First Blacks in The Americas

The Archbishop of Santo Domingo

Responds to the content on the Royal Decree of the Sixth of October of Ninety three, whereby Your Majesty orders to be informed of the construction of the San Nicolas Hospital, and its governance by six administrators and butlers.
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To cover the room that has been built for the recovery of the sick, and also twelve Black men and women to cultivate a farm owned by the said hospital, due to the need that said house is in= Item which the prosecutor leaves to the superior discretion of  the council so that they reach what is most convenient

Madrid, October 20th of 1696=  

Council, 26th of October, 696 [Rubric]

Seen [Rubric]
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Sir

By Royal Decree of 6th of October of ninety three, Your Majesty orders me to inform you of the qualities with which they built the hospital of San Nicolas; and as to the administration, regular, varied and annual by six deputies and butlers yearly that has been presented to Your Majesty, to excuse it and to introduce in it some clergy members of the order of hospitality to heal the sick. To this I respond that the origins of this foundation was a bohio, which was located at the site where the Chapel of Nuestra Señora de Altagracia lies today. It belonged to a pious Black woman who sheltered all the poor people she could and cured them as far as she was able to, for there were no. hospitals in this city. It expanded thanks to the alms of some residents and its first Church was the said Chapel. At this time, Don Nicolas de Ovando, Knight Commander of Arala [sic] , came as Governor of this island. He took charge of this holy project, and built the material construction that it now has. He put all his money into it, and to honor this such an important gentleman, protector of said hospital, it was dedicated to God with the name of San Nicolas. He left the governance of said hospital to six annual administrators, three deputies, and three butlers alternating every two of them their week to assist and heal the said poor. All of these authentic instruments were burned when