Francisco Fernández de la Cueva Enríquez, 10th Duke of Alburquerque

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Francisco Fernández de la Cueva Enríquez, 10th Duke of Alburquerque, Viceroy of New Spain

Francisco Fernández de la Cueva Enríquez, marqués de Cuéllar, 10th duque de Alburquerque (c. 1655, Genoa—October 23, 1733, Madrid) was viceroy of New Spain from November 27, 1702 to January 14, 1711.

Fernández de la Cueva arrived at his position from a military career. He was captain general of the Kingdom of Granada and captain general of the coast of Andalusia.

Upon his arrival in Veracruz he was informed of the establishment there of a French trading post dealing in black slaves. The French had received a concession of ten years. The new viceroy gave his approval.

He arrived in Chapultepec in November, 1702 and made his formal entry into Mexico City on December 8, 1702. He was a fervent support of the Bourbon monarchy and of King Philip V of Spain, and he worked in New Spain to suppress any kind of discontent that could result in support for the Habsburg party.

This viceroy's administration was known for its luxury and magnificence. On January 6, 1703 the palace guards in the viceregal palace appeared in uniforms of the French mode for the first time, three-cornered hats and all. This attracted much attention, and fashions at the court and beyond quickly followed along the same lines. This was a fashion of luxury, starkly contrasted with the poverty of the majority of the people.

Fernández de la Cueva repaired and expanded the armada of Barlovento (coast guard) so that it could attack pirates. He devoted much of the armed forces to dislodging the English and Dutch from the coast of the Seno Mexicano (Gulf coast). He sent reinforcements and supplies to Saint Augustine, Florida, which was besieged by the English. He confiscated the property of the English and Dutch, and used the proceeds to fend off their incursions. He worked to protect the newly established Jesuit missions in California.

He also worked hard to provide financial aid to the Bourbons in the Spanish War of Succession. He demanded that the clergy turn over one tenth of their rents to the government. The archbishop strongly objected. When his term in office was extended, in gratitude he remitted two million pesos to the Crown. To raise this money, he resorted to shady methods, such as selling government positions. His remissions to Spain were so large that the government found itself unable to pay many police and other employees, and they were laid off. The streets and highways became infested with brigands.

In 1701 the Tribunal de la Acordada (literally, Court of Agreement) was founded. It received this name as the result of a proposal agreed to by the Audiencia. It was an organization of volunteers intended to capture and quickly try bandits. From its creation to the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence in 1810, the Acordada delivered 57,500 verdicts to 62,850 accused. Of those, 35,058 were freed, 888 were hung, 1,729 were whipped; 19,410 were sentenced to prison for one or two years and 263 to labor on public works; 777 were banished to camps in the north, and the remainder were sent on to regular judges. Three hundred forty died in hospitals and 1,280 in prison.

His signature

In 1704 the viceroy suppressed a rebellion of the Pima Indians in Nueva Vizcaya, using bloody methods. The Indians were terrorized and submitted, but in the long run this was a bad result for the Spanish. The Indians became distrustful and resisted evangelization and integration into the society of the viceroyalty.

On October 12, 1709 San Francisco de Cuéllar (now the city of Chihuahua) was founded. Also in 1709 the Church of Santa María de Guadalupe was established.

In spite of his faults, Fernández de la Cueva had a reputation as an affable, moderate and capable governor who maintained tranquility and security in the viceroyalty. He turned over the government to his successor in 1711 and returned to Spain. He died in Madrid in 1733.

[edit] References

• (Spanish) "Acordada, La," Enciclopedia de México, v. 1. Mexico City, 1988.
• (Spanish) "Fernández de la Cueva Enríquez, Francisco," Enciclopedia de México, v. 5. Mexico City, 1988.
• (Spanish) García Puron, Manuel, México y sus gobernantes, v. 1. Mexico City: Joaquín Porrua, 1984.
• (Spanish) Orozco L., Fernando, Fechas Históricas de México. Mexico City: Panorama Editorial, 1988.
• (Spanish) Orozco Linares, Fernando, Gobernantes de México. Mexico City: Panorama Editorial, 1985.