Translation No. 043
- manuscript
- transcription
- translation
- commentary
- manuscript & transcription
Date: 1519[1]. Santo Domingo City.
Theme: In early colonial Santo Domingo, enslaved Blacks indicted with a homicide could end up with a hand physically nailed onto a pillory in public, but if they were owned by a politically powerful master, some could literally get away with murder, with the help of some judicial officials or even from the church
Source: Archivo General de Indias, Justicia 43, fo. 39r.-39v., CUNY DSI Dominican Colonial Documents Collection
v
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[fo. xxxix= 39r.]
xxxviiio p t |
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xxxix also they should be asked whether they know, etcetera, that the / |
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xii witness |
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Francisco de San Miguel says that what he knows about the question is that he saw that the / |
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[fo. 39v.]
xxiii witness
xxv witness[4] |
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owned by the said licenciado Ayllón had his hand nailed, and they did not give him any, / except nailing his hand. He was asked how he knows the above said [ ]. / [he] says that what he knows about the question is that he saw the provisor of this city / |
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[…] |
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[…] |
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[fo. 42v.] Question 43
witness ii /
Witness iii |
t
t
t
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Also whether they know, etcetera, that the said licenciados / he says he knows that the said licenciados, due to the said factions and parties / He says that what he knows about the question is that this witness saw that licenciado Ayllón had two / |
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Witness iiii /
Witness viii |
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because of the said wound that the said slave had caused him, and someone even said that / He says that what he only knows that a slave owned by licenciado Ayllon killed / He says that what he knows is, and it is very public and notorious, that two others, a Loro / |
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[fo. 43v.]
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they were never punished except for one of them being apprehended and, once / He says he knows that licenciado Ayllón had a Black named Pedro, who killed / |
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[fo. 44r.] |
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and he gave him favor and assistance and cooked foof for him at his house / […] |
[1] This document is part of a larger residencia or audit trial record against some colonial government officials of Santo Domingo in 1519. On folio 396v. (cccxcvi), in the same Legajo, Ramo 2, there is explicit indication of the year 1519 as that when the proceedings were at least initiated. [2] Primera corona or prima tonsura was the status of those pursuing the clergy career at the point when, before been inducted as priests, they had the top of their heads shaved. [3] Witness 23 was Alonso Bravo. His name appears mentioned first on fo. xviii (18r.). [4] Witness xxv (witness 25) was Alvaro Cavallero or Cavallos. [5] Usually the testimony would say that the prisoner was taken to the pillory or picota or rollo, they public place with a column where physical punishment was applied for all to see.