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Letter of Fray Francisco Alonso de Jesús, O.F.M., Florida Missionary, to the King, Concerning the Conversion of the Indians of Popayán (Cali May 22, 1622)
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 December 2015
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References
1 For the history of the Franciscan missions of Spanish Florida, see: Geiger, Maynard O.F.M., The Franciscan Conquest of Florida 1573–1618 (Washington, D. C., Catholic University of America Press, 1937)Google Scholar, and Lanning, John Tate, The Spanish Missions of Georgia (Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina Press, 1935)Google Scholar. The Golden Age of these missions was from 1612 to 1702, when there were forty-four mission-stations with fifty friars caring for about thirty thousand Christian Indians.
2 The Province of Concepción was canonically erected in 1518 with thirty-four monasteries situated in many of the principal cities of Old Castile. It was one of the principal sources of manpower for the mission-fields of both North and South America during the whole colonial period. Cf.de Lejarza, Fidel O. F. M., “Notas para la historia misionera de la Provincia de la Concepción,” Archivo Ibero-Americano, 2a época, VIII (Madrid, 1948), 9–103.Google Scholar
3 de Oré, Jerónimo O.F.M., Relación histórica de la Florida, escrita en el siglo XVII (Ed., López, Atanasio O.F.M., Madrid, 1931), 118–119 Google Scholar; Geiger, op. cit., 239–241.
4 Geiger, op. cit., 241.
5 Geiger, op. cit., 242–246.
6 For the few facts that are known concerning the life of Fray Francisco Alonso de Jesús, see: Geiger, Maynard O.F.M., Biographical Dictionary of the Franciscans in Spanish Florida and Cuba, 1528–1841 (Paterson, N. J., St. Anthony Guild Press, 1940), 63.Google Scholar Besides the references given in this work, see also: Robertson, James A, ed.: List of Documents in Spanish Archives relating to the History of the United States, which have been Printed or of which Transcripts are Preserved in American Libraries (Washington, D. C, Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1910), items 1512, 1515, 1609, 1613Google Scholar; and Streit, Robert O.M.I., Bibliotheca Missionum, Vol. II (Aachen, 1924), 695 Google Scholar. None of these authors mention Fray Francisco Alonso de Jesús’ visit to Popayán nor the existence of the letter here published.
The official report of the first Provincial Chapter of Florida, Dec. 18, 1616, is published at the end of Fr. Ore’s Relación histórica de la Florida, 119–125. Among the signatures of the newly-elected Definitors is that of Fray Francisco Alonso de Jesús.
7 The text of this letter is given in de Oré, Jerónimo, Relación, Vol. II, Apéndices (Ed., Atanasio López, O.F.M., Madrid, 1933), 40–41.Google Scholar The heading of the letter reads: “The missionaries of Florida report to His Majesty on the progress of the faith among the Indians and praise the conduct of the Treasurer Juan Menéndez Márquez. San Agustín, January 14, 1617.”
Other letters co-signed by Fray Francisco Alonso de Jesús are:
1) “Letters of the missionaries of Florida protesting against the Informations drawn up by the Governors on the basis of false witnesses,” dated at San Agustín, also on January 14, 1617. Published by Pou y Martí, José M. O.F.M., “Estado de la Orden Franciscana y de sus Misiones en America y Extremo Oriente en el año de 1635,” Archivo Ibero-Americano, XXVIII (Madrid, 1927), 65–67.Google Scholar
2) “The missionaries of Florida explain to His Majesty the impediments which are put in their way in the conversion of the Indians,” dated at San Agustín, January 17, 1617. Published in Oré, Relación, Vol. II. Apéndices, 41–44.
8 Juan Menéndez Márquez, nephew of Pedro Menéndez de Aviles, the first Governor of Florida and first cousin of Pedro Menéndez Márquez, the second Governor, was probably the ablest royal official of the Florida government, with the longest career and the most complete knowledge of the territory, which he had gained in expeditions as far north as the Bay of the Mother of God (Chesapeake Bay). He had come to Florida with his cousin, the second Governor, and had served with him, not only in Florida but also in many voyages on the royal fleets that convoyed the treasure ships from America to Spain and the provision ships that brought vitally needed supplies back to the New World. He had visited all the Franciscan missions on several occasions and he cooperated in their development. Very important information concerning Florida and many facts of his own career are found in a “Report written at the Fort of San Agustín by the Treasurer Juan Menéndez Márquez, nephew of Pedro Menéndez, to the Father Commissary General of the Indies, Fray Miguel Avengozar, in which he describes the provinces of Florida.” This document is published in: y Caravia, Eugenio Ruidíaz, La Florida, su conquista y colonización por Pedro Menéndez de Aviles, Vol. II (Madrid, 1894), 495–509 Google Scholar. It bears the date June 7, 1606, and gives a good account of the work of the friars.
References to other documents written by Juan Menéndez Márquez, mostly in his capacity as Royal Treasurer, are found in: Robertson, op. cit., items 262, 1355, 1363, 1383, 1388, 1434; Geiger, The Franciscan Conquest of Florida, p. 278, item 142, p. 281, item 185; and in the Archivo General de Indias (54–3–1 and 54–5–14), a letter written by him to the King, San Agustín, Dec. 13, 1595, describing the situation in Florida at the death of Governor Avendafîo, and a letter by the Bishop of Cuba, Juan de las Cabezas Altamirano, Habana, Feb. 15, 1607, reporting on his visitation of the Florida missions and highly recommending Juan Menéndez Márquez to the King. However, none of these mentions the fact that he was appointed as Governor of Popayán in 1620.
9 Geiger, The Franciscan Conquest of Florida, 263.
10 Colección de Documentos Inéditos de Ultramar, Vol. XVIII (Madrid, 1925), Indice General de los Papeles del Consejo de Indias, V, 182 (Session of May 9, 1620).
11 For information concerning these Indian tribes, see: Handbook of South American Indians (Ed., Julian H. Steward), Vol. II, The Andean Civilizations (Washington, D. C, Smithsonian Institution, 1946) and Vol. IV, The Circum-Caribbean Tribes (Washington, D. C, 1948). Two royal cédulas sent to the Audiencia of Quito refer to expeditions sent to subdue these tribes. One dated August 28, 1614 concerns the Barbacoas, Chocóes and Sucumbíos (Çucumbíos), Colección de Cédulas Reales dirigidas a la Audiencia de Quito, 1601–1660 (Quito, Archivo Municipal, 1946), 175–176; the other, dated August 20, 1655, instructs the Governor of Popayán to take measures against the Chocóes, Noanamas (Muanamas), Pernamas, Chirumbiraes (Chiranbireres), Guanacos, and Paeces (ibid., 611–613).
12 The following works may be consulted for the history of the Franciscan missions of Colombia: Robledo, Gregorio Arcila O.F.M., La Orden Franciscana en la América Meridional (Rome, Pontificio Ateneo Antoniano, 1948), 33–37 Google Scholar; Habig, Marion A. O.F.M., “The Franciscan Provinces of South America,” THE AMERICAS, II (Washington, D. C., 1945), 197–200 Google Scholar; Robledo, Gregorio Arcila O.F.M., “Origin of the Franciscan Order in Colombia,” THE AMERICAS, V (1949), 394–410 Google Scholar; de Castellví, Marcelino O.F.M. Cap., “Historia Eclesiástica de la Amazonia Colombiana,” Universidad Católica Bolivariana, X (Medellín, 1944), 355–374, 483–506; XI, 38–89 Google Scholar; López, Atanasio O.F.M., a series of articles published in the Archivo Ibero-Americano, Madrid: “Historiadores franciscanos de Venezuela y Colombia, Fray Pedro Aguado y Fray Pedro Simón,” (XIV, 207–235)Google Scholar; “Los Franciscanos en Colombia y Venezuela, Relación de Fray Esteban de Asensio,” (XV, 67–94, 129–151); “Historiadores de Venezuela y Colombia, Fray Antonio Caulín,” (XV, 360–376); “Fray Pedro Aguado, historiador de Venezuela y Colombia,” (XVI, 24–53); “Documentos inéditos del siglo XVI referentes al Nuevo Reino de Granada, Colombia,” (XX, 145–176, 363–385); “Fray Esteban de Asensio y las doctrinas en el Nuevo Reino de Granada, Colombia,” (XXI, 28–63); and “Misiones en el Chocó, Colombia,” (XV, 396–399). These works give abundant references to all the other sources on the subject.
13 Fray Francisco Alonso de Jesús added his signature, as Provincial of the Franciscan Province of Florida, to a petition to the King written by Fray Juan de Santander, Commissary General of the Indies at Madrid, November 25, 1630. They asked that twenty-four new missionaries be sent to Florida. Lanning, op. cit., 202 and 273, note 3. Authorization was given for sixteen friars, and Fray Francisco Alonso de Jesús conducted them to Florida. They left Seville on June 6, 1631. Their names and origins are given in the Archivo General de Indias (45–1–4/20), Asiento de Pasajeros, Años 1621–1670, fol. 29r, as cited by Pou y Martí, O.F.M., op. cit., 68. There is a list of the friars in Florida in 1631, including various papers of Fray Francisco Alonso de Jesús, in the Archivo General de Indias, 53–2–12. There is also an undated letter of Our friar to the King, probably written at San Agustín in 1634, requesting more friars in order to extend the missions still further to the south and into the interior. Lanning, op. cit., 264, note 7 and 273, note 2.
14 A petition of Fray Francisco Alonso de Jesús (perhaps the same one of 1634) was endorsed by the Royal Council at Medina, Spain, February 27, 1635, and on May 14 of the same year he sailed from Spain with a group of ten new missionaries for Florida. Their names and descriptions are cited in Pou y Martí, O.F.M., op. cit., 68–69.
15 Ibid.
16 In the letter here published, Fray Francisco Alonso de Jesus mentions the fact that he had written a long report to the King “three years ago [1619] when I was prelate [Provincial] in those provinces [Florida].” None of the sources consulted give any reference to this letter of 1619. It is possible that this is the letter mentioned by Streit, op. cit., 695, as “Memorial de Fr. Francisco de Jesús, padre y custodio de la Florida en las Indias, sobre agravios hechos a los Indios, y necesidad de su conversión.” This is a manuscript in the British Museum of London.