Our Catleolic Heritage in Texas
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Royal instructions on education. The concern of the king for his subjects' education reached even the natives of distant Texas. The gov- ernor received a copy of a royal decree issued in 1807, enjoining him to carry out the provisions of the royal instructions·-of May 10, 1770, November 28, 1772, and Novembe~ 24, 1774, concerning the establish- ment and . maintenance of schools in all Indian pueblos. The ~~t}_':'.}!S congregated in the various missions were to be taught in $panis_h and made to learn to readl..W}'it~ and ~p~a,2< the language. They were to be strictly forbidden to speak their own tongue in order that they might more easily master Spanish and communicate more freely with the Spaniards. The governor was ordered to establish schools, if they were not already in existence, to employ teachers who by experience and training were qualified for this work, and to draw on the royal treasury for their salary which had been stipulated in the former instructions. 19 The number of Indians in the missions, however, was too small to justify the expenditure involved in fulfilling these orders, and nothing was done about the matter, although the citizens of San Fernando tried to establish a school. Among the various craftsmen, the carpenters' services seem to have been most in demand. Of the nine in San Antonio listed for 1809, only Manuel Cabrera, a journeyman, was native to San Antonio. Two were designated as masters : Luis Beltran who had come originally from Zacatecas, and Antonio Canaves from New Orleans, who had resided in San Antonio for thirty-one years. Two others came from the United States, Robert Ringlain and William Rolan (Roland). Joseph \Vinet had come all the way from Canada. The other three journeymen car- penters were from Mexico. Monclova lost Tomas Sanchez; San Luis Potosi gave up Manuel Arenales, and Monterrey was forsaken by Jose Juan Maria Gonzalez. 20 The first large San Antonio bakery was established by Pedro Geronimo Longueville. This Louisianian signed a contract with the Cabildo on January 23, 1806. By the terms of the agreement, he was granted an absolute monopoly on flour, its purchase and sale in the neighborhood. In. return for his concession, Longueville was to set up a bakery which could supply whatever bread, Spanish white (water), and French, the 19 Order of the king transmitted by N. Salcedo, May 1, 1807. A.G. l., A11diencia de Guadalajara, 103-4-1 (Dunn Transcripts, 1800-1819, pp. 177-178). 20 Notlcla de los carplnteros que existen en esta Villa hoi dia. May 17, 1809. Be:rar Arcliives.
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