1785. Carta de Lorenzo José Fernández de León para Gabino de Valladares Mejía, obispo de Barcelona.

Letter from Lorenzo José Fernández de León to Gabino de Valladares Mejía, the bishop of Barcelona.

The author asks the bishop of Barcelona to make the necessary inquiries in order to comply the testamentary points of a testator from Caracas.

In 1785 Lorenzo José Fernández de León contacted the bishop of Barcelona by letter for him to find out about several points contained in certain testamentary document received from an anonymous testator from Caracas. The wish of the aforementioned testator was to leave part of his inheritance to Gertrudis Crespo, a widow resident in Barcelona; and to a girl named Inés who had been given to a foundlings´ hospital of Barcelona in the 1750s. Despite the fact that the information they had was not much, several parish priests from Barcelona and their neighbours provided the information they had regarding the foundling. The connexion between Inés and Isidro, the farmer who fostered the girl, was the most difficult to determine. It was possible to connect the abandoned girl named María Inés with Baudilio Ollé. By stringing the pieces of information, it was deduced that the biological parents were Juan Ventura and Eulalia Puigventós and that Inés had married to a man named Juan Padró. The information was sent to Caracas, however, it remains unknown if the testator´s will was fulfilled.

The points mentioned in the will were the following: "1. To give 500 pesos to Gertrudis Crespo, a widow and an honourable lady from San Pedro´s parish in Barcelona, Catalonia; and failing this, to her legitimate descendants and heirs. 2. To give 500 pesos to the Hospital of foundlings of Barcelona in case it had raised a girl named Inés who should be around 33 or 34 years old; and in the event that the Hospital did not raise the girl, the money should be given to an Isidro, who lived near Barcelona and fostered the girl. 3. To give 500 pesos to the aforementioned girl, Inés, and in case she had passed away to her rightful heirs if she had some, or then to give them as alms in the name of the testator´s soul. Caracas, March the 10th 1785. Doctor Fernández" f. [20]r.