Unpublished text on Cristóbal del Hoyo: New light on his imprisonment in the Castle of Paso Alto

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to clarify and provide new information on the trial between Cristóbal del Hoyo and his niece, Leonor del Hoyo, which ended with the Canary Islander being imprisoned in Paso Alto Castle. In order to shed light on some of the obscurities surrounding the subject, an unpublished text entitled Copia de los autos seguidos contra Cristóbal del Hoyo, marqués de San Andrés, por incumplimiento de promesa de matrimonio has been transcribed, as well as some fragments of the also unpublished document Carta sobre la dependencia matrimonial. Our research shows that, despite the considerations of years before, Cristóbal del Hoyo did not refuse to marry his niece, with whom he claimed, even a few years later, to still feel in love. The samples obtained, added to the information provided by various critics, point to the possibility that the trial between uncle and niece was a family plot, under the pretext of acquiring part of the inheritance received from the Marquis of San Andrés.