[MANUSCRIPT]. Certification of the Nobility of Don Manuel Silbestre Joseph de Herrera y Tassis

Madrid, 1728. Good. Manuscript on paper. Folio. 38 ff. (tears and wear along fore-edges, smaller tears along top and bottom of leaves, persistant waterstains, fol. 1 damaged with loss). Top portion of final leaf excised, but the text is continuous (see below). Recent sympathetic wrappers. With faults, and priced correctly. EXCELLENT SPANISH GOLDEN-AGE MANUSCRIPT WHICH DOCUMENTS AN ATTEMPT TO "CERTIFY" THE NOBILITY OF A NOBLEMAN IN PROVINCIAL SPAIN WHOSE FAMILY WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FOUNDER OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.

The purpose of the document is to demonstrate the nobility of Don Manuel Silbestre Joseph de Herrera y Tassis. There had been a reorganizing of the government of the town Bañares, in the province of Burgos (now Logroño), and Herrera believed that he should be the "acalde" (similar to the post of "mayor", though with greater authority than the modern mayor). However, to claim the position, it was necessary for some unstated reason for Herrera to prove that he was of noble birth.

TEXT: The first leaves are copied from a "Book of Baptisms" (the original is described as a large folio made of parchment, from the Parish of San Andres in Madrid) from June 5, 1684 to May 23, 1691, beginning at page 165. These leaves show that Manuel Herrera was born on the 31st of December, 1686 (making him 26 years old at the time of the events in question), along with the names of his parents, padrino, etc.

The next leaves are copied from a book titled "Twenty Three Baptisms" from the Parish of San Fines and San Luis in Madrid, begun in September 12, 1629, ended January 18, 1630, page 109, and document the birth and baptism of Henrrique Herrera (Manuel's father). Next is evidence of the fact that Manuel's older half brother, Don Gregorio de Herrera y Varacaldo was granted entrance into the Orden de Santiago (The Order of Saint James, a military/religious order). This is a copy of a document by Don Gregorio de Tapia, the king's secretary and a member of the royal cabinet.

The next section lays out Manuel de Herrera's genealogy, showing the claim to nobility through certain aspects of his family's history. His Grandfather, Captain Don Matheo Andres de Herrera was granted membership in the Orden de Santiago , by King Philip III. It is also shown that a number of Manuel's ancestors were born in Flanders, obviously related to the Spanish occupation during the Eighty Years' War.

Following are certifications showing that Manuel's grandfather and other ancestors had held the position of Acalde de Mesta. This means that they were in charge of the Spanish livestock (sheep herders') association. Although that does not sound particularly impressive, it was a position of immense power and prestige, monetarily and politically, and was only held (at this time) by members of the higher nobility. The family held this position under the authority of the Duke of Béjar (the first mention in this document would have been under the 9th Duke).  

THE DUKES OF BÉJAR, AND THE CONNECTION WITH SAN ANTONIO (BEXAR COUNTY), TEXAS: As we learn herein, for several generations the Herrera family served under the Dukes of Béjar. Indeed, Don Henrique de Herrera (the father of Manuel Herrera, for whom the present manuscript was written) was the Governor of Sanabiza under the Duke of Béjar and a member of the Royal Council (although the author claims that these records were "unavailable" as the city of Sanabiza had been taken over by the "enemy" Portuguese). The bespoke Manuel Herrera served as "Gentleman of the Chamber" under Juan Manuel López de Zúñiga y Castro, later the 11th Duke of Béjar, and the 10th Count of Bañares. Manuel López's uncle Baltazar de Zúñiga y Guzmánde (1658-1727) surely knew the family. He is of particular interest in the history of the Americas, as he became Viceroy, Governor, and General Captain of New Spain, President of the Royal Audience of Mexico, High Majordomo of King Philip V, and President of the Royal and Supreme Council of the Indies. In 1718 he established the Presidio San Antonio de Béjar; this was to become the city of San Antonio in Bexar County, Texas. 

OTHER NOBLE FAMILY MEMBERS: Several pages describe the nobility of Manuel's older brother Gregorio, who belonged to the Orden de Santiago; was a well-known noble of the Royal Court; and had been elected Acalde de Mesta over several other candidates including the Secretary of New Spain and the King's own son. Manuel's grandfather was also in the Orden de Santiago and was a member of the king's cabinet; and finally his father enjoyed noble privilege in the castle of Sanabiza.

CONCLUSION: Manuel argues that he deserves to enjoy the same privileges in Bañares, and he provices testimony from respected witnesses so that his "quality, blood, and nobility" can never again be challenged. The final section shows that the Bañares Deputation received the prepared documentation, investigated its veracity, confirmed the nobility of Don Manuel de Herrera y Tassis, and granted him the position of Acalde de Bañares. 

The final leaf contains the hastily written attestation of the secretary Joseph Marttines de Vallabanes, including a description of the document itself: "38 folios hand-rubricated, and on the last leaf of the sello tercero paper [...] separated (!)" -- presumably referring to the missing section at the top of the last leaf. NB: the text is continuous; perhaps a decorative flourish was excised in order to validate the text of the document with another copy.

SECRETARY: Written by Joseph Marttinez de Vallabanes (regularly "Martínez"; this scribe has a habit of doubling the letters "t" and "r"), a scribe in Valladolid, and is "rubricado" meaning that each leaf on the recto lower interior margin has the scribe's "rúbrica"; an artistic signature that serves as a sort of notarized seal. The document was written at the order of Don Manuel Herrera y Tassis on the 10th of December 1727 as a copy of the original document written by the scribe Thomas de Silba (and others) in 1712.

PAPER: Initial stamps at the head show the seal of King Phillip V of Spain, and show that this paper is the "tercero" grade of "papel sellado", costing 68 maravidís (approximately $7.30 today), and stating the year: 1727. Papel sellado was first authorized in Spain by a decree from Felipe IV in 1636. This stamped paper primarily functioned to gather revenue for the royal treasury; documents without the official stamp were regarded as non-legal and the transactions they documented subsequently negated. Papel sellado was extended to Spain's colonies in the New World following another law in 1638, where it was mainly sold to individuals who executed legal documents such as lawyers, scribes and merchants. The necessary stamps were available in four sellos, the use of each dependent upon the transaction and descending in cost: Primero, Segundo, Tercero, and Quarto, with two additional categories under Sello Quarto, "de oficio" for government use and "pobres" for indigents. The more prominent seals thus signaled documents of greater importance and value. Papel sellado was distributed in annual issues in Spain.

WATERMARKS:
1). Filigrana Hispanicas 0023459A (Águila bicéfala con alas abiertas y coronada. Escudo en el pecho con iniciales "MGC" en el interior = Valencia 1742).
2a). Not reproduced in Filigrana Hispanicas but possibly 0020929A (Tres círculos rematados en una cruz latina trebolada. En el primero una media luna, en el segundo las letras PP y en el tercero un corazón).
2b). Countermark of the above (Una cruz de Malta).
3). Filigrana Hispanicas 0022203A (Tres círculos rematados con una cruz latina trebolada. En el primero una media luna, en el segundo las letras S/P/D/A y en el tercero las letras P/ GG. Debajo el número 2 = Oviedo 1738).

CATALOGUER'S NOTE: We are grateful to Joseph Adams for his detailed analysis of this manuscript.