Josef Ramón de Osta y Fernández (1750-1778), forzado navarro en la real cárcel de las minas de azogue de Almadén.

The discovery of the industrial method of amalgamation for poor silver minerals in Pachuca (New Spain), in 1554, caused the Almadén quicksilver mine to become the most important in the Spanish metropolitan territory. The shortage of free manpower obliged the Crown to assign to her forced labourers and slaves to increase the production of quicksilver and thus be able to supply the growing need of American silver mining. The present research allows us to know the living and working conditions of the Almadén inmates in the 1770s, according to the writings of Josef Ramón de Osta y Fernández, a native of the town of Peralta, in the Kingdom of Navarra, forced in mercurial mines and died in his Royal Prison in 1778. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]