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Reorganization and New Policies, I770-1800
33
aries. There were 790 married persons, 74 widows and widowers, and 203 bachelors. 42 The report, made in 1787 for the Presidio of Nuestra Senora de Loreto at La Bahia and the missions there, shows that there were 429 Spaniards, 103 Indians, 13 mestizos, 45 mulattoes, and 1 slave, making a total of 591. 43 Like the report for San Antonio, this one revealed a decided drop when compared to the total ·of 668 reported in 1783. A special report on the missions in San Antonio was made in December, 1788. It indicated that Valero had at that time 45 Indians; Con- cepcion, 51 ; San Jose, 114; San Juan Capistrano, 34; Espada, 46; and Espiritu Santo, 82. But the number of neophytes varied considerably during the closing years of the missions. In December, 1789, the general census taken showed Valero had 121 ; Concepcion, 74; San Jose, 198; Capistrano, 80; and Espada, 93. 44 In the report for 1789, the population of the Presidio de San Antonio and the Villa de San Fernando also disclosed a marked increase since 1786. There were 1,279 persons, of whom 546 were men, 431 were women, 152 boys, and 150 girls. Of these 961 were Spaniards. There were 1,028 married, and 80 widows and widowers. One secular priest ministered to the spiritual wants of the Presidio and Villa, and six regulars looked after the missions. 45 The following year, however, the population of this, the most impor- tant center in Texas, for some inexplicable reason had decreased to 1,001; of whom there were 271 men, 310 women, 220 boys, and 200 girls. The missions, too, had lost considerable numbers of neophytes. Valero had 48 persons living in the old mission; Concepcion, 47; San Jose, 144; Capistrano, 2 I ; and Espada, 46. Analyzing the report by classes there were 780 Spaniards, 269 Indians, 30 mestizos, 324 mulattoes, and 11 slaves. 46 The government asked for a special report on the number of foreigners living in Texas in I 792. This shows that there were 31 in San Antonio, 8 in La Bahia, and 86 in Nacogdoches. Their description and names are given in detail, as well as their nationality and place of origin. 42 Estado que manifiesta el numero de vasallos en el Presidio de San Antonio y Villa de San Fernando, 1786. Nacogdoches Archives, Vol. VI, pp. 85-86. 43 Nacogdoches Archives, Vol. VI, pp. 99-100. "'Census reports in Nacogdoches Archives, Vol. VI, pp. 103; 121-122. 45 Census report9, Nacogdoches A rehives, Vol. VI, pp. 121-122. 46 /bid., Vol. VI, pp. 153-154.
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