Don Guillermo Gernon, sobre impetrar matrimonio con doña Isabel MacEnery

San Agustín, 17 de diciembre de 1788 (Don Guillermo Gernon, on requesting to marry Doña Isabel MacEnery, St. Augustine, December 17, 1788)

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This document forms part of the East Florida Papers, a collection of records from the Second Spanish Period (1784-1821) in Florida held today at the Library of Congress. Following the stipulations of a royal decree from 1776 regulating marriage, Guillermo (William) Gernon, an Irish immigrant, appeals to the governor of Spanish Florida, Vicente Manuel de Zéspedes, for permission to wed Isabel MacEnery, also Irish. To meet the requirements of the 1776 decree, Gernon brings forth three witnesses to testify that he lacks family members in Florida who can grant permission for him to marry and that he is both white and a practicing catholic. Gernon appears in the East Florida Papers for the first time in this document, but in another from 1789 is mentioned as a captain in the Spanish army. He figures in at least 38 other items, including a legal case from 1791 in which he is prosecuted for smuggling. MacEnery figures only in this document, but her father, also a captain in the Spanish army, plays a role in numerous others, including an appeal for the release of a cow and calf that he claims were wrongly seized as rebel property following an uprising by Anglo immigrants in 1795. Gernon’s three witnesses are all Irish and figure prominently throughout the East Florida Papers: Miguel O’Reilly, a priest; Thomas Travers, a physician; and Bernardo O’Callaghan, a merchant. One of many cases resulting from the implementation of the 1776 decree in St. Augustine, this document reflects the complex demographic situation of Spanish Florida in the years prior to its annexation by the United States, a period in which Spanish authorities welcomed foreigners who might help defend the territory against its northern neighbor but whose presence also created new tensions and vulnerabilities.

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[fol. 1r] San Agustín de la Florida Año de 1788 Don Guillermo Gernon, sobre impetrar permiso para contraer matrimonio con doña Isabel MacEnery Diciembre 17  
  [fol. 2r] Señor gobernador y capitán general, Don Guilermo, vecino de esta plaza, con el debido respecto a Vuestra Señoría, expone que mediante a hallarse resuelto a contraer matrimonio con doña Isabel MacEnery, vecina igualmente de esta plaza, y no tener en este país sus parientes, para empetrar su venia, conforme lo manda la Real Pragmática para efectuar dichos esponsales, en esta virtud a Vuestra Señoría respetuosamente suplica se sirva concederle la nominada venia, para que no haiga embarazo en procedimiento a las demás diligencias, cuya gracia espera recibir de la notoria bondad de Vuestra Señoría, San Agustín de la Florida, 17 de diciembre de 1788. Guillermo Gernon  
  [fol. 2v] San Agustín de la Florida, a 17 de diciembre de 1788 Por presentado el documento, esta parte haga constar la ausencia de sus padres a más de las distancia prevenida por la Real Pragmática, por documentos u otra legal justificación, que se recibirá por ante el presente escribano, y evacuado, tráigase. Zéspedes  
  [fol. 3r] Señor gobernador y capitán general, Don Guillermo MacEnery, vecino de esta plaza, con el debido respecto a Vuestra Señoría, expone que, habiendo concedido su venia a su hija doña Isabel, a fin de que pueda contraer esponsales con don Guillermo Gernon, también vecino de esta plaza, en esta virtud a Vuestra Señoría respetuosamente suplica se sirva conceder su superior aprobación y permiso, a fin que no se ponga embarazo al nominado Don Guillermo Gernon (que no tiene pariente alguno en este país) para las ulteriores diligencias necesarias para el logro de lo deseado, cuya gracia espera merecer de la infinita bondad de Vuestra Señoría. San Agustín de la Florida, 18 de diciembre de 1788. Guillermo MacEnery  
  [fol. 4r] En la ciudad de San Agustín de la Florida a diecisiete de diciembre del mil setecientos ochenta y ocho años, don Guillermo Gernon, natural de Irlanda, para la información que está dando, presentó por testigo a don Miguel de Oreyly, a quien, en virtud de la comisión que me es conferida, recibí juramento, que hizo por Dios y la Santa Cruz, según derecho, so cuyo cargo ofreció decir verdad, y examinado al tenor del auto que antecede y escrito que le precede, dijo que como natural que es de Irlanda, hace muchos años conoce al que le presenta, que sabe que no tiene en esta ciudad padres ni otro ningún pariente, que es persona blanca, católica apostólica romana, según que así lo ha experimentado por haberle visto ejercer las funciones de tal, y responde que lo que ha declarado es la verdad, so cargo de su juramento, que es de edad de treinta y un años, y la firmó, de que doy fe. Miguel O'Reilly Ante mí, Hipólito González Hernández, escribano interino de gobierno  
  En el mismo día y para el propio efecto, don Gullermo Gernon presentó por testigo a Don Tomás [fol. 4v] Trabes, natural de Irlanda, a quien, en virtud de la comisión que me es conferida, recibí juramento, que hizo por Dios y la Santa Cruz, según derecho, so cuyo cargo ofreció decir verdad, y examinando al tenor del escrito que antecede, dijo que conoce al que le presenta con motivo de ser de una misma tierra, y que sabe que no tiene en esta ciudad parientes ni padres a quien pueda implorar la licencia que solicita, y que es cristiano apostólico romano, y responde que lo que ha declarado es la verdad, so cargo de su juramento, que es de edad de treinta y tres a treinta y cuatro años, poco más o menos, y la firmó, según doy fe. Thomas Travers Ante mí, Hipólito González Hernández, escribano interino de gobierno  
  En el propio día y para el propio efecto, don Guillermo Gernon, natural de Irlanda, presentó por testigo a don Bernardo Okelecani, natural asimismo de Irlanda, a quien, [fol. 5r] en virtud de la comisión que me es conferida, recibí juramento, que hizo por Dios y la Santa Cruz, según derecho, so cuyo cargo ofreció decir verdad, y examinado al tenor del escrito que inicia estas diligencias, enterado de su contenido, dijo que conoce al que le presenta hace muchos años, que no le consta tenga padres ni pariente alguno en esta ciudad a quién ocurrir a implorar la licencia que solicita, y que es cristiano apostólico romano, y responde que lo que ha declarado es la verdad so cargo de su juramento, que es de edad de treinta años y la firmó, de que doy fe. Bernardo O'Callaghan Ante mí, Hipólito González Hernández, escribano interino de gobierno  
  Vistos, y en virtud de la justificación que antecede, concédese a esta parte la licencia que solicita para contraer el matrimonio, mediante a lo dispuesto por la Real Pragmática, en lo cual Su Señoría interpone su autoridad y decreto judicial cuanto ha lugar, a cuyo [fol. 5v] fin se libre despacho, con inserción de este auto, al ilustradísimo señor obispo diocesano, para que con él pueda ocurrir al tribunal de dicho ilustradísimo señor o ante quién convenga, para evacuar las demás diligencias para la consecución del referido matrimonio, que por este que Su Señoría proveyó, en esta ciudad de San Agustín de la Florida a dieciocho de diciembre de mil setecientos ochenta y ocho años. Así lo mandó y firmó, de que doy fe. Zéspedes
St. Augustine, Florida 1788 Don Guillermo Gernon, on requesting to marry Doña Isabel MacEnery December 17  
  Mr. Governor and Captain General, Don Guillermo, resident of this place, with due respect to Your Lordship, states that, having resolved to contract marriage with Doña Isabel MacEnery, also resident of this place, and not having any relatives in this country from whom to obtain permission to carry out that betrothal, as mandated by the Royal Pragmatic Sanction, therefore respectfully begs Your Lordship to be pleased to grant him the aforementioned permission, so that there may be no impediment to proceeding to the remaining steps, grace which he hopes to receive from the notorious kindness of Your Lordship. St. Augustine, Florida, December 17, 1788. Guillermo Gernon  
  St. Augustine, Florida, December 17, 1788 Having presented the document, this party shall demonstrate the absence of his parents beyond the distance stipulated by the Royal Pragmatic, by documents or other legal justification, which shall be received before the present notary, and once complete, shall be brought before me. Zéspedes  
  Mr. Governor and Captain General, Don Guillermo MacEnery, resident of this place, with due respect to Your Lordship, states that having granted his permission to his daughter, Doña Isabel, to enter into a marriage with Don Guillermo Gernon, also a resident of this place, he respectfully beseech Your Lordship to grant your superior approval and permission so that no impediment may be placed upon the aforementioned Don Guillermo Gernon (who has no relatives in this country) in the further steps necessary to achieve what is desired, a favor which he hopes to merit from Your Lordship's infinite kindness. St. Augustine, Florida, December 18, 1788. Guillermo MacEnery  
  In the city of St. Augustine, Florida, on the seventeenth of December in the year 1788, Don Guillermo Gernon, a native of Ireland, as part of the case he is making, presented as a witness Don Miguel de Oreyly, to whom, by virtue of the commission conferred upon me, I received an oath, which he took by God and the Holy Cross, according to law, under which charge he offered to tell the truth, and examined according to the preceding order and the preceding document, he said that as a native of Ireland, he has known the one who presents him for many years, that he knows that he has no parents or any other relatives in this city, that he is a white person, a Roman Catholic — as he has experienced by having seen him perform the functions of such — and he answers that what he has declared is the truth, under his oath, and that he is thirty-one years of age, and he signed it, to which I attest. Miguel O'Reilly Before me, Hipólito González Hernández, interim government notary  
  On the same day and for the same purpose, Don Guillermo Gernon presented as a witness Don Tomás Trabes, a native of Ireland, to whom, by virtue of the commission conferred upon me, I received an oath which he took by God and the Holy Cross, according to law, under whose charge he offered to tell the truth, and examining the tenor of the preceding writing, he said that he knows the one who presents him because they are from the same land, and that he knows that he has no relatives or parents in this city of whom he can implore the license he requests, and that he is a Roman Apostolic Christian, and he swears that what he has declared is the truth under his oath, that he is thirty-three to thirty-four years of age, more or less, and he signed it, as I attest. Thomas Travers Before me, Hipólito González Hernández, interim government notary  
  On the same day and for the same purpose, Don Guillermo Gernon, a native of Ireland, presented as a witness Don Bernardo Okelecani, also a native of Ireland, to whom, by virtue of the commission entrusted to me, I received an oath which he took by God and the Holy Cross, according to law, under which charge he offered to tell the truth, and having been examined in the tenor of the document that initiates these proceedings, being informed of its content, he said that he has known the one who presents him for many years, that he does not know that he has any parents or relatives in this city to whom he can go to implore the license he requests, and that he is a Roman Apostolic Christian, and he swears that what he has declared is the truth under his oath, that he is thirty years of age and he signed it, to which I attest. Bernardo O'Callaghan Before me, Hipólito González Hernández, interim government notary  
  Having seen the foregoing testimony, this party is granted the license requested to contract marriage in accordance with the provisions of the Royal Pragmatic Sanction, in which His Lordship invokes his authority and judicial decree as appropriate, to which end a dispatch shall be issued, with the insertion of this order, to the Most Illustrious Diocesan Bishop, so that he may appear before the tribunal of said Most Illustrious Lord or before whomever it may concern, to carry out the other procedures for the consummation of the aforementioned marriage, which His Lordship hereby decreed in this city of St. Augustine, Florida, on the eighteenth of December, 1788. Thus he ordered and signed, to which I attest. Zéspedes

Editor(s):

María Sánchez López, Alondra Solares Rodríguez, Bianca Thomas, and Clayton McCarl

Source Note

Library of Congress, East Florida Papers: Matrimonial Licenses, 1785-1803; 1785-1789 and 1790-1803, mss19398, box 332-333; bundle 298R9; reel 132 series: Matrimonial Licenses, 1785-1803 (See https://www.loc.gov/item/mss193980360. This document begins on image 182. See also the corresponding register in the index of the East Florida Papers prepared by the University of Florida.)

Editorial Process & Document History

María Sánchez López, Alondra Solares Rodríguez, and Bianca Thomas—undergraduate students at the University of North Florida—collaborated in the transcription and TEI-XML markup of the original Spanish text. Clayton McCarl prepared the final version and English translation. The edition of the Spanish original and English translation were carried out following the guidelines of coloniaLab. We present the images as they appear on the Library of Congress website. To clarify the structure of the document, we insert a horizontal line between each section in both the edition and translation.

Additional Details

The Spanish version and English translation are also available on the coloniaLab website. 

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