraz Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:28:27 +0000 https://historylab.es/2022/02/19/hijos-mayores-de-25-anos-en-el-hogar-por-grupos-socio-profesionales-jurisdiccion-de-la-ciudad-de-alcaraz/ Children who remained living in the family nucleus and performed differentiated tasks based on the sex of the siblings and the profession of the head of the household

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]]> The study of household composition leads us to focus on family forces over the age of 25. While women tended to marry early, maids and men who continued to live together in the household did so because of the type of family economy, social status, or various situations such as widowhood or the illness of their parents. Therefore, the professions of the fathers conditioned the future of the sons; the family had political strategies for its reproduction and social maintenance. Therefore, trades such as craftsmen and merchants, where labour was important, tended to be patrimonialised by the family, initiating their descendants into the guild. For their part, labourers, farm labourers and day labourers needed productive labour forces to cultivate the land, although the unequal distribution of land ownership meant that many of these trades depended on specific leases, causing children to seek other alternatives. At the end of the 18th century, these trends only became more pronounced, with women’s percentage growth being particularly noteworthy.

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]]> Household structure and socio-professional group in the Sierra de Alcaraz in 1753 https://historylab.es/household-structure-and-socio-professional-group-in-the-sierra-de-alcaraz-in-1753/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=household-structure-and-socio-professional-group-in-the-sierra-de-alcaraz-in-1753 Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:28:27 +0000 https://historylab.es/2022/02/19/estructura-del-hogar-y-grupo-socio-profesional-en-la-sierra-de-alcaraz-en-1753/ Household structure according to the activities carried out by the head of the household. Occupation determined the composition of the family.

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]]> The socio-professional group to which one belonged tended to determine the structure of the household. An example of this is the data provided by the Cadastre of the Marqués de la Ensenada for the study of the Sierra de Alcaraz (1753). By professions, farmers, tradesmen and, above all, the groups in the administration and liberal professions have a higher proportion of complex households than day labourers and wage earners. The county average is set by the crafts and trades sector. From these groups, women and farm and livestock labourers, together with the clergy, make up the majority of the solitary household figures. In the formation of the different family groups, numerous variables appear, such as material wealth, status, mentality, family and individual projection, all of which are reflected in the trades carried out by the heads of the family.

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