Pleitos - History Lab

The powers of a corregidor: the case of Ramírez de Villaescusa, 1492-1501

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:56 +0000

As royal officials, the corregidores were responsible for justice, mediation and government. They were one of the most important figures in the defence of the interests of the monarchy in the large towns. The case presented by the author is the attributions of the corregidor of Valladolid, Alonso Ramírez de Villaescusa, between 1492 and 1501. A compilation of 60 systematised documents gives evidence of his actions: the majority were executions in acts of concord or justice (28% of cases), followed by acting as mediator (25%), management of the office (18%), taxation (13%), or information and enquiries (7%). He was answerable to the Crown, and it was he who looked after the interests of the Crown in the city of Valladolid, although he also used privileged information and legal means to his advantage: he denounced Enrique de Dueñas, who was condemned for usury as a possible Jewish convert; however, the lawsuit did not prosper in favour of the corregidor and Enrique was acquitted. However, the corregidor’s aim was not to strip the accused of his property and defenestrate him socially, but to obtain part of the penalties imposed and to improve his own wealth.

The post The powers of a corregidor: the case of Ramírez de Villaescusa, 1492-1501 first appeared on History Lab.

Evolution of the unrest in the kingdom of Navarre (1512-1808)

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:56 +0000

The society of the Ancien Régime was not exempt from conflict. The resource shows the evolution of collective violence in the kingdom of Navarre during the modern period. To do this, the author uses the lawsuits detected in the General Archive of Navarre and the Diocesan Archive of Pamplona to quantify them. The 800 lawsuits were distributed between 1512 and 1808, with the highest incidence occurring between 1576 and 1590. From that time onwards, the number of conflicts decreased and these were peaceful years for the inhabitants of the urban world of Navarre, which was where most unrest broke out. Community stability was broken at the time of the breakdown of the Ancien Régime: from 1771 to 1800, lawsuits, both in the civil and ecclesiastical courts, increased to the levels of the late 17th century, with the difference that incidents were more widespread in those years. According to the records, the majority of the offending protagonists were youths (48%), and the setting, with 52%, was the public street. It was common for the victims to be local authorities (43%) and other young people (20%). Of those convicted in the civil courts, the most common penalty was banishment (49%), while the ecclesiastical court opted for pecuniary penalties, i.e. the payment of a fine (40% of cases).

The post Evolution of the unrest in the kingdom of Navarre (1512-1808) first appeared on History Lab.

Weekly and hourly distribution of unrest in the kingdom of Navarre (1512-1808)

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:56 +0000

The study of conflict in the kingdom of Navarre during the Modern Age offers interesting insights into the days of the week and the times when disturbances took place. As can be seen in the resource, low-intensity disorder, most of which was carried out by young people (48%) in the public streets, took place on public holidays (35%) and at night (51%), as can be seen in the resource. After public holidays, Sundays (22%), Tuesdays (13%) and Mondays (9%) were the most conflictive days. In terms of time of day, after the evening phase, the morning phase was followed by the morning (23%), with evenings (16%) and early mornings (10%) being the least preferred times for altercations. It is not surprising that the perpetrators chose the night, the rest of the neighbourhood and the lack of control by the authorities to carry out their disturbances and brawls. The monthly distribution of the disturbances is undoubtedly more curious. Indeed, the months of February, April, May, August and September show the highest values. The author identifies the causes: in February, carnivals, in April and May, processions and pilgrimages, while in August and September, local festivities provided the framework for unrest.

The post Weekly and hourly distribution of unrest in the kingdom of Navarre (1512-1808) first appeared on History Lab.

Places and causes of public disorder in the Kingdom of Navarre (1512-1808)

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:56 +0000

The main protagonist of the conflict in the kingdom of Navarre during the modern period was the youth. The author of the resource analyses 800 lawsuits that took place between 1512 and 1808 in the civil and ecclesiastical courts of this territory. Young people accounted for 48% of those causing public disorder, followed by the clergy (14%), professionals (12%) and women and farmers and stockbreeders (both with 8%). The promoters of the conflicts targeted local authorities (43%), other youths and women (20% and 10% respectively). Where were the disturbances committed? The resource shows that the predominant place of the perpetrators was the street (52%). This was followed by the public square with 21% of the total number of quarrels. Less frequent was the incidence of disorder in sacred spaces (9%), with the most intense months being the months of processions and pilgrimages: April and May.

The post Places and causes of public disorder in the Kingdom of Navarre (1512-1808) first appeared on History Lab.

Civil and ecclesiastical sentences for public disorders in the kingdom of Navarre (1512-1808)

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:56 +0000

The modern age was no stranger to social conflicts. The author systematises 800 lawsuits of civil and ecclesiastical justice in the kingdom of Navarre from 1512 to 1808. Most of the offenders were young men (48%) and the victims were usually the local authorities (43%). Although the offences were no more than minor incidents, the courts of justice deployed a large number of punishments and few acquittals (7%). As the author notes, the civil and ecclesiastical courts opted for different sentences, both in their categories and in their degree of implementation. Starting with the civil court, 49% of the offenders were banished, while 22% were sentenced to a pecuniary sanction. 7% of the sentences were imposed with a pecuniary sanction. Seven percent of the sentences imposed the payment of court costs, and only 5% were sentenced to imprisonment. The remaining sanctions were divided between those who were forced to serve in the army (4%), to serve in the galleys (3%), and death sentences and public vengeance (1% for both cases). On the other hand, the ecclesiastical courts were more lenient in their penalties. Thus, the first group of penalties included the payment of a financial fine (40%). Banishment, favoured in the ordinary courts, did not exceed 10% of the total. Reprimands and imprisonment completed the sanctions with 30% and 20% respectively.

The post Civil and ecclesiastical sentences for public disorders in the kingdom of Navarre (1512-1808) first appeared on History Lab.

Legal proceedings against Aragonese marriages in the 18th century

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:20 +0000

During the 18th century in Aragon, a series of power conflicts between renowned families and institutions in rural environments were reported. The role of the fathers of the great families in maintaining order in the communities clashed with their children’s desires for social advancement and their personal interests, so it was the institutions that had to mediate in order to achieve a certain consensus. Relatives usually claimed to be acting for the good of the community, but the reality was simpler and more individualistic.
Free marriage was one of the most important tools available to young people who wanted to move up the social ladder. The problem for the community arose when two people with clear social differentiation or whose marriage deprived them of fulfilling the role that both the community and their own family had given them.
Parents had various ways of obstructing the marriage of their children if they considered it to be a cause of dishonour for their family, by first advocating in the private sphere of the home, and then escalating to institutions if they were overwhelmed by circumstances. The lawsuits mentioned in the appeal are shown to be pre-marital, i.e. originating from the couple’s word of marriage. A large proportion of the cases were between parents and children, even involving coercion and physical violence.

The post Legal proceedings against Aragonese marriages in the 18th century first appeared on History Lab.

Number of lawsuits for guardianships and curatorships in the Chancillerías of Valladolid and Granada. 16th-18th centuries

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:28:33 +0000

The administration of a minor’s assets could be part of the social and family conflict if the guardians or curators did not fulfil their commitments. Between 1501 and 1799, 1,207 lawsuits were recorded in the Crown of Castile in relation to this issue. The casuistic differences between the different jurisdictions meant that, while in the Chancillería de Valladolid the number of lawsuits was concentrated in the 16th century (45.5% of them), decreasing during the 17th and 18th centuries, the Chancillería de Granada suffered an inverse evolution, going from 17.9% in the 16th century to 49.3% in the 18th century. However, both Chancillerías had in common that the lawsuits were mostly against curators and not against guardians. In terms of motivations, the author summarises that lawsuits brought by guardians or curators in defence of the interests of the minors in their care amounted to 58%, while those aimed at the diminution or disintegration of the patrimony were close to 50%.

The post Number of lawsuits for guardianships and curatorships in the Chancillerías of Valladolid and Granada. 16th-18th centuries first appeared on History Lab.

Typology of litigation by guardianships at the Chancery of Valladolid

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:28:33 +0000

The causes of litigation involving curators and guardians of minors during the Modern Age were very varied, but concentrated in a few types. The main cause of litigation was related to the restitution of property to minors, i.e. the accountability of the administrator towards the minor. In the Chancillería de Valladolid, out of 179 litigations for guardianships compiled by the author, this cause accounted for 30.2% of the total, followed by lawsuits between guardians and curators for maladministration (11.7%) and by problems related to inheritances and parental accounts (10.6%). Far behind are, for example, resignations of guardianships (3 cases out of 179), or the guardian’s squandering of the minor’s inheritance (2 out of 179). In sum, financial and material conditions accounted for more than half of the guardianship disputes.

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