1) Parish Archives of Antas (Church of Nuestra Señora Virgen de la Cabeza)
In Antas we have a Parish Archive with a very complete documentary fund that when the images and altarpieces were destroyed on July 31, 1936 did not suffer any damage. It is private. The oldest preserved books are those corresponding to Marriages (from 1611), Baptisms (1612) and Deaths (1612).
1.1 Marriage Book
In the town of Antas, Province and Bishopric of Almeria, on the 19th day of April 1919, I, D. Diego Soler Garcia, married and wed by the word of the present. Diego Soler García, I married and wed by word of this, that make and celebrate true and legitimate marriage, according to law and order of Our Holy Mother the Church to Antonio Ridao Ortega, native of Antas province of Almería of age of twenty-five years, of unmarried state of profession day laborer and domiciled in the street of Granada, legitimate son of Francisco Ridao Garrido native of this and of Joaquina Ortega Artero native of the same with Angela Clemente Segura native of Antas of single state of single state of age of twenty-one years, and domiciled in the street of Arrieros legitimate daughter of Francisco Clemente Rodriguez native of this and of Maria Segura Guerrero native of the same. They were examined and found capable in Christian doctrine and preceded all the other necessary requirements for the validity and legitimacy of this Sacramental contract, were witnesses José Peregrin Cano of profession sacristan and Francisco Cano Castro neighbors of this.
1.2 Baptismal Books
In the town of Antas province of Almeria diocese of Almeria on September 14, 1941 D. José Sirvent Marin as parish priest of the Parish Church of Our Lady of the Head I baptized the day 4 of the current at 6:00 hours to the son of D. Diego Martínez Torres natural of Bédar (Almeria) of profession national teacher and of Doña Carmen Guerrero Martínez natural of Antas (Almeria) married in this one. Paternal grandparents Mr. Francisco Martínez Ortega and Mrs. Isabel Torres Marin, natural the first one of Lubrín, deceased, and the second one of Bédar, deceased. Maternal grandparents Mr. Gabriel Guerrero Simón and Doña María Martínez Cano, the first one from Antas, deceased, and the second one from Antas. He was named Gabriel del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús. The godparents were Mr. José Guerrero Simón, married and Mrs. Francisca Soler Peregrin, married. Witnesses D. Francisco Guerrero Peregrin and D. Emilio Moreno Rodriguez, neighbors of this.
1.3 Burial Book
In the Parish Church of Sana Maria de la Villa de Antas and Bishopric of Almeria on October 10, 1928 I D. Juan de Dios Ramirez Rodriguez, rector priest of the same, I ordered to give ecclesiastical burial to the body of Pedro Flores Garcia native of this town, widower of Maria Soler Lopez, 88 years of age, profession day laborer legitimate son Jose Flores Gimenez native of this town, died at 7:00 am yesterday. He received the sacraments of penance and extreme unction. Witnesses Emilio Moreno Rodrigo and Luis Belmonte Aznar, servants of the parish and for the record I sign it in Antas. Date et supra.
1.4 Guild Books
The first brotherhoods date back to the end of the 17th century. The oldest is from 1687 (337 years ago) La Sangre de Cristo.
1.5 Book of Memoirs and Foundations of Chaplaincies
The oldest is from 1626 and one of the most important is that of María Santísima de la Cabeza (1764).
1.6 Guestbook
He organized the running of the church. The most significant visits were:
- Visitation 1759: the use of tobacco in the Church and Sacristy is forbidden at the risk of excommunication.
- Visit 1765: the bishop asks for decency in dress. The Church cannot be entered with caps. Men and women must be separated. They cannot be mixed in the processions, the women will go in front because the men carry the thrones and in the funerals the men will go in front to pass first to give the condolences to go to their agricultural and cattle tasks.
1.7 Sisterhood Books
Highlights:
- The Virgen de la Cabeza Brotherhood dates from 1783 to the present day.
- Virgin of Carmen. It dates from 1932 to the present. It was formed by women and the indispensable condition was to be single.
2) Municipal Archives of Antas
Among the documents that are preserved we can highlight:
2.1 Ensenada Cadastre (1750)
It is the oldest document in the municipal archive. We can say that it is the jewel of the archive.
Antas in 1750 was a royal land in which its inhabitants paid a census to the King. A fiscal reform was attempted to replace the provincial revenues with a single tax: The so-called single contribution.
It was never implemented and the towns were subjected to 40 questions.
Antas bordered by: Levante (East) with Vera, Poniente (West) with Lubrín. To the North with Zurgena and Cuevas. To the South with Turre and Bédar. Los Gallardos did not exist, they became independent in 1924. The population of Antas at this time was 160 neighbors (700 inhabitants).
There were irrigated lands:
- Fruit trees: plums, apricots, figs, olives and almonds.
- Vegetables: Artichokes, eggplants, peas and chickpeas. They were irrigated with the waters (Fuente de la Cerrada and Fuente Bermeja).
Also dry land wheat, barley and corn.
There were cattle, sheep (goats and sheep) and horses. All of them together with pigs were used as food. There were game animals: rabbits and partridges (also used for food). Horses, donkeys and mules were used for farm work.
2.2 Chapter Minutes
They show us the municipal life, day by day. The chapter minutes are preserved from the year 1800 to the present. Although some years 1808 – 1814 (War of Independence) and some single years are missing. We can highlight:
- Minutes 1814. We have the norms of good government, a kind of municipal ordinance and consisted of 17 articles among which are worth mentioning:
- You cannot blaspheme.
- The men of the Church are to be respected.
- Weapons may not be used.
- The streets must be clean.
- Dogs must be leashed.
- Minutes 1820. It is agreed to celebrate the Constitution of 1812. Due to the desire for freedom that existed in Antas, it was agreed that on three consecutive nights there would be candlelighting in the town of Antas.
2.3 Inhabitant Registers 1857 and 1861
- 1857. It was the 1st census that was carried out. All the population data prior to them are indicative. This census indicates: name, profession, age, marital status, etc. It is incomplete and Antas in that year had 2.751 inhabitants.
- 1861. This is the most complete and is distributed by hamlets (pedanías) and the town by streets. Distribution of the population:
- Antas (Town) 1,093 inhabitants
- La Huerta 201 inhabitants
- Jauro 219 inhabitants
- Aljariz 213 inhabitants
- Mendras, Macura, El Chopo 116 inhabitants
- Los Llanos 139 inhabitants
- Algarcel, Rotilla, Morjana, Mayor 73 inhabitants
- El Real 526 inhabitants
- Total 2680 inhabitants
If you want to know the data of your ancestors you can go to the page www.antas.es of the town hall, inside the Municipal Archive and look for information. With a small objection, as for the ages they must be verified with the data of the Parochial file and of the file of the Municipal Court.
2.4 Colonies and hamlets
In 1874, agricultural colonies or rural hamlets were created to enjoy the benefits granted by the law of June 3, 1868. The aim was to modernize agriculture. The rights of species consumed therein cannot be demanded, nor will they be included in the distributions of species.
They will have tax benefits: they will be exempt from mortgages (5 years) and inheritance taxes, they will be exempt from paying taxes for 10 years and in some cases they will be exempt for up to 19 years.
The following agricultural colonies are worth mentioning:
-Don Luis Giménez Cano, has 3 agricultural colonies in El Real de Antas:
- Colonized plains or “acierto”.
- Real Alto and Cuesta de las Cuevas or “El trabajo”.
- Cruz de Antas or “Perseverancia” had 70 hectares (37 irrigated and 33 rainfed).
The irrigated lands produced oranges and lemons and the rainfed lands produced wheat, barley and corn. The exploitation of these lands was carried out through tenant farmers or settlers, with up to 96 people working on them.
-D. Juan José Giménez Ramírez. Agricultural colony La Providencia in the Llanos de Antas with 11 people.
-D. José Moreno Jorge. Esperanza y Caridad agricultural colony in El Real de Antas with 27 people.
-D. Andrés Pérez López, in La Cruz de Antas. Agricultural colony Nuestra Señora del Carmen with 13 people.
-D. Alfonso Albarracín Arozamena. Agricultural Colony San Ildefonso in El Real de Antas with 8 people.
These agricultural colonies made it possible to move from subsistence agriculture to capitalist agriculture dedicated to the export of fruits, especially oranges and lemons, and were irrigated with the waters of private companies: Tres Fuentes, Abundancia (half from Vera and half from Antas) and Concordia.
3) Private funds: documents and photographs
3.1 Private documents
3.1.1 Emigration Charter
Permission granted by the mayor of Vera to a citizen of Antas (Bartolomé Pérez Belmonte) to be able to emigrate to Uruguay, he was the great-great-grandfather of Antonio Luis on his mother’s side.
3.1.2 Orange Medal Gold grain
-Photo right – inscription: Ibero-American Exposition
-Photo left – Portugal / America inscription
Reign of Alfonso XIII
This contest was held
of La Raza’s fraternal peoples
Seville
1929 – 1930
Manuel Jimenez Ramirez
Vera
- He was awarded the gold medal for the grano de oro orange. Mr. Manuel Giménez Ramírez was registered in Vera but the award was given for the oranges that he cultivated in his lands of the Huerto de Antas and El Real farm and a few in the El Esparragal de Vera farm.
3.2 Private photographs
3.2.1 Photo of the Daughters of Charity (1948 – 1949)
Photo of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul at St. Joseph’s College in Antas.
Her work was very important teaching reading, writing and other activities such as theater, painting, embroidery, etc.
In the photo appears from left to right: Ana María Alonso (wife José electrician), Angelina Navarro (wife of Paco de Pérez), Ángela Simón (Angela de Blas) and Angelines Soler (wife of D. Martin) and seated María Lopez (sister of Paca and Josefina) appear 2 nuns that we do not know exactly who they were, if someone in the audience knows who they were, please tell us. It could be Sister María Zurita, Sister Teresa and Sister Manuela (2 of those three).
3.2.2 Customary Images
Ribbon race in El Real de la Feria in front of the Cortijo D. José Pérez (José “El Rubio”) 1968 – 1999. Photo courtesy of the Pérez Navarro family.
Among the cinteras are: Ángela Simón Cazorla (Ángela la de Blas), Eugenia Ridao Clemente (Eugenia la de José Garrido) and Angelina Pérez Navarro (Angelina la Talabartera).
Among the men, from the front, placing the ribbons: José Martínez López (José electrician) and Luis Cano Simón (Luis, uncle Diego Cano’s Luis).
If anyone knows of other people who appear in the photograph, please contact the Town Hall of Antas or Luis Artero Ridao (Official Chronicler) to provide more information.
3.2.3 Traditional images
Mass in the Era del Lugar in the Fair and Festivities, year 1968 – 1969. Mass officiated by the parish priest Don Primitivo Trigueros Sevilla. Photo donated by the Pérez Navarro family.
If anyone knows of other people who appear in the photograph, please contact the Town Hall of Antas or Luis Artero Ridao (Official Chronicler) to provide more information.
3.2.4 Panoramic photos
Entrance to the village through the Era del Lugar. House of Milagros. Year 1966. Appearing in the photo: Alfredo el Jatito and Angelina Navarro Soler (Angelina la Talabartera) and her daughter Paqui and Ángela. They came from picking prickly pears from the Rambla de la Jatita. Photo courtesy of the Pérez Navarro family.
3.2.5 Emigration. Antusos around the world. The emigration has played a very important role in the history of Antas, from left to right and seated: Paco Castaño Martínez “Paco el Claro”, Pedro Pérez Cano “Pedro el de Gloria”, Paco Pérez Cano “Paco el de Angelina”, Alfonso Navarro Soler “Alfonso El Talabartero”, Pedro Soler Rodríguez “Pedro Pico” and Diego Castaño Martínez “Diego El Claro”.
Standing, from left to right: Antonio Pérez Flores “Antonio Flores”, Antonio Navarro Soler “Antonio el Talabartero” and Ginés Ramos Ramos “Ginés Valera”.
This photo is at the residence in Kassel (Germany) Year 1962 – 1963.
3.2.6 Agriculture: Search for water: drilling of Fuente Abad Well (1963 – 1964). Water was sought for public supply and surplus water for agriculture in order to put an end to emigration. Year 1962 – 1963. Appearing in the photos are, among others: Luis Ridao Clemente (Mayor 1956 – 1964) Roque López “Roque El Municipal” and Luis Rodríguez Cano” Town Hall Secretary”.
Photographs courtesy of the Pérez Navarro family.
4. Final Reflection
First of all, thank the mayor Pedro Ridao Zamora and the councilman of Heritage Pedro Luis Rodriguez Garcia for digitizing the S. XIX and we ask you to include in the budget of 2025 an item to digitize the S. XX. It is necessary for research and I know you will do it. Secondly, we intend to create a municipal documentary and photographic fund to recover the history of Antas. The procedure is very simple. The photos and documents that we have in our homes we take them to the town hall and an official scans them and returns the original to its owner. Periodically the photos and documents will be published in the facebook of the town hall so that the whole town knows them and the scanned images will remain in the municipal archive as patrimony of the town.
