1808. Carta de Manuel Antonio Fraile Serrano, escribano, para don Pedro de Valdecañas, procurador.

Letter from Manuel Antonio Fraile Serrano, a scrivener, to Pedro de Valdecañas, a solicitor.

The author informs an agent of the Chancellery of Valladolid, Pedro de Valdecañas, of the disappearance of certain cattle.

Following an accusation of abuses executed on Manuel Antonio Fraile Serrano, a resident of Alcañices (Zamora), a litigation occurred in 1808 between the latter and Gerónimo Gago, a councillor of the same village. The case began as a result of the enlistment of soldiers in Alcañices to fight against the French troops. At this point, the rumour spread that Portugal was going to revolt against Spain and, as soon as the young men left to Zamora, the Portuguese would take advantage and plunder the village. Subsequently, it was proved that Gerónimo Gago spread this false rumour to prevent his sons and nephews from enlisting. Gerónimo Gago blamed Manuel Antonio Fraile Serrano for revealing the rumour was false and gathered a crowd from the village —the enlisted and their families— in order to attack him. Manuel Antonio Fraile Serrano and his family were assaulted and his property was badly damaged. The damages included the theft of great part of his livestock and he was suspended of the exercise of his clerkship. Two letters were found in the case documentation (PS6230 and PS6231) in which the plaintiff complains about these abuses to an agent of the Chancellery of Valladolid.