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. 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, yet it is not clear whether they were Joaquín's ascendants. His only forebear identified is his father, Francesco Gomis Soler (1833–1897). In the mid-19th century he opened in Manresa a manufacture producing silk ribbons for Cuban tobacconists. In 1884 he took over a mid-size 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. He built a nearby residential quarter – including a church and a school – for employees; it was named Colònia Gomis. In 1881–1883 and 1890–1891 Gomis Soler was among the regidores of Manresa. At unspecified time, though probably either in the late 1850s or in the early 1860s, Gomis Soler married Francesca Cornet Viladés (died 1908); nothing is known about her or her family. The couple lived in Manresa. They had at least 5 children; all of these known were boys: Francisco, Joaquín, Enrique, Luis, and Manuel, yet it is not clear in what sequence they were born. 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. He graduated probably in the early 1890s, as in 1892 he was recorded back in Manresa. Since the mid-1890s he was noted as engaged together with Francisco and Enrique in Viuda y Hijos de Francisco Gomis Soler, the company which operated the cotton business, inherited from the late father; with Enrique as director, in the early 20th century the Gomis factory employed 130 workers.
At unspecified time Gomis Cornet married Concepción Ynglada Sallent from an established Catalan Ynglada family, active in particular in trade business with Cuba; she was sister to a well-known graphic, Pere Ynglada Sallent. The couple had no children before Concepción died in 1929. As a widower and already a sexagenarian, Gomis remarried with María (in some sources Maruja) Soldevila Grau; nothing is known about her or her family except that she was much younger (died 1986). Neither the second marriage produced any offspring. 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, author and educator. Joaquin's nephews were Enrique Gomis Perera, a ski-jumper, ice-hockey player and tourist, and Luis Gomis Perera, both entrepreneurs in Catalan energy industry.
Carlist: Manresa (until 1918)
More distant Gomis' ancestors tended to support the Conservatives, but his father was a Carlist, perhaps of some Integrist leaning. He remained on friendly terms with the regional party leader Luis Maria Llauder Dalmases and in Manresa he ranked as the second Carlist after Ignacio Vidal Balet, though he did not feature prominently in the Catalan party organisation. Joaquín inherited political preferences from his parent. In 1890 he took part in homage sessions to Carlist leader marqués de Cerralbo, in the early 1890s he served as secretary in Centro Católico de Manresa 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. In 1905 he founded the Catalan-language L'Amic del Poble, which initially proved short-lived until revived some time later. In 1903 Gomis decided to run for the Manresa city council; various sources claim he formed part either of "candidatura administrativa" or "candidatura regionalista" or featured on a joint Catalanist-Carlist list led by Leonci Soler March. He was elected as one of 4 Carlists, thus commencing a string of almost 15 years of service in the ayuntamiento; he was later repeatedly voted into the town hall on various lists, though usually this of a right-wing alliance Candidatura Manresana, e.g. in 1911 or 1915. In 1909 it reproduced the overall regional electoral pattern, marked by emergence of Solidaridad Catalana, and appeared as Solidaridad Manresana. In the council he was member of various commissions. During numerous strings Gomis served as one of many deputy mayors, e.g. in 1906 as primero teniente de alcalde and in 1910 as segundo teniente. He was last noted as member of the town hall in 1918.
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