Familias - History Lab

Marriage contract of Antonio María de Munibe Aréizaga and Josefa Joaquina de Aranguren Álava

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:32:58 +0000

The social behaviour of the Basque families most closely linked to the Court and to the political, economic and cultural activities of the Age of Enlightenment followed very marked patterns. In this sense, the marriage policy of these families was determined by the linking of their members with each other, as the case of the Munibe-Aranguren-Álava families demonstrates. These three families were closely linked to the Real Sociedad Bascongada de los Amigos del País and the projects derived from it. In this context, the three families became linked by marriage, thus consolidating their relationships and family strategies.

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The post Marriage contract of Antonio María de Munibe Aréizaga and Josefa Joaquina de Aranguren Álava first appeared on History Lab.

Mortuary chapel of the Enríquez family (Cuenca)

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:31:28 +0000

The funeral chapel of the Enriquez family is located in the church of San Pedro in the city of Cuenca in the chapel of San Marcos. This saga used this space as a pantheon from the 16th to the 18th century, and owned it from the 17th to the 19th century. With the acquisition of this crypt, the family’s social ascent is reflected in the way they honoured their memory and their lineage, founding well-endowed chaplaincies in it and achieving with this strategy of differentiation, not only their social reproduction, but also the perpetuation of the family.

The post Mortuary chapel of the Enríquez family (Cuenca) first appeared on History Lab.

Miscegenation in American society (I)

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:30:33 +0000

This work, entitled “De chino cambujo e india, loba” (“Of Chinese Cambujo and Indian, Wolf”), depicts a family group consisting of a father, a mother and a son, identified by inscriptions that refer to their degree of miscegenation from indigenous, European and African ethnic origins. These representations are characteristic of a pictorial genre that developed in the Viceroyalty of New Spain throughout the 18th century. It is known as “caste painting” and is organised on the basis of series generally consisting of sixteen paintings in which the most common unions are arranged. As shown in this canvas, which belongs to a set dispersed among various collections, the clothing and adornment of the figures, the activity they perform and the setting in which the action takes place, act as fundamental elements in identifying the social status of those depicted. Miguel Cabrera, the author of this group, who signed and dated the last of the canvases in 1763, is the painter most widely recognised by his contemporaries and had a large number of disciples and followers who were often inspired by the master’s own models.

The post Miscegenation in American society (I) first appeared on History Lab.

Miscegenation in American society (II)

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:30:33 +0000

This work, entitled “De español y mestiza, castiza” (“Of Spaniard and Mestiza, Caste”), is a representation of mixed-race or caste painting, and is one of the main sources of information on everyday life in the Viceroyalty of New Spain in the 18th century. These representations are characteristic of a pictorial genre that developed during this century, known as “caste painting”. This genre was usually organised in series of 16 scenes depicting family groups made up of different ethnic groups, in response to the Enlightenment’s desire to order and classify the social structure and to show a self-image of the socio-cultural diversity of New Spain. It is likely that these works were intended for a foreign audience. This particular canvas was painted by Miguel Cabrera in 1763, the painter most recognised by his contemporaries. It depicts a family of high social rank, as can be deduced from the clothing and ornaments worn by the figures, who are standing in front of a shoe shop.

The post Miscegenation in American society (II) first appeared on History Lab.

Genealogy of the Fernández de Moratín family in Madrid (17th-19th century)

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:36 +0000

This genealogy reconstructs the Fernández de Moratín family from their arrival in Madrid from the Lugar de Moratín (Asturias) until the Napoleonic invasion. The silversmith’s work was strongly linked to the surname from the time of their establishment at the Madrid court, and they even became part of the guardhouse of Queen Isabella of Farnese. Subsequently, and in the heat of the socio-political transformations that characterised Spain between the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, the family strategies were oriented towards the relationship with intellectual and administrative sectors of the capital, with prominent figures such as the writer Leandro Fernández de Moratín and the politician Gumersindo Fernández de Moratín, cousin of the former, among others.

The post Genealogy of the Fernández de Moratín family in Madrid (17th-19th century) first appeared on History Lab.

Distribution of the wealth of merchant families in Burgos, 1752-1850 (in reales and percentages of the value of the stock of inventoried goods)

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:07 +0000

The city of Burgos during the 18th century, after the long decline suffered since the 1570s, recovered a large part of its demographic numbers, experiencing a 42% increase in population between 1752-1787. The economic recovery experienced in the last third of the 17th century shows a scarce presence of merchants that resurfaced in the following century, derived from the advance of agricultural production based on the increase in cultivated land and commercial development with the new export of wool. Analysing the internal structure of the patrimonial wealth, movable goods comprised 79.9% of the total patrimony, directly related to mercantile activity. After the importance of movable goods, explained by the exercise of the activity, in second place comes the possession and exploitation of livestock with 10.7%, dedicated to personal service, preferably mules for travelling. The third position is occupied by dwellings and complementary dependencies that exemplify the interest of the bourgeoisie in a type of investment considered fundamental for establishing and developing their businesses (houses and markets). As in the national average, the acquisition of farmland was of interest, with 4.4% indicating the family’s inclination towards investments considered attractive not only for their degree of security – as far as investment is concerned – but also for their strong social sense as a mirror of business success.

The post Distribution of the wealth of merchant families in Burgos, 1752-1850 (in reales and percentages of the value of the stock of inventoried goods) first appeared on History Lab.

Distribution of land ownership among households in the mid-18th century

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:28:27 +0000

In the Ancien Régime, land ownership was concentrated in the hands of a few. The Military Orders, churches and convents were some of the institutions that owned the most, thus benefiting the privileged classes. The existing inequalities are reflected when we analyse the property owned by the heads of different households. If we take as an example some municipalities in inland Spain, we can see that, in the mid-18th century, between a third and half of the households did not own land. Among those who did own land, it was small, not exceeding 1 hectare in most cases. Only 1 to 3 per cent of households owned more than 100 hectares. The unequal distribution translated into worse economic conditions, and these were reflected in family structures: while the average household size was around 3.75-4 persons, privileged families increased the number of members to 6 or 7.

The post Distribution of land ownership among households in the mid-18th century first appeared on History Lab.