Josefa Martínez de Arizala y Luna

d. 1867

Died: 31 Jan 1867, Torrelaguna

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Death31 Jan 1867, TorrelagunaProbable1 source

A life in time

6 Dec 1844
Child born: Elena Sanz
Birth, Castellón de la Plana
31 Jan 1867
Died · Torrelaguna
Death, Torrelaguna

What was it like?

The world around Torrelaguna, 1867: who ruled, who else was alive, how people lived. This is general history, not a record about the family, and every item shows where it comes from.

A typical humble woman in mid-19th century Spain often possessed only two outfits: one for daily work and one reserved for Sundays and feast days.

Fashion

Limited wardrobes for humble women

A typical humble woman in mid-19th century Spain often possessed only two outfits: one for daily work and one reserved for Sundays and feast days.

Around 1875–1890

Dancing fashion and skirt lengths

Women's festive dancing attire often included long tails, though young unmarried women were expected to wear shorter, ground-length skirts.

Music

Dances performed at religious festivals

Dances such as the jota were performed at religious festivals to honor saints and request favors, blending Catholic rituals with local customs.

Popular festive dances and music

Popular dances like the fandango, jota, and polkas were enjoyed at festivals and public gatherings, often accompanied by instruments like the guitar or local brass bands.

Getting around

Sluggish rail journeys in Spain

Rail travel was often sluggish, with one passenger complaining that a 130-mile trip between Cordoba and Madrid took 12 hours.

Around 1862–1862

Train and stagecoach travel combinations

Rail travel drastically changed transit, though it remained slow; for example, the journey from Manzanares to Granada required an additional 30-hour stagecoach trip.

Daily life

Buying fish for 2 reales

In Santoña, residents could buy fresh fish directly from fishing nets pulled to the shore for as little as 2 reales, although the catch size varied significantly.

Teachers' salaries and housing

Schoolteachers in Santoña were provided with housing in addition to their annual salaries, which were 400 ducados for the male teacher and 200 ducados for the female teacher.

Food

Gender inequality at the dinner table

In rural Spanish households during the mid-19th century, men often sat at the table to eat while women served them standing, frequently eating separately in the kitchen later.

High spending on alcohol by families

In some industrial mining regions, families spent over 25 percent of their total food budget on alcohol, specifically wine and aguardiente.

Prices and wages

Around 1875–1899

Daily wages for workers and laborers

At the end of the 19th century, a skilled worker could earn 12 reales per day, while a common laborer earned about 6 reales. Women and children typically earned less than half or a third of that amount.

Around 1875–1899

Household spending priorities

Ordinary families spent approximately 70 percent of their income on food alone. Housing accounted for another 10 percent of their monthly budget, leaving very little for clothing and other expenses.

Work

Common Jobs in 19th Century Spain

Most people worked in agriculture, while domestic service was the primary paid job for women. Factory work, especially in textiles, became increasingly common in urban centers like Barcelona.

The Harsh Realities of Working Days

Industrial workers often endured 12 to 14-hour days, six days a week, and children as young as six or seven were commonly sent to work. In some industries, workers performed a second shift called a velada that lasted until 8:00 p.m.

News and letters

Around 1855–1861

High cost of early telegrams

An early telegram cost 313 reales, while a telegraphist's annual salary was 4,000 reales, making it initially accessible only to the wealthy. By 1861, the price had dropped to approximately five reales.

Around 1875–1899

High cost of early telegrams

Sending a telegram was initially expensive, costing 313 reales at a time when a telegrapher's annual salary was 4,000 reales. By 1861, prices became more accessible, dropping to approximately five reales per message.

During their lifetime

1808
Outbreak of the War of Independence, 1808
The Spanish War of Independence began in 1808, leading to massive destruction and an estimated death toll of up to 500,000 people.
1835
Start of Mendizábal's ecclesiastical confiscations, 1835
In 1835, the ecclesiastical confiscation, known as the desamortización, was initiated by Juan Álvarez Mendizábal to sell religious assets and pay off public debt.
1848
Inauguration of the first railway, 1848
The first railway line in peninsular Spain, connecting Barcelona and Mataró, was inaugurated in 1848.
1853
1853: Mass emigration to Latin America starts
From 1853 to 1882, 325,000 Galicians emigrated, marking a period of intense, large-scale migration to Latin American countries like Cuba and Brazil.
1855
1855: Major Railway Expansion Law enacted
The 1855 General Railway Act spurred massive construction, with 460 km built annually from 1856 to 1866, connecting the country.
1857
1857: Moyano Law mandates primary schooling
The 1857 Moyano Law mandated school attendance for all children aged 6 to 9, aiming to improve basic literacy.

Family

Children

Elena Sanz1844–1898Confirmed

Ancestors and children

Open the full tree

Four generations back to the right, the children to the left. The number beside a child counts the generations of descendants known after them.