Ricardo Lancaster-Jones y Verea

Ricardo Lancaster-Jones y Verea, MA BE KHS (9 February 1905 – 20 January 1983) was a Mexican historian, diplomat, scholar, professor, art collector and sugarcane entrepreneur who made significant contributions toward the study of the haciendas of the State of Jalisco (Mexico) in the twentieth century. He spoke Spanish, English, French, Italian and Latin fluently. He authored and published numerous articles for newspapers and specialized magazines in Mexico, South America, Spain, United Kingdom and United States. His enthusiasm for history led him to become a professor of Regional History at the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters of Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara in 1965. Later on, in 1973, he earned his MA degree in Latin American Studies at the University of New Mexico. He is especially mentioned by Mexican academics Mauricio Beuchot (2001) and José María Murià (2003) as an early historian of the haciendas in Western Mexico.
Biographical notes.
His published biographical notes were written by:
Since 2005 his name has been listed among the "Illustrious People" ("Personajes Ilustres") of the State of Jalisco at its official webpage as: "Ricardo Lancaster Jones y Verea (1905–1983). Ingeniero, diplomático, catedrático."
The Congress of the State of Jalisco has published some biographical notes about "Ricardo Lancaster-Jones y Verea" in 2010.
Family and early life.
Mexican author Carlos Monsiváis, in his book "Amor Perdido" (2005), mentions the "Lancaster-Jones" family among the Porfiriato's distinguished families in the dawn of Mexico's 20th century.
Ricardo Lancaster-Jones y Verea born in Guadalajara, Jalisco (the second largest city in Mexico) to Alberto Lancaster-Jones y Mijares and Isabel Verea y Vallarta. Through Spanish historian Fernando Muñoz Altea (1925–2018) and local journalist José Jorge Vázquez-Tagle, it is possible to trace Lancaster-Jones y Verea's immediate and extended family. His father, Alberto Lancaster-Jones y Mijares (1873–1958) MEng KHS, was a British-Mexican sugarcane entrepreneur and scientist. He was Chairman of the Board of "Ingenio Santa Cruz y El Cortijo" (a sugar refinery located in Zapotiltic, Jalisco); in 1919 he cofounded the "Instituto de Ciencias" in Guadalajara, being his first Director (1919–1934). Fourteen years later, in 1934, he founded the "Faculty of Chemical Sciences" at the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, being its first Dean (1934–1958). On 5 March 1986, the lecture hall No. 9 of such Faculty of Chemical Sciences was named as "Ing. Alberto Lancaster-Jones y Mijares" to honour his memory.
Alberto Lancaster-Jones y Mijares' parents were: Ricardo Lancaster-Jones (1831–1922), a British-Mexican banker and entrepreneur (grandson of the English innovator on public education Joseph Lancaster), Mayor of Guadalajara and Treasurer of the State of Jalisco; and Francisca Mijares y Añorga (great-granddaughter of the 8th Señor De Añorga in San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa, Basque region of Spain). Through his extended family, Alberto Lancaster-Jones y Mijares was nephew of: A) Alfonso Lancaster-Jones (1842–1903), a British-Mexican jurist, politician and Mexico's Ambassador to the UK (1836–1909). B) José Antonio Pintó y Añorga, 1st Count de Añorga in Spain. C) Catalina Barron y Añorga, who married Antonio de Escandón y Garmendia (1824–1877) KHS, Spanish-Mexican entrepreneur who introduced the railroad in Mexico. D) Dolores Barron y Añorga, who married General Pedro Rincón Gallardo y Rosso (1836–1909), Mexican Ambassador to Russia and Germany. E) Guillermo Barron y Añorga (1829–1903), British-Mexican entrepreneur, Chairman of the Board of "Barron, Forbes &amp; Co".
Isabel Verea y Vallarta's parents were: José María Verea y González de Hermosillo (1826–1884), Mexican jurist and author of the State of Jalisco's "Ley de Enjuiciamiento Civil" (1872); and Isabel Vallarta y Ogazón. Through her extended family, Isabel Verea y Vallarta was niece of: A) Count Francisco de Paula Verea y González de Hermosillo (1813–1884), Pope Pius IX's Domestic Prelate (1862); he was one of the Mexican delegates to the First Vatican Council (1869–1870), and Bishop of the dioceses of Nuevo León and Puebla. B) Pedro Ogazón Rubio (1824–1890), Mexican jurist, politician and military; Minister of War, Governor of the State of Jalisco and President of Mexico's Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation. C) Ignacio Luis Vallarta Ogazón (1830–1893), Mexican jurist and politician; Minister of Interior, Governor of the State of Jalisco and President of Mexico's Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation. D) Bernardo Reyes Ogazón (1850–1913), Mexican military and politician; Minister of War and Governor of the State of Nuevo León.
Ricardo Lancaster-Jones y Verea was nephew of Alfonso Reyes (1889–1959), Mexican man-of-letters, poet, philosopher and Mexico's Ambassador to Argentina and Brazil; and cousin of: A) Manuel Sandoval Vallarta (1899–1977), a Mexican physicist co-author of the "Lemaître-Vallarta"'s theory about the cosmic rays' effects on earth. B) Elena Verea y Corcuera, married with Carlos Alfonso de Mitjans, 21st Count of Teba (1907–1997), Grandee of Spain. C) Sofía Verea y Corcuera, married with Ignacio Bernal (1910–1992), an eminent Mexican anthropologist and archaeologist. D) Marta Verea y Corcuera, married with Francisco Pérez de Salazar y Solana, distinguished Mexican connoisseur.
Ricardo Lancaster-Jones y Verea's early life passed between Guadalajara, Mexico City (where his paternal grandfather lived) and his family's Hacienda of "Santa Cruz y El Cortijo" (located in Zapotiltic, Jalisco), where he enjoyed exploring the countryside, horseback riding, hunting, swimming and fishing. This fact influenced him some years later when he became interested in the history of Jalisco's haciendas. When he turned 27 years old, he was asked to choose Citizenship (he could have taken British nationality owing to his father's citizenship), but chose Mexican nationality by a document dated on 29 September 1932.
Early studies and occupation.
Ricardo Lancaster-Jones y Verea studied in Mexico ("Instituto de Ciencias" and "Escuela Libre de Ingenieros", both in Guadalajara), and in the United States (St Charles College, Grand Coteau, Louisiana and the University of Dayton, Ohio). He earned a Topographical Engineering degree at the "Escuela Libre de Ingenieros de Jalisco" (1928) and a Bachelor of Engineering (BE) degree at the University of Dayton (1929).
As the eldest child of his family, he entered the sugarcane business in 1930 at the already mentioned "Ingenio Santa Cruz y El Cortijo", where he made important contributions until 1942. In 1944, he became a member of the board of directors of "Ingenio Tamazula" (a sugar refinery located in Tamazula de Gordiano, Jalisco). In 1946, he was founding member of "Sociedad de Ingenieros y Arquitectos de Guadalajara" (Engineers and Architects Society of Guadalajara) serving as general manager since 1949. Then, in 1950 he became a member of the board of directors of "Banco Industrial de Jalisco".
Contributing journalist.
Beginning in 1934, Lancaster-Jones wrote for the "Gaceta de Guadalajara" magazine, later becoming a contributing journalist for the "El Informador" newspaper. He continued writing for different magazines and newspapers from Guadalajara and Mexico City, such as "Crónica Social Tapatía", "El Mundo", "Estudios Históricos", "Excelsior", "El Occidental", et al.
Marriage.
In Guadalajara, on 28 October 1935, Ricardo Lancaster-Jones married Luz Padilla y España (5 April 1913 – 5 March 1978); the wedding reception was held at the Verea y Vallarta's mansion in Guadalajara (nowadays, this building is the seat of the Congress of Jalisco). On 18 February 1955, Luz Padilla y España was named Dame of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
Luz Padilla y España was the eldest child of Arcadio Padilla y Romo de Vivar, and of Guadalupe España y Araujo.
Arcadio Padilla y Romo de Vivar was a well-known Guadalajaran attorney-at-law who also was Mexico's National Railroads representative in Mexico City (1920–1935), and the State of Jalisco's Senior Deputy to Mexico's National Congress (1928–1930).
Guadalupe España y Araujo was granddaughter of José María Araujo, a Guadalajaran attorney-at-law, District Judge and Knight of the Imperial Order of Guadalupe (27 February 1865).
Through her extended family, Luz Padilla y España was niece of: A) Carmen Padilla y Romo de Vivar, wife of the Guadalajaran academic and painter José Vizcarra (1874–1956). B) Sara España y Araujo, wife of Alfredo Navarro Branca (1881–1979), a famous Guadalajaran architect from post-revolutionary period; nowadays, among his buildings, the one of the Universidad de Guadalajara (1914) stands out.
Diplomat.
During the course of his life, Lancaster-Jones participated in some diplomatic activities with the United States, El Salvador, the United Nations and the Holy See:
Historian.
Lancaster-Jones was included by Luis González y González among the notable historians of the second half of the 20th century in Mexico (1973).
Collaborations.
During the course of his life, he contributed with such authors as:
In 1954, Lancaster-Jones gave more than a dozen photos to Paul Alexander Bartlett, depicting the haciendas "Santa Cruz" and "El Cortijo" (Jalisco) from 1880 to 1940, contributing to Bartlett's large-scale study of more than 350 haciendas throughout Mexico that Bartlett conducted between 1943 and 1985. Nowadays, these photographs are kept in the Benson Latin American Collection at the University of Texas at Austin.
Museo Regional de Guadalajara.
In 1952 the Governor of the State of Jalisco, José Jesús González Gallo (1900–1957), appointed Lancaster-Jones as Curator of the "Museo Regional de Guadalajara", serving this post until 31 December 1953. During the two years he was in office, he reorganized the exhibition rooms, commanded the restoration of priceless works of art, and made a detailed inventory of the various museum collections.
Scholar.
Ricardo Lancaster-Jones y Verea's published works gave him an important role in Mexico's cultural circles and abroad:
Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara.
In 1965 Antonio Leaño Álvarez del Castillo (1913–2010), Rector and Chairman of the Board of Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, appointed Ricardo Lancaster-Jones as professor of regional history at the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters.
University of New Mexico.
In 1973 Lancaster-Jones earned his M.A. in Latin American Studies at University of New Mexico with the thesis "Haciendas de Jalisco y aledños: fincas rústicas de antaño, 1506–1821" (published in Mexico the next year as "Haciendas de Jalisco y Aledaños (1506-1821)"). Then, he continued with the PhD studies under the guidance of Donald C. Cutter (1922–2014), emeritus professor of history at University of New Mexico from 1976 until 1978, then, his health broke down. After he recovered his health in late 1978, he didn't continued with the PhD degree due to personal reasons.
Disciples.
Another noted disciple of Lancaster-Jones was Áurea Zafra Oropeza (died 11 August 2010, Guadalajara), among whose publications are "Agustín Rivera y Agustín de la Rosa ante la filosofía novohispana" (Sociedad Jalisciense de Filosofía, Guadalajara, 1994) and "Las cofradías de Cocula" (Agata, Guadalajara, 1996). Her "La mujer en la historia de Jalisco" was awarded in 1996 by the Government of the State of Jalisco.
Connoisseur.
According to Leopoldo I. Orendain (1898–1972), Ricardo Lancaster-Jones y Verea was a "real Connoisseur" whose enthusiasm as an art collector brought him to become advisor to several governors of Jalisco and various businessmen who sought for his help during the formation of their own collections of art. He was also a referee in testamentary appraisals. Lancaster-Jones was the first person, since 1948, to question the authenticity of a group of six paintings elaborated on copper sheet, attributed to Rubens and that are in the collection of the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos (Jalisco).
José Cornejo Franco (1900–1977), Director of the Public Library of the State of Jalisco (1949–1977), avers that Lancaster-Jones collaborated with the formation of several private libraries and contributed with the reorganization of the Public Library of the State of Jalisco (1950–1959). In 1970 the restoration of the former Franciscan convent of Guadalajara owed to his work "El Uso de Documentos en la Restauración de Edificios Antiguos" ("Use of Documents in the Restoration of old Buildings"). This study was published the year before (1969), through it, he examines an inventory from 1718 of the same Franciscan convent (a manuscript of his own collection). Anticipating to his times as thirty years had to pass and so in the year 2000, the "Escuela de Conservación y Restauración de Occidente" ("School of Conservation and Restoration of the West") was founded in Guadalajara.
Art collector.
When Ricardo Lancaster-Jones y Verea's paternal grandfather died in 1922, he inherited an important collection of Mexican Colonial Art (pieces from the Viceroyalty of New Spain period), a collection which was increased through time with more pieces from the Colonial period as well as from Mexican 19th century. His art collection also included some selected pieces from 20th century's artists like Chucho Reyes (1880–1977), José Clemente Orozco (1883–1949) and Jorge González Camarena (1908–1980). He is mentioned among the most important art collectors in the State of Jalisco by Xavier Torres Ladrón de Guevara (1997).
Guadalajaran art collector Carlos Navarro gives "remarkable importance" to his oil painting portrait collection in his book "El Retrato en Jalisco" (2004). This collection included works from artists like: José María Estrada (1764–1860), Juan Cordero (1822–1884), Pablo Valdéz (1839–1898), Felipe Castro (1832–1902), Jacobo Gálvez (1821–1882), Gerardo Suárez (1834–1870), José Pamplona (1845–1867), Carlos Villaseñor (1849–1920) and José Vizcarra (1874–1956).
Booklover.
Lancaster-Jones is mentioned by Ramiro Villaseñor y Villaseñor as one of the notable booklovers of Jalisco. His library had more than 35,000 volumes, most of them collected through the course of his life. Nowadays, those volumes are distributed among the libraries of "El Colegio de Jalisco", the University of Texas and the University of New Mexico, as well as in private collections in Mexico and abroad.
Ex Libris.
His bookplate was catalogued in 1970 by the Mexican academic José Miguel Quintana (1908–1987) in "Libros Mexicanos"; it was designed by the artist and academic Carlos Stahl (1892–1984). Nowadays, one of Ricardo Lancaster-Jones' bookplates can be found at the "Colección de ex-libris de Guillermo Tovar de Teresa" ("Guillermo Tovar de Teresa's Bookplates Collection") at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City.
Sociedad de Anticuarios de Guadalajara.
In 1953 Lancaster-Jones established the "Sociedad de Anticuarios de Guadalajara" ("Society of Antiquarians of Guadalajara"), serving as General Secretary from 1953 to 1980.
View on the history of Jalisco's haciendas.
According to Ricardo Lancaster-Jones y Verea: an hacienda in all its types: plantations, mines, business factories, etc., was the medium that made possible the population of large dispersed areas (sometimes isolated); it was the base of the acculturation process and the core around which the incorporation to civilized life by the indigenous took place.
Given the extension of the territory of New Spain (now Mexico), the haciendas became excellent autonomous centers. Their inhabitants lived in a microcosm that allowed them to channel their spiritual and material needs.
The haciendas that existed in the ancient Kingdom of New Galicia were located through a diverse and rich geography. Local circumstances changed the regional customs in the haciendas of this area, distinguishing them from the rest of New Spain. The origin of the features that distinguish Mexico in the world today: charreria, mariachi and tequila, can be found in the Haciendas of Jalisco.
Institutions.
During the course of his life, Ricardo Lancaster-Jones y Verea was member of the following institutions:
Major works.
Ricardo Lancaster-Jones y Verea is mentioned by Heriberto García Rivas (1971) among the notable authors of the late 20th century in Mexico. As a published author, his name can be found also like: "Ricardo Lancaster-Jones" or "Ing. Ricardo Lancaster-Jones". His publications include: