Featured Enigmatic!

Cool. I’m thinking, based on Deb’s info, ARN is a corps or specialty, just as today officers are identified as specialists in say Engineers or Artillery or Infantry.

 

The Don Juan Escudero I found was a tiente coronel in a South American army in 1825. He was a member of a trial court or court martial, may have been Peruvian Army but that’s not clear. His presence in Lima in 1825 is consistent with the info on his ancestor moving to New Spain. My difficulty now is determining the timeframe in which D.J. Made, or had made, the cannon. The proof mark should indicated by its style a timeframe but it isn’t in my 2 vol., 1939 Stockel. The other help we might get is learning when the subtitle ARN was in use, so I’ll ask the BCP folks today.

 

I'm thinking ARN is an abbreviation of don Juan's second last name, Arnedo. He would have used both.

Debora

 

Very good, I hadn’t used that 2nd name in searches, maybe I’ll try again.

kinda shifting thoughts now, I’ve been wondering the whole time how that cannon, broken in half, got to the place the metal detector folks say they found it. It isn’t a weapon that would have been in use with troops, all the engraving tells that, plus the very small caliber and the remaining dolphin handle on top. You just don’t find dolphins on such very light guns.. As I indicated in my yellow highlighting, most of the verbiage about the one or two cannons being in active service in 17xx is fantasy. Neither has proper military markings, nor is of a cannon pattern recognized as having been fielded by any combatant.

 

Did you read the link about the Alcalde de la Santa Hermandad? Could it have been produced for and presented to a militia?

"Alcalde de la Santa Hermandad (lit.'Mayor of the Holy Brotherhood') was a term used in the Spanish colonies in the Americas during the times of the Spanish Empire. The term referred to judicial magistrates named in towns and villages within the jurisdiction of the Spanish Empire in the Americas whose function was primarily to be informed of infractions committed in rural areas against the established order, so they could be prosecuted. In this capacity, their primary function was to help the militia of a rural region within the jurisdiction of a cabildo. This militia was organized under an institution termed Santa Hermandad. The term of service of an Alcalde de la Santa Hermandad was one year. The position was eliminated around 1835, when the Santa Hermandad force itself was disestablished."

Debora

 

Thx, I just found “our boy” on a list with this as part of the intro:


BROTHERHOODS, CONGREGATIONS
AND NOBLE BROTHERHOODS
by
Fernando de Artacho and Pérez-Blázquez
Corresponding Academic in Seville
Throughout history the test of nobility has been very diverse in the ancient Spanish kingdoms. This plurality of evidence has filled many pages of the most prestigious authors.
Those of us who, due to our work, are in continuous contact with historical-genealogical documentary funds more than once will have been surprised by the positive act of nobility that recognizes the person who brings it by his sondalgo status and grants the habit sought by the aspirant to some order or corporation. noble This surprise is shown by the originality of the act presented, for example the distribution of bread to the poor or fishing in certain rivers, both reserved for noblemen in some Spanish towns.
In this work and without wanting to exhaust such an extensive topic, we are going to deal with the brotherhoods, congregations and brotherhoods of a noble nature, whose membership in them was asserted as a positive act of nobility before the four Spanish orders. After a study of several thousand files from the centuries

 

Oh, God! Spanish blah-blah-blah text. Reading that is like trying to swim in mud.

Debora

 

_______

2nd block down


Cofradía del Santísimo Sacramento de Vergara. Orden de Santiago: Don Juan José Arnedo y Beltrán, 1.706. Cofrade:

Padre, Don Diego de Arnedo y Arnedo (s/f). A.P.: Don Diego de Arnedo Sainz (s/f). B.P.P.: Don Diego de Arnedo en 1.625.

****Orden de Santiago: Don Juan Escudero y Arnedo, 1.706.

Cofrade: el caballero en 1.692. Padre: Don Juan Escudero y Arnedo (s/f). A.P.: Don Gabriel Escudero y Arnedo en 1.627.

A.M.: Don Juan Arnedo Íñiguez (s/f). B.P.P.: Don Juan Escudero (s/f). B.M.P.: Don Francisco de Arnedo Escudero (s/f).

 

So he belonged to the Brotherhood of the Blessed Sacrament of Vergara. And was awarded the Order of Santiago in 1706.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_Santiago

(s/f means sin fecha or "no date available," by way.)

Debora

 

I think it is only Order of Santiago, those above were just copied for context.

 

I found the original document. It's entitled 'Brotherhoods, Congregations and Noble Brotherhoods' and it's organized like this. The Brotherhood at the top and then what appears to be orders awarded and when as well as the various heads of the Brotherhood and when they were appointed.

Debora

 

Found your boy in the Spanish national archives.

Debora

 

Thx, yes that’s what I copied from, I see where he’s in O of S but my comment or what I meant anyway was that was the only honor I could see he was awarded. But I still have to put a date on the cannon and don’t know whether the cannon’s plaque refers to him or one of his descendants such as the officer in Lima in 1825. Anyway the cannon is clearly a commemorative, trophy thing and not a weapon, and dating it would be nice.

 

Oh, cool! About all you’d want to know about him!

Thx again, that’s the best form of info to have, and that’ll be the way I’ll keep it for whatever products come out of this. Do you have any feeling for whether he or one of his descendants made/presented the cannon?

 

Not sure how to read but... Think that's the only award listed. "Cofadre" and "Padre" appear to be roles served in the brotherhood. The archive document isn't terribly helpful but it does have dates of "Formación." That would translate to "Training" but what training that refers to, dunno.

Debora

 

If I remember correctly, the inscription reads "Del" which would indicate it was given by a don Juan. Of course, there could be more than one. Identifying it's age would help. Any luck with foundry mark?

Debora

 

Not yet, I’ve asked one auction house expert. But that’s not his exact specialty.

 

This Spanish foundry named its furnaces after saints. That's interesting, no?

https://www.museolacavada.es/index.php/contacto/

"The Royal Artillery Factory of La Cavada was an important walled complex that once had four blast furnaces: San José, Santa Teresa, Ntra Señora del Pilar and Santa Bárbara."

Debora

 

Thx, interesting, I didn’t know even tho I’m researching a few Spanish iron naval guns now. I just relooked at my proofmarks and found some info, to post shortly.

 

The proofmark book points to Alonzo Martinez who had locations in Madrid, Lisbon, Barcelona, and Palma. The dates for the right-facing, standing lions are approx 1720-1740 BUT since the proofmark on the cannon is different in a few respects, I think it is still Alfonso Martinez but different dates. Since the mark on the cannon is more complex I’d guess represents a later period, but not sure. Sorry text is in Danish?’ If you’d care to translate for us, pls do.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/189102681@N07/shares/0os8D8tV4f