Government Villa communities and Earth in the modern age. The example of the Villa and Land Mombeltrán.
Gonzalo Martín García
Trasierra II Época, n º 6, 2007
Summary The Ordinances of 1613 reflect the political and administrative organization of community Mombeltrán villa and land in the Modern Age. The powers of mayors, region-tors and officers are really the superior court of the town council on the village council, which will end up segregated from the community in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The model can serve as reference for the study of modes of organization of other village communities and land for the Modern Age. Abstract
The by-laws of 1613 Reflect the Political and administrative organiztion of the community of town and land of Monbeltran in the early modern times. Mayors' aldermen's and Officers responsible show the juridictional superidrity of the Town Councils over the village council, buying a sandwich will eVerttúldrY segregate from That community in the 17k "an 18th Centuries. This model Can Be reference to study how Other Communities WHERE Organized DURING this period.
At the beginning of Modern Age whole territory of the former administrative district of Avila had been organized on the basis of political, economic and adminis-trative receiving the name of town and land. This structure was based on the existence of a town or village, which had an independent jurisdiction, which is defined in each villazgo letter, and a clearly delimited territory where he plied that jurisdiction. The village council that existed previously or were created back in the dependent territory's legal, political and administrative provisions of the town council.
In the sixteenth century the territory of the province of Ávila was divided administrative provisions in the following communities of town and land: Ávila, Arévalo, Madrigal, Piedrahita, El Miron, El Barco, Bohoyo, Bonilla de la Sierra, Villafranca de la Sierra, Villanueva del Campillo, Vahíllo, Villatoro, Las Navas, Candeleda, Arenas, La Adrada and Mombeltrán. The latter was made at the end of the cen-tury by a villa, Mombeltrán, and eleven villages: Serranillos, Las Cuevas, Villarejo, San Esteban, Santa Cruz, Arroyo Castano, La Higuera, Lanzahíta, Pedro Bernar-do, Hawks and Mijares. Located on the southern slope of the Sierra de Gredos, limited to the north and land to the city of Avila and the town and land of Stone-hita, on the east by the town and land of the Adrada, south to Montesllanos and Nava-Morcuende and, on the west by the town and land of Arenas. Like all councils Tiétar Valley had experienced throughout the fifteenth century an intense process of lordships and belonged the last third of this century, the lordship of the House of lburquerque.
In May 1613, after a period of preparation and review that lasted more than two years were passed in open council and published in Mombele-transit and towns in its jurisdiction new ordinances (1) to regulate social life , political and economic of the villa and land. Over ninety-four chapters such ordinances developed an interesting law on pub-lic offices, the supplies, agricultural and handicraft production, care of livestock and forestry, trade, how to get the neighborhood and all public affairs that somehow affected the lives of neighbors and their rela-tions. The document provides information on mayors, aldermen, faithful and other public offices of the village council and village council can serve as reference to know the political and administrative organization of village communities and land in the Avila territory during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the organization will be maintained in each until launch a new process of segregation and granting villazgo titles throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries inevitably lead to its dissolution. 1. Mayors and councilmen of the town council
Mombeltrán was a manor villa belonging to the Duke of Alburquerque . Mr. jurisdiction exercised in town and land through the presence of co-rregidor, chief justice, appointed by the Lord, who presided over the councils , adminiatraba justice and represented the interests of the Duke . But each corrected-dor not usually stay more than a year in the village, he took residence at the end of his mandate, gave him possession council itself, paid the residents of the town and land, came from outside, barely had time to study in depth the problems and its performance in defending the interests of the Duke could cause madversión animal population. Its position in the service of ducal policy could be ineffective if not counterproductive. Who were always in the village were the neighbors. And they were the residents of the village who occupied the magistracy and municipal councils played trades. So the best way had the Lord to intervene in the internal affairs of the village and was trying to control land in the exercise of their judicial duties, the appointment of mayors, aldermen and council officers. (2)
However, the council of the town of Mombeltrán was formed during the early modern period of two ordinary mayors, one from the state of the noblemen and a state of good men, and two aldermen, also a the status of noblemen and other state of good men, who met ordinarily, a bell tolled in the houses of the council chaired by the mayor to provide the things pertaining to good governación of the villa and land.
The term of office was annual. In the Middle Ages were elected by the assembly of neighbors gathered for this purpose on September 29, feast San Miguel (3). In the modern era are those mayors and council members who elect their successors. In this sense, the ordinance states that the two mayors and two council should meet every year on December 15 in the presence of the clerk of the council, to elect by majority vote, by secret ballot for mayors and governors next year. Because manor villa, had to appoint a num-ber of trades doubled-four mayors (two per state) and four council members (two from each state) - for the owner of the manor choose between them.
For the appointment of mayors were excluded everyone who had de-committed such an office in the last three years and the appointment of trustees that would have been in the last two. Those eligible were to be residents of the town, residents in her house populated with continuous habitation, and one hundred thousand pieces of silver quantiosos finance, and lexítima age, and not children and families can not be appointed to any of the said offices any person in Haia Ayuntamientoque choose, tuhiere father, son, ssuegru,! tender, brother or brother, if not by the other votes, we do not want to be named any that est Ubiera first degree of affinity or consanguinity with that! thine to appoint or to any of them (4). The list of appointed members the council was submitted and marked closed and sealed to the Duke of Alburquerque, lord of the town, that he choose between them and confirm the appointment of the two mayors and two council members, one of the state of the gentry and other state good men. From that time appointed mayors and council represent the council meeting in council under the chairmanship of the mayor and are responsible for the governance of the community.
The mayors had the specific jurisdiction of the administration of justice. Every day of the week are required to make court in the town, with the assistance required of notaries and attorneys, to know of civil and criminal cases in first and second instance and on appeal in civil cases, appeals against decisions of the mayors of the village council. The marshals were appointed to effect the function of enforcing and implementing the orders and judgments.
Mayors and councilmen were together governmental powers and administrative provisions, the function of providing the things pertaining to good governación of the villa and land. They were entitled to ensure the maintenance of public peace, safety, police and health and sort the deals prosecutors in the town and village and care for the proper functioning of the stocks and other many aspects of public life in the village. They provide solar power to 'housing and land to the neighboring point of the town or village for the cultivation of cereals, flax and vines or define own assets of the village council or the land of communal pastures each site. Was within its jurisdiction to license to cut trees in chestnut, oak, oak and pine, for Peguera the mountains or to sell and cork oak bark outside the jurisdiction of the town and land, and also give residents the wood need to justify and give the stranger neighborhood that met the requirements for them. (5)
2. council officers
For the effective discharge of its powers of government mayors and aldermen had the collaboration of several officers who are responsible for compliance with branch functions' clerk, steward, faithful supplies, craft suppliers, forest guards.
The clerk's role was to certify the resolutions of the council, carry out the powers of tax distribution and write letters and Albala. To bringing a the office of notary publics a number of the town appointed by the con-brow and his work was paid for the rights set out in the actual tariff.
The butler was a citizen of the town. The mayors and council members appointed at the last council to do in December. In case of a tie vote for mayors and aldermen mayor tie vote, the only case in which it could intervene in the appointment of officers. The designated person should perform the job for two years and was responsible for collecting the rents of the town and pay their bills and drafts, in short, manage the finances of the council and take the appropriate receipt and expenditure book. Was obli-gado to endorse with their own property the honesty of their management as well as thin-tar money, up to the amount of 34,000 coppers, council to make payments when necessary. A change was assigned a salary of 7,000 per year coppers and enjoyed certain tax exemptions. It is easy to deduce that only per-sons of a certain economic level could meet demanding performance requirements of the profession.
The faithful craft supplies had annual duration. Each year, the day of San Juan, third day of Christmas Pasqua, mayors and council members appointed to two neighbors honest men of the village to perform the office of the Aryan faithful following. Were responsible for the custody of the weights, weights, rod and other measures of the council, all iron or metal (6)) established by the ordinances. This "ban forced to contrast with them and if they were compliant, sealing weights and weights of individuals to weigh or reweigh all goods that are bought and sold in the town despite holidays and Tuesday, and THURSDAY other days you shall command the courts, with their weight and weight in the square where you weigh the meat, the Government and quaresma, where he weighed the fish.
Each year in the first eight days after Aryan again, and then every fortnight, were forced to bisitar weights, weights, measures yards and the carnage and the taverns and the weight of flour and rregatones shops and waiters and all other offices and seal these weights, weights and measures and other things with the standards of the villa. Also, in January and July of each Aryan should leave those faithful to the locations of the jurisdiction to visit the butchers, fishmongers, bars, weights and weights and measures to inspect and seal such weights, weights and measures to ensure accuracy in the purchases and sales that were made. The faithful were also obliged to make bisitar and pillars and fountains of the town and people of the earth were clean and full and prevent them wash cloths, berduras or other things that these pillars and fountains filth rreciban '(7).
The faithful could not be nominated again until they had been two years since they served him in that office.
Mayors and aldermen had the power to appoint, in their first town hall each year, the providers should ensure that the good work of teachers and officers of various handicrafts, paintings and suppliers of shoemakers and others offices, ordinances specified (8). And, whenever necessary, no fixed date, mayors and aldermen appointed a keeper who is a man-ber honored citizen of the town or land, and four smaller guards to keep and enforce the provisions of the ordinances and that the council shall command in the mountains, terms, chestnut, oak, grass and fields.
Thus, through the powers of magistrates, mayors and record-ers, and suppliers of his officers, guards, loyal to the town grocery-organ-nice land around him and the governing council and managed directly or indirectly during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries throughout the country.
3. The village council
The performance of the responsibilities of suppliers, rangers and faithful, nominated by the mayors and aldermen of the council of Mombeltrán throughout the territory reflects how effective is the political power of the town council in towns and ends of the earth. Is that the minimum term. We have seen how the faithful of supplies, Mombeltrán neighbors and appointed by the mayor and re-Gidor of Mombeltrán, were obliged to go out twice a year to the peoples of the earth to visit the butcher, fishmonger, pubs, weights and weights and measures to inspect the weights, weights and measures and correct them, if they default, or seal if the standards were in line with the council. Also the mayors and aldermen of the council visited Mombeltrán peoples of the earth.
According to the ordinances established each year during the months of November and December, for two weeks, first in the villages and then tops out at summits in villages, a mayor and an alderman of the village council, each state, were forced to make general inquiry or visit to the municipalities and terms of the peoples of the earth. In this vision-ta take account of public sins, examine the damage, cuts and breaks made in the mountains of the town and land, wondering if the strangers who dwell in villages without obtaining neighborhood and inspect the book of receipt and expenditure revenue is recorded and expenses of each village council and the inputs and outputs of the deposits of bread and call the village council to hear and grant, if deemed appropriate, requests for soils with neighbors to build a house or expand their inheritance. The management of the village council is therefore subject to the supervision and direct control of the town council. That submission also staged each year with the appointment of public offices of the village council, some of whom have to go to be sworn by the town council.
The village councils were formed as early as the sixteenth century by a mayor and an undetermined number of trustees, usually two. Each Aryan the second day of Passover Christmas in each village had to join the mayor and the governed-res of that Aryan with the mayor and aldermen of the previous year to make choice between the neighbors and inhabitants of every place of public office for following year mayor, aldermen, mayor of the council, the custodian of baked bread, clerk, sheriff, jailer and faithful. It could not be appointed mayor, alderman or any person notary public office tubiere bastecedor of any variant such as thing, waiter, bartender or miller or executor of public letters. The council of the village intervened directly in the election in case of equality of votes, if any of those named not take possession of the office or if any of the officers stopped at the performance of his duties because of absence, accident or death. The mayor, the clerk and the sheriff were to occur in the municipality of Mombeltrán New Year's Day to swear his office before the run-Gidor and regiment of the villa. The other officers were sworn into office before the mayor of each village.
Its jurisdiction was limited, subordinate and dependent. Decide on the appropriate vechamientos of pastures, pine forests and reserves assigned to each site; charge penalties generated by the Failure to meet the ordinances in their respec-tive places, can force down cendra ovens and oil of juniper to be made in the mountains have to play, in general, the powers conferred upon them by the ordinances and have to record their actions in the book of each council to be inspected by mayors and aldermen of the town (9), in judicial matters mayors could know in which civil cases litigated matters of value less than sixty coppers and executing debt and understand and take prisoners to the prisoners until the third day, but no , and should refer the rest of civil and criminal cases to the ordinary mayors of the town.
The exercise of these powers was the way municipal councils to come true mastery court of the villa on the peoples of the earth. This business unit generated the system created inequities among neighbors and problems and inconvenience to the inhabitants of the villages. When no reluctance and suspicion. To remedy such nuisance ordinances established themselves when the mayors of the town cite to testify on his audience to the village litigants facilitate their attendance and take into account the distances (10) and so did the clerks (11). At the same time the village council tended to intervene more and more, through attorneys appointed for this purpose, the municipal council of the village and in the seventeenth century it appears well documented figure of the Attorney General Peoples, which, through its initiatives and interventions on different issues, advocates on the council of the village and beyond the interests of local residents and councils of nations.
to his appointment met every year in one of the locations of the Earth, warned by a roadman, a mayor, an alderman or a neighbor any nickname-Rado for the purpose, on behalf of each Council, to name among neighbors ; us all places to the attorney general. The choice was approved and recognized by the council of the village, in which he swore council office and the elected used to go to appear before the duke, lord of the town and land. Among those named are mayors, governors, priests and neighbors of every kind, but especially write. Their duties and responsibilities are difficult to pin down. Involved in checkpoints headings of each council deals with all matters for which the town council gives power of attorney, defends the interests of the place, raising requests and testimonies, general inspection done every year by mountains and, when the occasion or if required, took a seat on the council of the town. Each year the council commissioned two neighbors to take account of the solicitor of the money spent on the exercise of their function, which is paid equally divided among all the inhabitants of Earth.
Historical circumstances, demographic trends, increased tax burdens, the economic needs of the monarchy and the nobility causes, were to during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries long process of exemption from the con- ; cejos land under the jurisdiction of the town of Mombeltrán . The process is realized in three different times. In the first, begun in 1668 and completed in 1679, were exempted and acquired nature of villazgo Pedro Barnardo, Mija-res and Lanzahíta. In the second, between 1693 and 1695, the peoples of "summits aden-ter, San Esteban, Las Cuevas and Villarejo. And a century later, in 1792, concluded the exemption process in Santa Cruz del Valle and Hawkins. At the beginning of the nineteenth century villa community and Mombeltrán land consisted of the village and villages Mombeltrán Serranillos, Arroyo Castano and La Higuera.
Notes (1) The procedure is initiated at the request of the prosecutor of the people to review some ordinances that were drafted in 1598 and 1599 by providing the duke of Alburquerque. At the initial meeting, held on May 2, 1611 and presided by the mayor, attended by mayors and aldermen of Mombeltrán, Lanzahíta, San Esteban, Villarejo, Las Cuevas, Santa Cruz, La Higuera, Serranillos, Attorney Arroyo Castano and Attorney General of the peoples of all jurisdiction. Councillors did not attend places of Pedro Bernardo, Mijares and Hawks, who were represented at the meeting by the attorney of the peoples of the Tierra.Comisionaron to do the work of revision, empowered to remove or add more convenient service Our Lord and common wind of this town and villages from their land and neighbors of her six people: two appointed by the municipality of Villa de Mombeltrán, two appointed by the Summit places Afuera (Lanzahíta, Peter Bernard, Mijares and Hawkins) and two appointed by the Summit places Adentro (The Caves, Villarejo, San Esteban, Santa Arroyo Cruz and Chestnut). A month later, on May 30, the six commissioners presented the new ordinances. They were finally approved in the consistory of Mombeltrán houses, in open council, on 30 March 1613. HISTORICAL ARCHIVE CUÉLLAR, Mombeltrán, C50 L6/I2.
(2) Martin Garcia, G., Mombeltrán in its history (siglo XIII-XIX century), Avila, 1997, p.178.
(3) MARTÍN GARCÍA, G., op.cit., P. 90.
(4) HISTORICAL ARCHIVE CUÉLLAR, Mombeltrán, C50 L6/12, Ordinances ... Chapter I: hor-den that has to be for the election Mayors and rexidores of each year.
(5) Ibid, Chapter XX: In the vicinity of outsiders. (6) "Had the council of the village and half a quart quartillo copper, weighing scales and a wooden quartillo iron bull, half bushel also Jimmy, with a standard, one weighing more than two weights balance iron each pound, another half bushel of wood shod, shod beam frame, half bushel of copper, half a bushel of wood, a wood quartillo shod, and half a quartillo quartillo two brass pieces. " MARTÍN GARCÍA, G., op. cit., p. 181.
(7) Ibid, Chapter LXXVI: From what I have to do faithful.
(8) Ibid, Chapter IV: The appointment of the overseers of the offices of Town and Earth.
(9) Ibid, Chapter XLI: That the mayors of places do carry the said sentence in the book of his concejopara quentar to them.
(10) Idem, Chapter VIII: when and Where to judge.
(11) Idem Chapter XCIIII: The Rights of the Notaries Public.
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