Granting of titles of nobility and access to the Royal Navy (1690-1829)

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:48 +0000

During the 18th century there was an enrichment of Cadiz merchants who came to rise socially acquiring noble titles, going from a family culture of merchants to seek new careers for their children through the income in the Royal Navy. One of the main aspects to be considered initially is the situation of trade, looking at the families still in the business and by studying their sources of wealth also at what level they aspired to in this situation.
With the selection of twenty-seven families from the Cádiz trade, it is possible to find out which of their descendants joined the Academies of Marine Guards from the end of the 17th century to the beginning of the 19th century. With the data collected, it is possible to establish the transformations that were taking place within the families themselves and the way in which they adapted to the changes experienced by Cádiz society.
The level of interest in the naval institution remained between three and four throughout the first half of the 18th century, growing exponentially in the second half of the century when the merchants of Cádiz received a greater number of noble titles, decreasing again in the early years of the 19th century, highlighting the strategy of ennoblement that marked the institution in these years.

The post Granting of titles of nobility and access to the Royal Navy (1690-1829) first appeared on History Lab.

Basic consumption basket of the sailors of the Royal Navy in Montevideo (Uruguay), 1770-1810

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:28:52 +0000

Montevideo was founded in 1726 by the Spanish Crown on the banks of the Río de la Plata, sharing economic space with Buenos Aires. The Uruguayan region experienced a process of economic and demographic growth whose population grew from 3,000 inhabitants in 1760 to 30,000 in 1810. In this process of population growth, the aim was to adapt the pattern of food consumption to the European basket. Bread, water and wine were dispensed every day, while pulses (chickpeas or rice) and bacon were received once a week; dried fish and salted meat twice a week. In addition, men were to receive salt, oil and firewood for cooking. The above list reflects the type and quantity of provisions that the Royal Navy understood that healthy adult men should receive in order to be in optimum condition during their service. In the reality of the Río de la Plata, the basket of provisions provided to sailors was less varied. The contracts signed by the suppliers of the Royal Navy between 1770 and 1810 stipulated that these sailors were to receive a daily ration consisting of a fixed amount of bread (or failing that, sponge cake), fresh beef, a portion of vegetables and a portion of firewood. However, it should be noted that the stipulated daily provisions would guarantee the Royal Navy sailors stationed in Montevideo a caloric intake of close to 3,000 calories a day, a figure in line with the standards currently established by the World Health Organisation for adult males.

The post Basic consumption basket of the sailors of the Royal Navy in Montevideo (Uruguay), 1770-1810 first appeared on History Lab.

Real Armada - History Lab

Granting of titles of nobility and access to the Royal Navy (1690-1829)

Basic consumption basket of the sailors of the Royal Navy in Montevideo (Uruguay), 1770-1810