The collection is currently being processed and new items will be added on an ongoing basis. 2015.237 was a purchase from Cuba
Accessioned and minimally processed by Benjamin Bromley in December 2011.
Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.
Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.
Collection of Spanish Language Manuscripts, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary
Includes printed and manuscript material written in Spanish and originating from Spain and Spanish-speaking countries in North America and South America. The collection is currently being processed and new items will be added on an ongoing basis. For this reason, the indicated date range is approximate at this point. This collection has multiple creators, which have not been indexed at this time.
Letter from Toledo, Spain regarding the dowry of Lady Teresa de Alarce and Don Miguel de Carrion. It includes an inventory of assets of the bride's family that will be delivered to the husband to help support the couple financially.
Acc. No. 2012.174
Manuscript from Toledo, Spain containing information about the affairs of the Convento de Santa Ana and Monasterio de San Agustín, relating to two families. It includes the discussion of several properties and houses.
Acc. No. 2012.176
The content details an agreement between the towns of Milagro Navarra and Alfaro La Rioja regarding their respective property. The agreement lays out rules and fines for breaking the rules. The rules govern such activities as hunting, cattle grazing, and harvesting crops. Acc. 2011.722
Acc. 2012.025
Acc No. 2012.024
The last will and testament, dated September 14, 1605, of Doña Melchora de los Reyes, from Toledo, Spain. She was the wife of Francisco de Escobar, the doctor of the city of Toledo. Included in the document are various clauses that Doña Melchora de los Reyes established for her funeral. At the end of the document, there is an entry from 1611 referring to the 1605 testament that is signed by the Bishop of Troya. See also Memorial of Doctor D. Francisco de Escobar for related information.
Acc. 2011.627
Acc. No. 2012.175
The manuscript may be an official document from Peru during Spanish colonial rule. The document is in Spanish and is signed by Don Francisco de Borjas, who may have been the Viceroy of Peru when it was written. The first seven pages of the document are missing and it contains approximately 80 pages.
Acc. No. 2014.203
This document relates financial information for shepherds and employees of a ranch in Peru. It includes wages paid for shepherds to maintain a herd of 1560 sheep, as well as deductions from the salary of one shepherd for the loss of several sheep on his watch.
Acc. No. 2011.365
Land records from Spain, likely concerning the sale of property.
Acc. No. 2011.363
Letter sent between cousins in Galicia.
A printed order of the 'Junta de Obras y Bosque' (Works and Forestry Board), issued in Madrid on April 14, 1761, by D. Pedro Manuel de Vera, the secretary of the Board and then by Don Juan Phelipe de Castanos, Zaragoza, on 1 May, 1761. The order explains that, beginning January 16, 1761, hunting using greyhound dogs would be prohibited unless a licensed by the Board. Licensing conditions depended on profession, status and the total number of dogs in the villages. The order was supposed to be distributed to the mayors.
Acc. No. 2011.366
The manuscript, dated 1772-1774, regards a lawsuit between a man and his mother-in-law, both inhabitants of Tarrega, Catalonia, Spain. The man claims that he is entitled to the inheritance that his deceased wife would have received.
The dissertation outlines plans for the transport of water from the Rio Jamapa to the new city of Veracruz. Don Miguel Vendrell y Puig presented his mathematical dissertation to VSS which the town council/hall held on September 4, 1794. He begins by expressing thanks for the powerful recommendation [?] given to him by Attorney General Don [?] Lagoa de Miranda so that he could compile some useful ideas for the transport of water to this city. He mentions the Caballero Don Pedro Gorostisa who rests in peace. He claims his hydraulic machine can transport the water with extreme ease. He states that a project for transporting water should meet these circumstances: 1a Short, 2a Cheap, 3a Secure, 4a Easy to Clean, [Check/Register], Put Together, and Clean. The document includes drawings for a portion of the machine.
Acc. No. 2012.027
The document concerns the reconstruction costs for a major area of Puerto Rico's defenses, started in 1767 by Alejandro O'Reilly, who was appointed by King Charles III as an advisor for the work on one of the Spanish Empire's most valuable ports. He initiated a twenty-year renovation effort and outlines the work for the forts San Cristobal and el Morro. Two drafts list the total cost of all works performed by year for 1767 to 1800. The defenses had also suffered damages in the 1787 earthquake and the rebuilding efforts are documented as well in the itemized accounts. Of note: the summary was provided by the seller and has not been verified for accuracy.
Acc. No. 2012.127.
The contract is between a fifteen-year-old Chinese boy and three men to work in Havana, Cuba, as a so-called "coolie," (contract laborer) for 10 years in exchange for his passage, a small monthly wage, and room and board.
Acc. No. 2012.146
11 documents written in Spanish.
Acc. No. 2015.237
Copy book of Pedro Lopez consisting primarily of legal documents.
Acc No. 2012.226
A handwritten census table of the town of Huaquechula in the state of Puebla, signed at the bottom by a priest named Cura G. Mendez. It includes the population of Huaquechula and 22 nearby towns, occupations of the inhabitants, longitude and latitude, boundaries, climate, endemic diseases, and roads and their conditions. There are also notes which detail the priest's report on the condition of the churches in the area. The document was purchased in honor of Bruce Christian.
Acc. No. 2011.622