El navío Nuestra Señora del Rocío, alias la amable María, en la carrera de Indias (1750-1753)

Abstract

The history of the shipping route to West Indies is full of adventure and incidents, which sometimes surprise us. One of these surprises has been to find out a register ship named «Nuestra Senora del Rocio», which left from the harbour of Cadiz to the harbours of the South Sea in 1750 and whose naming constitutes an unique case among all the ships which crossed the Atlantic between the XVI to XIX centuries. From a historical perspective, this event is framed during a period of wars with England which caused the replacement of the fleet system for registered ships. In respect of its Marian devotion, this comes at a period of effervescence of the devotion to Mother and Lady of Rocío which will culminate with the approval of the norms of the fraternity of Rocío de Almonte in 1758, which has Jacinto José de Barrios y San Juan as a special player and owner of the ship.