The Casa de Contratación (House of Trade), or Casa de la Contratación de las Indias (House of Trade of the Indies), was a government agency established by the King of Spain as an agency of the Crown that was to monitor financial matters concerning trade. It was also responsible for the licensing of emigrants, training of pilots and creation of maps. It also employed a vast intelligence wing with numerous spies in its employ to monitor the interests of Spain around the world. Their headquarters are located in Seville.
History[]
Background[]
The Casa de Contratación was established by the Spanish Crown in 1503 in the port of Seville as a crown agency of the Spanish Empire. They collected all colonial taxes and duties, approved all voyages of exploration and trade. For example, a 20 percent tax was levied on all precious metals entering Spain. They also maintained secret information on trade routes and new discoveries. The Casa licensed captains and administered commercial law. In theory, no Spaniard could sail anywhere without the approval of the Casa, but smuggling took place in various parts of the immense Spanish Empire.
The Casa also maintained a vast network of spies across the Spanish Empire to monitor their financial interests. They even had spies in the employ of English governors in the New World. Their officers carry files aboard ships from station to station, relaying the information up the chain of command. This information could inculde inventories for silver shipments, treasure fleet schedules or even the private letters of the King of Spain.
Season One[]
Flint tells Richard Guthrie that he heard a story about a man named Vazquez. A few weeks prior, Vazquez wandered into a tavern in Port Royal, bleeding to death from a knife wound to his stomach, courtesy of his former employer, the Casa de Contratación of Seville. He was employed in the Colonial Intelligence division, and specfically oversaw naval affairs. As one of the top agents in the Americas, he was responsible for the cargo of a particular ship, the Urca de Lima. The King of Spain was very anxious to see it launched, as the treasure galleon carried a cargo of five million Spanish dollars in gold. Vazquez warned that it was too late, storm season was upon them and no escort could be found. His superiors demanded that he sign off. They advised him that if he couldn't arrange for an escort, he should plot a course unknown to anyone but her captain. This route would be considered a state secret of the highest order. Vazquez refused and threatened to bring his concerns to the court, resulting in his stabbing. Vazquez detailed his story to Captain Parrish before dying, and was overheard by a spy in the employ of Captain Flint[1].
The Walrus and the Ranger come across a Spanish Man O' War in place of the Urca de Lima. Flint plans on having the Walrus pose as a Spanish merchant vessel attacked by pirates. The Ranger is to lure the Spanish warship between the two of them so that they can fire upon the Spanish from both ends. Dufresne tells Captain Flint to tell the Spanish warship that they are from St. Augustine, the closest port, and to name their trade as anything but tobacco, for Seville regulates the trade heavily. Flint has Silver, who speaks fluent Spanish, tell the warship that ther cargo is tobacco, to prove that the Spanish warship is not a customs ship, but an escort for the Urca[2].
Season Two[]
Flint discovers the Compendio de la Arte de Navegar, a nautical manual written by a former head of the Casa de Contratación, in the great cabin of the Spanish Man O' War.[3]
Season Three[]
Charles Vane and Edward Teach lead their pirate fleet and engage a Spanish merchant vessel, successfully boarding it and killing her crew, who chose to fight rather than surrender. Teach, Ellers and Reuben comb through the lower decks and come across a locked cabin. Reuben breaks the door down with a makeshift battering ram and they find a Spanish Officer inside, burning documents. The Officer says "long live the king" before shooting himself. Vane joins the three of them in sorting through the documents. They discover that the documents belong to the Intelligence wing of the Casa de Contratación. Teach explains to Reuben that these officers carry files from station to station, relaying information up the chain of command. The information could include details about silver shipments, treasure fleet schedules or even the private letters of the king. In the remains of the files, Ellers finds reports about Governor Woodes Rogers and Vane, which he gives over to Teach. Teach says it's a dossier on Rogers, and Vane asks if it's an invasion plan in case Spain decides to invade Nassau. Teach says it's not even close to a plan, merely someone's notes and fragments. Reuben then asks if there's anything of value in the notes, and Teach says only if they want to invade Nassau, which they don't. Ellers asks how they could learn so much about Rogers if he's been in Nassau for such a short time, and Teach replies they have a spy in his office, like with all other British governors in the Americas.
Max offers Governor Woodes Rogers a portion of the Urca gold that she exchanged for gems before he arrived, saying as far as Spain knows, all the gold was in Fort Nassau's vaults. While he ponders this with Eleanor Guthrie, Mrs. Hudson interrupts them. She reveals that six months prior to their arrival in Nassau, a man calling himself John introduced himself to her and said his employers wished to monitor Rogers' endeavor to retake Nassau, saying they had a vested interest. Hudson thought that this man represented one of Rogers' investors, seeming legitimate and offering a significant sum of money. Hudson agreed to the deal, but then discovered that the man's name was Juan Antonio Grandal, and he worked for the intelligence department of the Casa de Contratación. When they arrived in Nassau, Grandal told her that the Casa's spies had heard of a series of transactions where a large portion of the Urca de Lima's prize gold for more portable commodities such as gems and pearls. Hudson was asked if she had heard of this cache of gems. Hudson then tells a furious Rogers that based on their records of the size of the cache, Max only has half of it. Hudson tells Rogers that if he withholds the cache of gems, the Spanish will invade Nassau. Rogers already knows that if he does not return the gold from the fort within eight weeks, a fleet of ten ships with 1,500 soldiers will be sent from Havana to burn Nassau to the ground[4].
Mrs. Hudson later reveals to Eleanor that she originally declined Grandal's offer. But a few days after she did, she came home late after a day in Rogers' service. She found her children asleep, which was not unusual, as she often came home late. However, that night her children were not alone. Grandal was waiting in their room, in his left hand a knife, in his right a purse. He told Hudson that her children would receive something from him that night, and told her to choose which.
Jack Rackham returns to Nassau but is captured by Rogers' men. Rogers explains the predicament involving the cache and asks for its return. Rackham feigns agreement, but secretly tells Anne Bonny to run away with the cache. Mrs. Hudson later meets with Grandal, and tells him that Rackham is now in Rogers' custody. Grandal tells her that he sympathizes with her and does not want her or her children to be harmed. Grandal tells her that if all the gold is returned, his superiors will not set the fleet to attack Nassau. However, his superiors are proud men, and they are angry. He tells her to encourage Governor Rogers to send Rackham to Havana along with the gold, as a gesture of good faith, and even advises her to say that his superiors formally requested that Rackham be delivered to them. Hudson later relays all this to Rogers and Eleanor[5].
Max attempts to tell Anne of how Colonial Intelligence learned of the cache, and lies to her, saying Jack is being tortured to try and convince her to hand it over. Charles Vane later tells the Maroon Queen of the trove of intelligence he found, and Flint plans on finding Jack and the cache and bringing it to the Maroon Island to lure Rogers' forces there[6]. Flint is able to rescue Jack and retrieve the cache while they are being transported to the waiting ship. Rogers, who is desperate to avoid a Spanish invasion, is certain to take the bait[7]. Rogers does end up sending all his forces to the Maroon Island, where they are routed by the pirates, Maroons and Edward Teach's fleet[8].
Season Four[]
After war breaks out between England and Spain, Grandal ceases contacting Mrs. Hudson. She tells Eleanor that she hopes once they reach Philadelphia, she will be allowed to return home to England, and Eleanor grants her permission to do so. After Eleanor send Rogers away, he travels to Havana. There, he goes ashore with Mrs. Hudson, and they are met at the docks by Juan Antonio Grandal. Rogers tells him that he has come to seek the aid of Governor Raja in order to drive the pirates out of Nassau, producing the head of Edward Teach as proof. Grandal escorts Rogers to Raja's residence, but tells Hudson that it was a mistake for him to come to Havana, for Rogers and Raja share a history. Nevertheless, Rogers is able to convince Raja, who sails with Rogers to Nassau with a fleet of twelve ships and hundreds of soldiers. Their instructions are to avoid Fort Nassau, where Rogers' allies are situated, and burn everything else[9].
Grandal leads the Spanish soldiers who invade Nassau. After blowing apart most of the beach with the fleet's cannons, Grandal and Raja lead their men ashore. Once on land, the Spanish soldiers kill everyone in their path. Rogers then learns that his wife, Eleanor, is outside the fort, he tells Grandal to order his men not to harm her. Grandal tells Rogers that even if that order could be given, no one would listen to it, for the men have been let loose. Rogers later finds Eleanor dead at the hands of a Spanish Soldier[10].
After the invasion, Rogers tells Mrs. Hudson that he spoke with Governor Raja before he set sail. Rogers wanted to be certain that their account was squared and they need not expect Raja's fleet to return to Nassau because of the missing portion of the Urca cache and failure to deliver Jack Rackham. Raja assured Rogers that the cache was unimportant compared to the war effort, which was of paramount importance. Raja also tells him that they never asked for Captain Rackham, and that Mrs. Hudson added that part, a convenient lie that would placate Havana and improve her own odds of surviving. Mrs. Hudson acknowledges that she did this, and Rogers then blames her for the events leading up to Eleanor's death[11].
Members[]
- Vazquez
- Spanish Intelligence Officer
- Juan Antonio Grandal, Mrs. Hudson's handler
- Mrs. Hudson, a spy in their employ
Quotes[]
"Let me tell you a story about a Spaniard named Vazquez. A few weeks ago he staggers into a tavern on Port Royal. Takes a seat next to an English merchant captain. Vazquez, it turns out, is dying. Bleeding to death from a knife wound to the belly. The knife wound was courtesy of his former employer, La Casa de Contratacion, in Seville."
"Colonial intelligence."
"Naval, more specifically. One of their top agents in the Americas."
- Flint and Richard Guthrie in I.
"About six months ago, I was approached by a man who introduced himself as John and said his employers wished to monitor your operation to retake Nassau, said they had a vested interest. I assumed this had something to do with your investors, which seemed perfectly legitimate. They offered me a significant amount of money. I said... yes. It turns out the man's name is Juan Antonio Grandal and his employer is the intelligence department of the Casa De Contratación."
- Mrs. Hudson to Eleanor Guthrie and Woodes Rogers in XXIII.