(Penalver y Cardenas, Bishop Luis)
Census reports for 1799: Galveston, La Fourche, S. Carlos del Misouri, S. Luis Nakitoches.
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1799 May 20
Quintanar, (O.M.Cap.), Father Felix de
Galveztown, (Louisiana)
In compliance with Section 24 of Penalver's instructions, Quintanar sends the census. The decrease has been due to moving to other places; the two who did not make their Easter duty said they were busy and would make it. Joseph Paul, Captain of the Militia, will tell Penalver of the needs of the church which he will undertake to repair because of the poverty of the inhabitants.
Enclosure:
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1799 May 19
Quintanar, Father Felix de
Galveztown, Louisiana
The census of the parish of St. Bernard of Galveztown for 1799: 248 souls, 33 less than last year. Diego Diaz and Fran(cis)co Bonit have not made their Easter duty. The income is 50 pesos.
A.L.S. (Spanish)
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1799 Jul. 26
Deva, (O.M.Cap.), Father Bern(ar)do de
La Fourche, (Louisiana)
to Bishop Luis Penalver y Cardenas
(New Orleans, Louisiana)
Deva sends the census for 1798.
Enclosure:
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1799 Jun. 24
Deva, Father Bernardo de
La Fourche, Louisiana
Census of Assumption parish of La Fourche de Valenzuela for 1798: 2185 souls, an increase of 110. 302 have made their Easter duty. Pew rent 211; fees for funerals and weddings 49. More workers are needed.
A.L.S. (Spanish)
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1799 ( )
Report of St. Ferdinand of Florissant for 1799: 264 souls, an increase of 21. 118 have made their Easter duty. The fabrique has 687. 17 sol. 8 reales(?). There are 30 non-Catholics. This year there have been 21 baptisms, 4 marriages and 3 burials.
D. (French)
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1799 ( )
Report of Carondelet for 1799: 177 souls. This village has no church and depends on St. Louis.
D. (French)
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1799 ( )
Report of St. Charles of Missouri for 1799: 677 souls, an increase of 116. 230 have made their Easter duty. The fabrique has 260. 14 sols. 9 reales(?). There are 31 non-Catholics. This year there have been 41 baptisms, 15 marriages, 11 burials.
D. (French)
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1799 ( )
Report of the village and parish of St. Louis for 1799: 989 souls, an increase of 43. None have made their Easter duty; the fabrique has 6725. 12s. 9r. There are 50 non-Catholics. This year there were 31 baptisms, 15 marriages, 11 burials.
D. (French)
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1799
((Pavie, Father Pierre?)
Natchitoche(s), (Louisiana)
Census of the parish of Natchitoche(s), 1799: 1721 souls; the fabrique has no fixed income, it has received 235 r(eales?) and 30 for banns. Few have made their Easter duty. The distance contributes to this and (the writer) proposed to the inhabitants of the Isle a Brevel that they build a small chapel where he could celebrate Mass several times during the year and those from Riviere aux Cannes could come.
D. (French)
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1799 Nov. 19
(Penalver y Cardenas), Bishop Luis
New Orleans, Louisiana
to Nicolas Maria Vidal
(New Orleans, Louisiana)
Having examined the accounts of the Charity Hospital for the 3 months from Oct. 1, 1798 to the end of the year, made up by the administrator Francisco de Leiva, he found no defect and is returning them to Vidal for conclusion. With the alms collected at Vidal's order and other aid, the hospital has been decorated, a large number of patients were cared for in the epidemic of August, September and October. This is why a fund should be set up; at present the funds are very low. The accounts kept separate by Manuel Gayoso (de Lemos), Vidal's predecessor, might be very useful. Costs have gone up; carpenters ask 5 or 6 pesos a day. The hospital has begun to build a rest home where the public could find the former prices and so keep the exclusive privilege of caring for the sick under the rulings made by Baron (Francisco Luis Hector) Carondelet, Gayoso's predecessor. Various lands held by the hospital have no buildings. There are 2 in principal streets which could be very useful but there are no funds in the treasury and while (Penalver) is persuaded that there were holdings in the possession of Andres de Almonaster (y Roxas), its patron at the time of his death on April 25, 1798; they must be cleared and collected. Almonester as founder and patron was exempt from giving an account as accorded in the royal decree of August 14, 1794 but this did not exempt him from keeping an account. He left the current accounts up to March 31, 1798 signed and approved. Leiva's last accounts drawn up under Almonaster presented by Gilberto Leonard caused (Penalver) to draw up the proceedings sent to Vidal with those accounts. Father Juan de Dios Valdes audited them and made the observation in his paper of the 16th that there was shown to be entered in the possession of Almonaster, during the administration of Leonard and Leiva, 4,323 pesos, 3 reales of which there is no account. Rents from the 12 accessory gates during Leonard's administration, the rent of the taverns since Leiva's coming, the legacy of Father (Francisco) Caldes, (O.M.Cap.), the care of the Negroes of the patron are amounts for which there is no charge in the books. (Almonaster) probably kept some memoranda to turn it over to the Hospital; no one could think that one so charitable would keep it. Therefore it would be well to inform his widow so that among her husband's papers she might look for some note to clarify this or repay it. (Penalver) does not mention the 300 pesos left by Francisco Murios(?) because neither has it been established that Almonaster took it nor that it was meant for the hospital. It was for a lamp to burn in honor of Our Lady which will be carried out separately. (Penalver's) office obliges him to act for the restoration of the 4,323 pesos, 3 reales. (Penalver adds): Up until July 15, 1801 he has never had an answer to this letter.
A. Draft S. (Spanish)
V-2-f A.L.S.M D., A. Draft S., (French and Spanish) 17pp. 8vo.
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