{"id":1041,"date":"2022-08-03T14:24:12","date_gmt":"2022-08-03T12:24:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gibaltar.cat\/?p=1041"},"modified":"2024-01-18T13:07:26","modified_gmt":"2024-01-18T12:07:26","slug":"una-obra-magna-sobre-el-poble-menut-de-gibraltar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gibaltar.cat\/index.php\/2022\/08\/03\/una-obra-magna-sobre-el-poble-menut-de-gibraltar\/","title":{"rendered":"Una obra magna sobre el poble menut de Gibraltar"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

La q\u00fcesti\u00f3 de Gibraltar, sobretot del 1704 en\u00e7\u00e0, ha estat tractada, analitzada i investigada profundament i profusament en termes militars i geopol\u00edtics. En canvi, els estudis sobre la poblaci\u00f3 civil establerta al penyal des de l\u2019ocupaci\u00f3 aliada en la guerra de Successi\u00f3 i posteriorment sota sobirania brit\u00e0nica han estat m\u00e9s aviat escassos, malgrat la gran riquesa d\u2019or\u00edgens. Per\u00f2 aix\u00f2 no significa que el tema no hagi suscitat inter\u00e8s dels investigadors. El 1951, de fet, H.W. Howes ja en va publicar la primera gran aproximaci\u00f3, The Gibraltarian. The Origin and Development of The Population of Gibraltar from 1704<\/em>. I els primers anys 2000, les investigacions de Lawrence A. Sawchuk i Stacie D. A. Burke sobre les epid\u00e8mies que hi va haver a Gibraltar al comen\u00e7ament del segle XIX van aportar informaci\u00f3 de context valuos\u00edssima sobre la configuraci\u00f3 social del penyal a l\u2019\u00e8poca.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Per sort, l\u2019historiador gibraltarenc Richard J.M. Garcia<\/strong> ha vingut a tancar definitivament la q\u00fcesti\u00f3, despr\u00e9s d\u2019una recerca exhaustiva de quasi dues d\u00e8cades, amb una obra magna en tres volums sobre la hist\u00f2ria social del penyal: Forging a civilian community (1704-1749)<\/strong><\/em>, publicat el 2020; Ordinary life in peace and war (1749-1783)<\/strong><\/em>, del  2021, i The phoenix rises (1783-1805)<\/strong><\/em>, del mateix 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

El per\u00edode tractat \u00e9s el segle i escaig que va de la presa de Gibraltar el 1704 fins a la batalla de Trafalgar del 1805, durant el qual es va forjar en bona mesura la societat yanita <\/em>actual, multi\u00e8tnica i multicultural, a partir d\u2019elements mediterranis i brit\u00e0nics. L\u2019exhaustivitat de la recerca de Garcia, gr\u00e0cies a un buidatge meticul\u00f3s i rigor\u00f3s dels arxius nacionals de Gibraltar i de Londres i dels llibres eclesi\u00e0stics gibraltarencs, \u00e9s absolutament fascinant, amb centenars de microhist\u00f2ries que formen la macrohist\u00f2ria social d\u2019aquest territori tan singular. L\u2019autor dona tot luxe de detalls de qualsevol aspecte imaginable de la vida quotidiana dels primers habitants del Gibraltar brit\u00e0nic, ja siguin arribats de G\u00e8nova, del Marroc, d\u2019Andalusia i d\u2019Anglaterra, d\u2019Irlanda, de Portugal i, tamb\u00e9, dels Pa\u00efsos Catalans<\/strong>. Perqu\u00e8 un dels aspectes que criden for\u00e7a l\u2019atenci\u00f3 de la trilogia de Garcia \u00e9s que les refer\u00e8ncies a catalans, menorquins, mallorquins i valencians s\u00f3n constants a les seves p\u00e0gines, una demostraci\u00f3 m\u00e9s de l\u2019aportaci\u00f3 qualitativa \u2013i de vegades significativa\u2013 de la gent del nostre pa\u00eds en la formaci\u00f3 de la incipient societat gibraltarenca.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Al primer volum, per exemple, l\u2019autor ens parla dels austriacistes catalans que, seguint el pr\u00edncep Jordi de Hessen-Darmstadt, van participar en l\u2019ocupaci\u00f3 de Gibraltar el 1704:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe number of Spaniards who chose to live in Gibraltar nevertheless began to increase soon after the exodus of August 1704, and in particular after the siege of late 1704-1705 when the Bourbon pretender tried to retake Gibraltar. Some did indeed come back from the hinterland, notwithstanding that Gibraltar was to all intents and purposes cut off from Spain. They were a mix of young and old. This is clearly reflected in the records of baptisms, deaths and marriages at the church of St Mary the Crowned. They were joined by a number of younger, able-bodied Catalans who came and settled in Gibraltar at this time. They swelled the civilian population, but it remained small with a significant number of old people.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tamb\u00e9 hi esmenta els catalans que van anar a defensar la pla\u00e7a durant el primer setge hispanofranc\u00e8s, de l\u2019octubre del 1704 a la primavera del 1705:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe cause of King Charles III of Spain was given a boost with the arrival at Gibraltar of Catalan volunteers from Barcelona on 4 February 1705. The Miquelets, or militia, and the Catalans had come to fight for the Austrian Pretender. Their 30-year old Captain, Jayme Burguy 59, was killed in action on 15 May 1705. This shows that, notwithstanding the end of the siege in March, there was still fighting and military casualties 60. The huts on the isthmus to the north of Gibraltar’s outer defences, were known for many years thereafter as Las chozas de los Miquelets suggesting that they were guard huts used by Catalan troops or huts where they would shelter when on duty protecting Gibraltar’s northern flank. Some of the Catalans who arrived at this time settled in Gibraltar. They added a new dimension to the civilian population of Gibraltar.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I abans de salpar del penyal rumb a Barcelona, l\u2019estiu del 1705, Garcia ens destaca que el pr\u00edncep Jordi va deixar l\u2019administraci\u00f3 civil de la fortalesa en mans de dos catalans:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn addition to dealing with property titles, Prince George of Hesse put in place a structure for the civil management of Gibraltar shortly before he was due to leave. On 27 July he appointed a Catalan, Alonso de la Capela, as judge for Gibraltar to administer both civil and criminal law. [\u2026] On 27 July 1705 Hesse also appointed another Catalan, Joseph Corrons, as the commander with particular responsibility as Pratique Master. It was his duty to allow ships to enter the port if they were free from sickness, or place vessels in quarantine if a crew member or passenger were sick, or even turn the ship away. His title was \u2018alcayde de mar\u2019. He was also referred to as the Sergeant Major, suggesting responsibility within the Spanish Guard, a volunteer body which had responsibility for guarding the land frontier with Spain.<\/em>“<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Josep Corrons, natural de Caldes de Montbui, es va estar en el c\u00e0rrec fins al 1719, quan per disputes amb el governador brit\u00e0nic va haver de sortir de la pla\u00e7a. Per\u00f2 al penyal es va quedar la seva muller aragonesa i les seves tres filles. I, com rescata Garcia dels arxius, aquestes \u00faltimes les haurien passat magres a la mort de la mare si no fos per haver-se casat l\u2019una amb un mallorqu\u00ed, l\u2019altra amb un valenci\u00e0 i la tercera amb un catal\u00e0:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe death of Gracia Corrons [1727] left her three daughters, the youngest of whom was 10 years old, in poverty and distress, and with no income. Their only asset was their house on Main Street, opposite Tuckey’s Lane, which was then in a ruinous condition because it had not been well maintained for many years and it had suffered damage during the siege. The small part of the house that was habitable was used as billets by troops. The marriage of Gracia, the eldest of Gracia Corrons’ daughters, to Antonio Carreras – who was originally from Mallorca – saved the girls from destitution. Carreras took in the two younger Corrons girls, and looked after them at his expense until they married. Isabel married Francisco Valle, who was from Valencia, soon afterwards. Gracia’s youngest sister, Esperanza, married Luis Valles, a Catalan from the region of Barcelona like her parents, twelve years after her mother died, in March 1739.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Per les mateixes dates de la mort de Gracia Corrons, Garcia tamb\u00e9 esmenta Tecla Portes, casada amb el sabadellenc Miquel Riera i una de les primeres menorquines documentades als llibres eclesi\u00e0stics del penyal. Els menorquins, que durant una bona part del segle XVIII van restar sota domini de Londres arran del tractat d\u2019Utrecht, s\u00f3n destacats sovint al segon i el tercer volums. Com en el cas del grup de mitja dotzena de capellans illencs que trobem, des de la d\u00e8cada del 1730 fins a la del 1790, al capdavant de la parr\u00f2quia de Santa Maria la Coronada per decisi\u00f3 dels governadors brit\u00e0nics, decidits a tallar qualsevol escletxa de sobirania espanyola sobre la pla\u00e7a:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe solution eventually adopted by successive Governors of Gibraltar to the problem of allowing Spanish priests to head the Catholic community in Gibraltar was to source priests for Gibraltar from British possessions and not from Spain. By 1733, General Sabine had decided that he and not the church authorities in Spain would identify a suitable priest for appointment as Vicar. He turned to Port Mahon, Menorca – then a British possession – to find a suitable candidate. He was 43-year old Dr Francisco Ignacio Ximenes, a Doctor of Philosophy and Sacred Theology. After the Junta of Elders were satisfied with the new priest, they approached the Governor to inform him that Dr Ximenes should take charge of the parish. A ceremony was held in the courtyard of the church of St Mary the Crowned where the Governor handed Dr Ximenes the keys of the church and a mandate to work closely with the Junta of Elders of the church. A similar ceremony was then held thereafter whenever a new Vicar was installed. It was no longer the case that the Bishop of Cadiz appointed the Vicar for Gibraltar, with the Governor’s consent. Now, the military authorities were deciding who should be the principal priest for the Catholic inhabitants and the Governor visibly exercised authority in this sphere. It was only then that the candidate for Vicar could seek the necessary ecclesiastical powers from a Bishop, and more specifically in the case of Gibraltar, from the Bishop of Cadiz.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

De Menorca, a m\u00e9s de capellans, tamb\u00e9 arriben a Gibraltar centenars de professionals provinents de la zona del port de Ma\u00f3, de vegades amb la fam\u00edlia i tot, fins a formar una comunitat compacta i diferenciada dins la naixent societat yanita<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLife in Gibraltar was difficult for the ordinary person. It was expensive. The military were in total command and the interests of civilians were often ignored. However, there was something about the town that attracted people to stay, and in some cases to prosper. In the years since Spain lost Gibraltar, the character of the place had changed dramatically. From being a quiet Spanish port town, of no particular importance, it had been transformed into a thriving commercial hub at the centre of international trade. It was a magnet that brought in merchants, traders, artisans, seafarers and labourers from Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Minorca and Genoa. It had become cosmopolitan. [\u2026] The civilian population had, at its core, a strong element of persons who had been born in Gibraltar and who could trace their family presence and history in Gibraltar for generations. Some could trace their family back to the time before Gibraltar was taken in 1704. Added to them there was a very large Genoese element. There were also important communities of British people, Jews, Spaniards, Minorcans and Portuguese. There was also a smaller number of persons from other countries including Ragusa (Dubrovnik) and France. The way in which the Gibraltar population grew by attracting persons of different nationalities was now part of the traditional make-up of the territory. They embraced British Gibraltar.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finalment, a l\u2019ep\u00edleg Garcia esmenta els canvis que havia experimentat Gibraltar entre 1704 i 1805, el per\u00edode cronol\u00f2gic del seu estudi:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt a deeper level, the physical composition of the population of Gibraltar had changed. A small number of Spanish inhabitants stayed in Gibraltar after it was taken in 1704, and they were joined by some of those who had originally left and then changed their minds and returned. These early Spanish residents were deemed to have become British by virtue of their long term residence in Gibraltar. The number of Spaniards coming to live in Gibraltar had fluctuated over the years. During the time that Minorca was British, there was an element of migration from there, but it was never large. Other Spaniards had come to live and settle in Gibraltar, but they were no longer the dominant element of the civilian community.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tot aix\u00f2, i molt\u00edssimes aventures i desventures de personatges i llinatges com Andreu de Salas, Josep Mart\u00ed, els Sacases, els Porro, els Messa i els Serra, el mestre Valls, els hortolans Riera, els Abrines i els Mayor de Val\u00e8ncia, ho trobareu a les p\u00e0gines dels tres llibres de Garcia, indispensables i imprescindibles per entendre el Gibraltar actual. Una recerca, per cert, coincident en el tema, en el per\u00edode cronol\u00f2gic i en el temps dedicat a la que vaig dur a terme jo mateix sobre els menorquins a Gibraltar. Sortosament, les dues investigacions paral\u00b7leles tenen molts punts concomitants i coincidents, per\u00f2 s\u00f3n del tot complement\u00e0ries perqu\u00e8 en el meu cas el focus es restringia a una de les nombroses comunitats que es van establir al penyal arran de l\u2019ocupaci\u00f3 del 1704. L\u2019altre element que permet diferenciar les dues recerques \u00e9s que es nodreixen d\u2019arxius diferents: m\u00e9s enll\u00e0 de rec\u00f3rrer tots dos als llibres sacramentals de Santa Maria la Coronada de Gibraltar, en el meu cas bec sobretot dels arxius locals de de Menorca i de Cadis i, en el cas de Garcia, principalment dels arxius nacionals de Gibraltar i de Londres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Article publicat l’1 d’agost de 2022<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

L\u2019historiador Richard J.M. Garcia, despr\u00e9s de vint anys de recerca, ha publicat en tres volums l’estudi definitiu de la hist\u00f2ria social de Gibraltar del 1704 al 1805… amb nombroses refer\u00e8ncies (i referents) a casa nostra<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1035,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2,38,6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gibaltar.cat\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1041"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gibaltar.cat\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gibaltar.cat\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gibaltar.cat\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gibaltar.cat\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1041"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/gibaltar.cat\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1041\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1165,"href":"https:\/\/gibaltar.cat\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1041\/revisions\/1165"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gibaltar.cat\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1035"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gibaltar.cat\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1041"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gibaltar.cat\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1041"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gibaltar.cat\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1041"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}