Joaquín Gomis Cornet (1869–1957) was a Spanish Catalan entrepreneur and politician. In business he is known mostly as co-owner and manager of numerous mid-size companies from the Catalan hydroelectricity sector, which controlled large part of the power grid based on the Llobregat and the Segre basins. In politics he is known as a Traditionalist; in the 1930s and 1940s he formed part of the Catalan Carlist executive, Junta Regional, though he was not its active protagonist. In the early 20th century Gomis was briefly the mayor of Manresa. His few bids for the Cortes ticket failed.
Family and youth
The Gomis surname has been noted in Spain since the Middle Ages, especially along the Mediterranean coast in Catalonia and Levante. Over the centuries it became extremely popular with many well-known representatives.Apellido Gomis, [in:] SignificadoDeApellidos service, available here One branch settled in Manresa, where they formed part of emerging bourgeoisie; in the 18th century the Gomis were running metalworking facilities in the city,Jaume Plans, La indústria metal•lúrgica manresana als segles XVII i XVIII: pedrenyalers, armers, encepadors, canoners i daguers, [in:] Dovella 107 (2011), pp. 24-32 yet it is not clear whether they were Joaquín's ascendants.the scholar expert in the Gomis business claims that Joaquin's father was "descendiente de una familia de fabricantes de galones y telas de seda", Mercedes Arroyo Huguet, Empresarios y técnicos en la electrificación del territorio. Fuerzas Hidroeléctricas del Segre, 1909–1988, Barcelona 2010, p. 25 His only forebear identified is his father, Francesco Gomis Soler (1833–1897).Arroyo 2010, p. 25. Another author claims that he died in 1895, Maria Gemma Rubí i Casals, El món de la política en la Catalunya urbana de la restauració. El cas d'una ciutat industrial. Manresa: 1875–1923 [PhD thesis Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona], Barcelona 2003, p. 426. Because Arroyo Huguet dedicated many detailed works to the Gomis family, the date she advances is accepted here over the one advanced by Rubi i Casals In the mid-19th century he opened in Manresa a manufacture producing silk ribbons for Cuban tobacconists. In 1884 he took over a mid-sizeThe installation consisted of some 4,000 spinning heads. Francesc Cabana i Vancells, Can Gomis, a Monistrol, Força i Enllumenat SA i Forces Hidroelèctriques del Segre SA, [in:] Enciclopedia.Cat service 2021, available here cotton spinning Can Canals factory in San Martí de Torroella. In the early 1890s he opened a cotton yarn factory near Monistrol de Montserrat, in a place named Costa de Vallbona.Cabana i Vancells 2021, Arroyo 2010, p. 25 He built a nearby residential quarter – including a churchit was designed in neo-romanseque style by Leonci Soler i March, from a well-known Manresa family. It is not clear whether Gomis Soler and Soler March were interrelated and a school – for employees;Mercedes Arroyo, De las "Fábricas de Luz" a la creación de un sistema. La organización regional de Fuerzas Hidroeléctricas del Segre, 1920–1952, [in:] Horacio Capel, Vicente Casals (eds.), Capitalismo e historia de la electrificación, 1890–1930. Capital, técnica y organización del negocio eléctrico en España y México, Barcelona 2013, p. 3. Pagination quoted after the online version, available here it was named Colònia Gomis.Arroyo 2013, pp. 3-4 In 1881–1883 and 1890–1891Rubí i Casals 2003, Apéndix [not paginated], pp. 230, 238 Gomis Soler was among the regidores of Manresa.in the late 19 century Carlism – the current that Gomis Soler represented – was the second force in Manresa, see tables in María Gemma Rubí i Casals, Les bases de dades al servei de la prosopografia. L'univers polític de Manresa durant el Sexenni Democràtic i la Restauració borbònica a través dels electes municipals, [in:] Cercles: revista d'història cultural 10 (2007), pp. 189-190
At unspecified time, though probably either in the late 1850s or in the early 1860s, Gomis Soler married Francesca Cornet Viladés (died 1908);Cabana i Vancells 2021 nothing is known about her or her family. The couple lived in Manresa.at what is now Plaça Hospital 24, Jordi Bonvehí i Castanyer, Un passeig entre carrers, [in:] Històries Manresanes service 31.12.21, available here They had at least 5 children; all of these known were boys: Francisco,the oldest one, date of birth unclear. He died in January 1936; he was married to Concepción Naval, El Noticiero Universal 08.01.36, available here Joaquín, Enrique,1884–1966, Arroyo 2010, p. 33. He was married to Inocencia Perera, El Noticiero Universal 13.05.66, available here Luis, and Manuel,for Luis and Manuel dates of birth and death unknown. Except Francisco, deceased 21 years earlier, all brothers are listed in Joaquin's obituary note, see El Noticiero Universal 11.01.57, available here. Nothing closer is known about Manuel yet it is not clear in what sequence they were born.except Joaquín and Enrique, their birth dates are not known. Francisco appeared to have been the oldest one Neither any of the sources consulted provides information on childhood and early teen years of Joaquín. e.g. where he obtained the bachillerato. He followed a fairly typical path for young men of his class and studied law, though not clear whether in Barcelona or at some other university.Rubí i Casals 2003, p. 460 He graduated probably in the early 1890s, as in 1892 he was recorded back in Manresa.Rubí i Casals 2003, p. 291 Since the mid-1890s he was noted as engaged together with FranciscoFrancisco soon pull out of the family business, Lourdes Martínez Prado, The Image Collection: Fuerzas Hidroeléctricas del Segra, [in:] Uncommon Culture 5/9-10 (2014), p. 161 and Enrique in Viuda y Hijos de Francisco Gomis Soler,following death of the widow in 1908 renamed to "Compañía mercantil regular colectiva Hijos de Francisco Gomis Soler", Arroyo 2010, p. 27 the company which operated the cotton business, inherited from the late father;in source the name of the company is quoted in its Catalanized version of "Vídua i Fills de Francesc Gomis i Soler", which has never been used, Cabana i Vancells 2021 with Enrique as director, in the early 20th century the Gomis factory employed 130 workers.Cabana i Vancells 2021
At unspecified time Gomis Cornet married Concepción Ynglada Sallent from an established Catalan Yngladaalso spelled "Inglada" family, active in particular in trade business with Cuba;business engagements of the Ynglada family are in detail discussed in José Miguel Sanjuan Marroquin, Las elites económicas barcelonesas. 1717–1919 [PhD thesis Universitat de Barcelona], Barcelona 2018 she was sister to a well-known graphic, Pere Ynglada Sallent.La Veu da Catalunya 07.03.29, available here The couple had no childrenthere are no children listed in her necrological note, El Noticiero Universal 08.03.29, available here, and neither in later Joaquín's obituaries before Concepción died in 1929. As a widowerEl Noticiero Universal 10.01.58, available here and already a sexagenarian,the date of marriage is not known, yet in the late 1930s she was already mentioned in the press as Gomis' wife Gomis remarried with María (in some sources Maruja) Soldevila Grau;La Vanguardia 26.09.52 nothing is known about her or her family except that she was much younger (died 1986).La Vanguardia 03.04.86 Neither the second marriage produced any offspring."Joaquin fallecio sin descendencia", Arroyo 2010, p. 34. In Gomis' obituary notes there are no children mentioned, though it meticulously lists his wife, hermanos, hermanos políticos, tia, sobrinos, primos etc, compare El Noticiero Universal 11.01.57, available here, also El Noticiero Universal 18.01.57, available here, also Diario de Barcelona 12.01.57, available here. No children are mentioned also in her obituary note, see La Vanguardia 03.04.86 Gomis' best known relatives are his brothers, moderately recognized in Catalonia: Enrique as a manager in the electricity business and Luis as a Catholic priest, publisher,see Patria, [in:] Trencádis service, available here authorin 1913 he published a pamphlet on scouting and Christianity, Los boy-scouts españoles desde el punto de vista católico, compare GoogleBooks service, available here and educator.compare the Avemaria college website, available here Joaquin's nephews were Enrique Gomis Perera, a ski-jumper, ice-hockey player and tourist,Enric Gomis Perrera entry, [in:] Enciclopedia.Cat service, available here and Luis Gomis Perera, both entrepreneurs in Catalan energy industry.it was Luis Gomis Perrera the last of the Gomis dynasty who managed the electricity business; in 1988 he sold it to one of giant Catalan conglomerates, Mercedes Arroyo Huguet, Estratègies empresarials pioneres. L'electricitat al Berguedà, 1901–1964, [in:] L'Erol: revista cultural del Berguedà 128 (2016), p. 35
Carlist: Manresa (until 1918)
More distant Gomis' ancestors tended to support the Conservatives,Rubí i Casals 2003, p. 607 but his father was a Carlist, perhaps of some Integrist leaning.In 1889 a "Francisco Gomis" and "Francisco Gomis Cornet" were signatories of protest letters to an Integrist daily, El Siglo Futuro 31.01.89, available here He remained on friendly terms with the regional party leader Luis Maria Llauder DalmasesEl Siglo Futuro 07.03.90, available here and in Manresa he ranked as the second Carlist after Ignacio Vidal Balet,Rubí i Casals 2003, p. 426 though he did not feature prominently in the Catalan party organisation.Gomis Soler is not a single time mentioned in large monographic work on Catalan Carlism, see Jordi Canal, El carlisme català dins l'Espanya de la Restauració, Vic 1998, Joaquín inherited political preferences from his parent. In 1890 he took part in homage sessions to Carlist leader marqués de Cerralbo,Correo Detortosense 07.03.90, available here in the early 1890s he served as secretary in Centro Católico de ManresaRubí i Casals 2003, pp. 290-291 and joined Juventud Carlista Manresana. He demonstrated particular interest in press endeavors; during the decade he edited a periodical La Voz Manresana, the mouthpiece of local Traditionalism.Rubí i Casals 2003, p. 291 In 1905 he founded the Catalan-language L'Amic del Poble,Rubí i Casals 2003, pp. 290, 337 which initially proved short-lived until revived some time later.compare L'Amic del Poble at XacPremsa service, available here