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Asia-Pacific in the Making of the Americas: Toward a Global History

Juan de Páez and His Proven Efficiency

We have no question that Juan de Páez acted efficiently and efficaciously as a steward, proving his money management skills. Imagine the impact such efficiency must have had, so much so that beyond the Cathedral itself, several clergymen trusted him as testamentary executor of their estates, that is, they recognized in him the ideal person to handle their estates post mortem. Nine clergymen appointed Juan de Páez as their testamentary executor in the period he was steward of the cathedral, not including the ones we have mentioned before. 

As Thomas Calvo puts it, Páez “would be called a finance expert today,”  because he handled the accounts of the Tapatía Church, those of many clergymen, his own and those of many others.[40] In the case of the stewardship, we must point out that it is very likely that credit for such good handling of the ecclesiastical finances should be shared with his compadre and friend Francisco de Quijada, the clergyman who served as accountant in the twenty years that Páez served as steward.  After all, administration of the tithe incomes was handled by the prebendaries, the steward and the accountant. 

It was the accountant who tallied the steward’s movements and in theory, he had to report to the Council with regards to these matters. Therefore, Juan de Páez depended to a large extent on the accounting work done by Quijada; fortunately, the latter depended on Páez’s doing an orderly, efficient job. So smooth and efficient was their collaboration that, when the Japanese died, Francisco de Quijada took over as steward as a practical matter.

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[40] CALVO, Thomas; “Japoneses en Guadalajara…”, op. cit; p. 167.

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