351

José Sarmiento de Valladares.

Letter describing the reaction in Mexico to Philip V's ascension to the throne.

Mexico, 30 April and 28 July 1701
Autograph Letter Signed to Juan Claros Pérez de Guzmán, 11th Duke of Medina Sidonia. 7 pages, 12 x 8¼ inches, on 2 folding sheets; mailing fold, minimal wear.

  • Notes: José Sarmiento de Valladares (1643-1708) served as the Viceroy of New Spain from 1696 to 1701. News of the death of King Charles II reached Mexico in March 1701, and in the ensuing succession crisis, the viceroy picked the wrong side. In this letter, he reports to a prominent Spanish nobleman on the Mexican reaction to the ascension of King Philip V. He also denies reports of a British naval attack on Santo Domingo. Apparently the bulk of the letter is in a secretarial hand, with long postscripts signed at the end by Joseph Sarmiento and his wife Maria Andrea de Guzman, the niece of the recipient.

    Provenance: listed in a 1925 catalogue by Maggs Ltd. of London, catalogue 465, item 2864.
  • Condition:
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November 20, 2025 10:30 AM EST
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