Page:The English Historical Review Volume 36.djvu/83

 76 EARLY HISTORY OF JAMAICA {1511-1536) January was development, both political * and economic. 2 Having appointed Juan Lopez de Torralba to be royal accountant in Jamaica, the Crown on 17 July 1519 issued him instructions 3 which suggest that already it was considered desirable to place a check on the treasurer, Pedro de Macuelo. Yet he succeeded Garay in the governorship, as has been said, and not until 1526 was his ' residencia ' ordered to be taken and his successor to be named in that capacity : 4 he was continued in his office of treasurer, but he was superseded in the governorship, possibly by Pedro Cano, ' vecino ' (householding citizen) of Jamaica. 5 The agreement between the Crown and Garay expired in 1523, and the colonists of Jamaica petitioned to have the king's share of the property concerned sold to them, on credit, as relief for the necessitous condition of the island. 6 Garay died, but not until 1528 was effective action taken to dissolve that partnership 7 ' in cattle and mares and plantations and Indians ', on the basis of an equitable division of the increase of the property involved, Garay 's half passing to his son Antonio, a minor. This young man seems to have defended his inheritance with difficulty against the executors selected by his father, and especially against the treasurer, Macuelo. 8 The chief items in this inheritance were two sugar-mills, the one producing twelve thousand arrobas of sugar a year, and the other not quite completed at the time of the elder Garay 's decease. 9 Its completion was delayed by the dissolution of the partnership, especially, it would seem, by 1 Not all of Jamaica's town councillors were named by the admiral's lieutenant, for Lopez de Torralba was appointed by the Crown ' regidor ' during his majesty's pleasure (Arch, de Ind. 139, 1, 6, viii, fo. 110), as were other persons during that same year of 1519 and those immediately following : Pedro de Bobadilla, 16 August 1519 (ibid. fo. 121 v ) ; Pedro de Espinosa, 6 September 1521 (he was also treasurer for the province of Santa Marta) (ibid. fo. 234 r ; xiii, fo. 194 T ) ; Juan de Bolafios, 20 June 1526 {ibid. 139, 1, 7, xi, fo. 47-8) ; Francisco Garcia Bermejo, 13 December 1527 (ibid. 139, 1, 7, xii, fo. 252) ; Diego de Espinosa, 1 July 1528 (ibid. 139, 1, 7, xiii, fo. 234 v ) ; Francisco Bejarano, 1 July 1528 (ibid. fo. 235 v ). See Macuelo's suggestion in no. xv below. Other documents (Arch, de Ind. 139, 1, 7, xii, fo. 249 v, 250 v , 251) suggest that these are names of the prosperous agriculturists and cattlemen, encomenderos, and slave- owners of this period. Alonso Sanchez resigned the inspectorship of Jamaica's gold-smelting plant (which may not have existed) to his son, Luis Sanchez de la Torre (4 December 1525, ibid. 139, 1, 6, x, fo. 205 v ). Because the son was under age, Juan de Mendeguren was given the office and its salary (ibid. 139, 1, 7, xi, fo. 231) for two years ; meanwhile, Luis entered the Franciscan monastery of the island and Mendeguren retained the inspectorship (ibid. fo. 206). Martin Perez de Mendeguren was made notary of Seville on 14 September 1526 (ibid. 139, 1, 7, xi, fo. 204). 2 Ibid. 139, 1, 6, viii, fo. 303 v, 305, 358 v ; 139, 1, 7, xiii, fo. 322 r . 3 Ibid. 139, 1, 6, viii, fo. 99. * Ibid. 139, 1, 7, xi, fo. 164 v . 5 Ibid. 79, 4, 1, Y II, fo. 148, 176. 6 Ibid. 139, 1, 7, xi, fo. 189. 7 Ibid. fo. 146, 189 ; xiii, fo. 305, 391 r ; 79, 4, 1, Y I, fo. 126 v . 8 Ibid. 139, 1, 7, xi, fo. 157 v ; xii, fo. 111 1 '. His guardian was Juan Mosquera, a very active and influential citizen of La Espanola. 9 Ibid. 139, 1, 7, xi, fo. 157*.