King Carlos III Signed Document

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/31/2004

King Carlos III (1716-1788) King of Spain 1759-88. The first son of the second marriage of Felipe V with Isabel Farnese of Parma. On August 10th, 1759, his half-brother Ferdinano VI died and Carlos succeeded him as King. As king of Spain his foreign policy was disastrous. His strong family feeling and his detestation of England led him into the Family Compact with France. His internal government was on the whole beneficial to the country. Much antiquated legislation which tended to restrict trade and industry was abolished; roads, canals and drainage works were carried out. On the whole the country prospered. Manuscript Document Signed by King Carlos III, 3p. folio, November 13, 1778, San Lorenzo, Spain, and reads in part: “...It has arrived to my Royal knowledge the deplorable lax state in which are found the Prelates/Preists, and members of the Religious Order of Santo Domingo...as well as the despotic management of the President and the Procurator of the California Missions, being thta not only are they not assisting the Missionaries at the Synod that has been assigned to them...and which recieves a contribution from my Royal Household, but on the contrary they are engaged in continuous commercial deals and trades with the secular community, defrauding my Royal Decreess...in case these damages are confirmed to be true, it appears opportune to send my Virrey [Vice-King]...who will investigate the truth...will take immediate action to effectively remedy the situation...” VG.

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