Escándalos a orilla del mar: la mujer transgresora en la documentación judicial canaria (s. XVIII)

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to clarify the actions and circumstances that were present in the cases of scandal in the western Canarian manor in the 18th century from a legal historical approach. The primary sources examined are the judicial files of the Documentary section of the Casa Fuerte of Adeje (Adeje Strong House), kept in the Archive of the Canarian Museum (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria). These documents concern Adeje (island of Tenerife), the islands of La Gomera and El Hierro. Likewise, this paper takes into account the legal and doctrinal postulates of the most widespread jurists in the archipelago, as guidelines for judicial administration in the local sphere. This work highlights the consideration of scandal as a conduct that undermined the established sexual norms and altered the moral order in the affected neighborhood. Not surprisingly, pragmatic treaties, such as the widespread Política para corregidores, contemplated the disposition that local authorities should show towards the preservation of tranquility in their jurisdictions, punishing dishonest and notorious behaviors in the neighborhood. In his sense, the Canary Islands belonged to the Castilian legal model, while the relevance of discretion was appreciated in the judicial practice. At the same time, the reading of the records shows the projection of the social and economic circumstances in the transgressive behaviors. In summary, this study aims to contribute to current knowledge on the exercise of justice in the manorial territories in the aforementioned century.