Juan José Pérez Nájera (1845–1939) was a Spanish politician and soldier. He has not risen to major honors either in politics or in the army, nonetheless in mostly theoretical legitimist troops he was nominated to the rank of a general. He remains a rather unique case of an individual who for 70 years was actively serving his political cause; from the late 1860s till the mid-1930s he supported Carlism. Though in the 1890s he aspired to the parliament, his political climax fell on the early 1930s; at the time he animated a somewhat dissident current within Traditionalism, later to develop into so-called carloctavismo. He demonstrated exceptional vitality: at the age of 68 he conceived a child, at the age of 72 he engaged in a street fight, and at the age of 89 he co-led a political faction.
Family and youth
The sole Nájera'sthe common Spanish convention is that in case the paternal surname, primer apellido, is a very popular one, in non-official usage only the maternal surname is referred. This pattern is followed also in this entry, and "Nájera" is used instead of "Pérez Nájera" or "Pérez". The protagonist himself used to sign as "Juan Pérez Nájera", compare e.g. El Correo Español 25.07.20, available here. In the press he was usually listed also as "Juan Pérez Nájera", compare La Prensa 19.11.17, available here. However, in the 20th century in friendly newspapers he might have been referred to as "general Nájera", compare El Correo Español 03.04.12, available here. Until 1914 it might have been a source of confusion, as mainstream press when mentioning "general Nájera" usually referred to general Manuel Nájera y Pérez Cabrero (1854-1914), compare El Heraldo Militar 03.04.14, available here male ancestor identified is his father, Francisco Pérez Marín.Boletin Oficial de la Provincia de Logroño 12.02.76, available here In the mid-19th century he was related to the county of Nájera in Rioja Alta, in the province of Logroño (Old Castile). He was married to Benita NájeraEl Correo Español 22.02.20, available here (died 1901);El Correo Español 11.05.01, available here none of the sources consulted provides any information about her. In the 1840s the couple lived in the village of Castroviejo; in the early 1850s they moved to the neighboring one of Santa Coloma,La Rioja 07.05.39, available here though they maintained some property in Castroviejo in the 1860sBoletin Oficial de la Provincia de Logroño 12 15.01.62, available here and 1870s.Boletin Oficial de la Provincia de Logroño 08.11.77, available here The family formed part of upper layer of the working class, since they counted among well-off farmers. One source lists Pérez Marín as belonging to the category of "honrados labradores",La Rioja 07.05.39, available here another one refers to him as "propietario bien acomodado".Artagan 1912, p. 234 His agricultural economy was about stock-breeding, as in 1857 he was nominated visitador de ganaderías y cañadas, a livestock inspector, in the Nájera district.El Correo Español 22.02.20, available here As late as in the late 1880s he was noted as engaged in petty legal disputes, related to his animal husbandry business.Boletin Oficial de la Provincia de Logroño 14.06.84, available here, also Boletin Oficial de la Provincia de Logroño 14.04.86, available here He rose to local prestige, in the 1850s serving as alcalde of Santa Coloma and juez municipal.El Correo Español 22.02.20, available here
It is not clear how many children Francisco and Benita had; there are Pedro,La Rioja 06.10.01, available here FranciscoBoletin Oficial de la Provincia de Logroño 15.07.01, available here and ManuelBoletin Oficial de la Provincia de Logroño 11.08.02, available here Pérez Nájera noted in Santa Coloma, while Pascual and Luciano Pérez Nájera lived at the time in Castroviejo,Boletin Oficial de la Provincia de Logroño 02.04.06, available here but it is not known whether they were José's siblings. Numerous sources claim that following his early education the teenage boy entered the religious path and joined a local seminary, probably in the early 1860s.he spent 6 years in the seminary, La Rioja 07.05.39, available here. Given he abandoned the religious career in 1868 or 1869, he must have commenced some time between 1861 and 1863 However, there is no agreement as to details. Some point to the seminary in Calahorra,Juan Pérez Nájera entry, [in:] Real Academia de la Historia service, available here some to the one in LogroñoLa Rioja 07.05.39, available here and some mention few "seminarios conciliares de su provincia".Roma 1933, p. 183 He spent 6 years training to be a priest; in 1868 he abandoned the seminary, as according to later hagiographic accounts he decided to serve the Almighty not in a cassock and with a prayer book, but in a uniform and with a rifle.La Rioja 07.05.39, available here
Private life of Nájera remains somewhat of a mystery. A later author claims that he "gained a family" during his spell in South America in the early 1880s, but provides no details."alli creó familia y fortuna", La Rioja 10.03.45, available here. The same author, Daniel Navarro, claims that Nájera returned to Spain in 1898, which is known to be incorrect One confusing press note mentioned Dolores Lorente Puerta (1836–1904) as related,namely "señora madre" of Najera'son, but also wife to a certain Pelayo Pérez Tabuyo, compare El Correo Español 26.09.04, available here but according to another one she was rather Nájera's mother-in-law and his wife was named Pérez Lorente.for "madre política" see El Correo Español 19.09.04, available here. The same article claims Dolores Lorente Puerta was wife to Pelayo Pérez Tabuyo; the apellidos of their daughter and Nájera's wife would have been Pérez Lorente. However, no such person has been identified One more source claims his wife - perhaps another one - died 22 days after his death, in 1939.La Rioja 07.05.39, available < here Nájera had at least 4 children. Francisco died at the age of 12 months in 1914El Correo Español 26.09.04, available here and Bonifacio, in 1931 referred as "joven",La Rioja 05.08.31, available here was killed by the Republicans in 1938.La Rioja 07.05.39, available here Two daughters were noted as "señoritas" in the late 1910s; they were referred to as Ascensión and María Pérez Nájera, for some reason having both apellidos of their father.normally they should have had only primer apellido after their father (Pérez), and segundo apellido after their mother. A child might have carried both apellidos after his/her mother if the father was unknown, which obviously is not the case of Nájera's children. In some cases a child born out of wedlock might have carried both surnames after his/her father. Another option is that Pérez Nájera married his relative, also named Nájera Ascensión died "en la primavera de la vida" in 1920.El Debate 03.01.16, available here Maria reportedly took care of Nájera during his senility.Izaga 1940, p. 460 Her further fate is unknown.
Junior officer (1868-1874)
Nájera's parents were Carlists, which in the early 1870s cost them property embargo, expropriationEl Correo Español 22.02.20, available here and then incarceration.El Correo Español 11.05.11, available here The teenager inherited their Traditionalist outlook and following the Glorious Revolution he abandoned the seminary to fight Liberalism on battlefields. In the late 1860s Nájera entered conspiracy, yet sources provide confusing data. Some claim that in January 1869 he was captured by the Voluntarios de la Libertad militia in Corella and spent 3 weeks shuttled between various prisons in Navarre and Rioja before being set free;Roma 1933, p. 183 afterwards he engaged in the 1869 electoral campaign.Artagan 1912, pp. 234 However, also in early 1870 the press reported him incarcerated.allegedly also following the Corella detention, El Pensamiento Español 16.03.70, available here Once liberated he was immersed in conspiracy and perhaps also combat during a minor rising called Escodada, territorially limited to Rioja and Vascongadas.Ferrer 1960, p. 102 He then fled to France, and was nominated alférez de infantería.with seniority from January 1869, Artagan 1912, p. 234 Upon return to Spain in late 1870 Nájera resumed conspiring, first in Burgos and then in Zaragoza.Roma 1933, p. 183 Promoted to lieutenant,Enciclopedia Universal Ilustrada Europeo-Americana, vol. XVIII, Madrid 1921, p. 731 following outbreak of war in April 1872 he left Aragón and returned home.Artagan 1912, p. 235
Sometime in late spring 1872reportedly after the battle of Oroquieta, La Rioja 07.05.39, available here. The battle took place in May 1872 Nájera crossed the Liberal-Carlist frontline at the Ebrothe story has it that Nájera crossed the river attached to 2 empty casks of wine, La Rioja 07.05.39, available here, same version in Artagan 1912, p. 235 and made it to Cegama.La Rioja 07.05.39, available here Some claim he was first incorporated into general staff of general Fulgencio Carasa,Artagan 1912, p. 235 but most maintain that he was nominated ADC to general Antonio Lizárraga.his position with Lizarraga might by stated as "ayudante", "secretario", or "ayudante-secretario", compare Enciclopedia Universal Ilustrada Europeo-Americana, vol. XVIII, Madrid 1921. p. 731, La Rioja 07.05.39, available here, Antonio Pirala, Historia contemporanea. Anales desde 1843 hasta la conclusion de la actual guerra civil, vol. IV, Madrid 1877, p. 338 He accompanied his superior during skirmishes in Sierra de UrbasaEnciclopedia Universal Ilustrada Europeo-Americana, vol. XVIII, Madrid 1921, p. 731 and was decorated,Cruz Roja 1. clase del Mérito Militar, Artagan 1912, p. 235 before in the summer of 1872 he again crossed to France.Roma 1933, p. 184 Back in early 1873 he initially went on with Lizárraga, but then assumed command of minor detachments and took part in combat in western Gipuzkoa;during skirmishes at Arechavaleta, La Rioja 07.05.39, available here he got promoted to captain.Artagan 1912, p. 236 Governmental press listed him as killed-in-action.after fightings in Peña de Larran numerous newspapers reported that "entre los muertos se halla un capitán carlista llamado Pérez Nájera", compare e.g. El Periodico para Todos 20.01.73, available here. The issue is not entirely clear. The surnames, the rank and the place match, though one can not exclude that perhaps the man referred was Nájera's brother or other relative. However, none of numerous later hagiographic accounts mentioned his sibling as killed in action. Three years later the Madrid administration apparently considered him killed on May 19, 1873, compare Boletin Oficial de la Provincia de Logroño 06.05.76, available here