Notable person

José Santiago Taboada (1884-1969), Journalist and Council Secretary

José Santiago Taboada (Xinzo, 1884-1969) founded the handwritten newspaper «El Duende», edited «El Eco Antelano» (1911-1912), the town's first printed paper, wrote for the Galician and American press and was council secretary.

Born: Xinzo de Limia, 1884
Died: Xinzo de Limia, 1969
Newspapers: El Duende (handwritten), El Eco Antelano (1911-1912), El Látigo
Municipal post: Secretary of Xinzo council (1945-1954)

José Santiago Taboada was born in Xinzo at six in the morning on 6 September 1884, the son of Matías Santiago Román, a native of Villar de Ciervos (Zamora), and Rosa Taboada Gómez, merchants living on Rúa San Roque. He was one of the first names of local journalism and, throughout his life, secretary of several councils ^[1].

Xinzo’s first newspapers

At the start of the 20th century he founded in the town some handwritten newspapers, biting and satirical about certain local customs, among them El Duende, of which only indirect references survive. He also owned a chocolate factory with the brand «Iris», advertised in the press in 1909 ^[1].

At 24 he was editor and owner of El Eco Antelano, published in 1911 and 1912, regarded as the town’s first printed newspaper. It was succeeded by El Látigo, equally sharp and ironic, which he produced with other contributors and for which Taboada drew pen-and-ink caricatures. That same weekly records some of the incidents involving the exiled Portuguese monarchists; see The Portuguese monarchists in A Limia ^[1].

Press contributions

He was an editor of El Miño in Ourense (1911-1913) and wrote in «El Eco de Orense» (quote), edited by Lamas Carvajal, with whom he enjoyed a close friendship. He also contributed to Nova Galicia, of Buenos Aires, and La Unión de Bagado, both in Argentina, to the Verín newspapers El Támega and Heraldo de Verín, to the Ribadavia paper El Noticiero del Avia and to another in Rianxo edited by Alfonso Castelao ^[1].

Council secretary

He was acting secretary of the council of Rairiz de Veiga from 19 July 1919 and permanent secretary from 28 August 1921 to 12 November 1925. He then moved to Laza, where he was acting secretary and, from 4 January 1926, permanent secretary until 13 July 1945. From 14 July 1945 until his retirement on 7 September 1954 he was secretary of Xinzo council ^[1]. He died in Xinzo on 4 January 1969, aged 84 ^[1].