Gadifer de la Salle

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Gadifer de La Salle (1340 in Sainte-Radegonde, Vrines, France–1415) was a French soldier of Norman origin who, with Jean de Béthencourt, conquered and explored the Canary Islands for the Kingdom of Castile.

Gadifer had won renown in the French campaigns against England during the Hundred Years' War (1337–1453). While on a campaign against Tunisian pirates in 1390, he met Jean de Béthencourt, who later pledged his domain to finance their expedition to the Canary Islands. Gadifer de La Salle had joined Béthencourt at La Rochelle.^[1]

Accompanying the expedition were Brother Pierre Bontier, a Franciscan monk of St. Jouin de Marnes who later officiated at Lanzarote, and Jean le Verrier, a priest who was later installed at Fuerteventura as vicar in the chapel of Our Lady of Bethencourt. Bontier and Le Verrier served as historians of the expedition.^[2]

In 1402 they conquered Lanzarote, the northernmost inhabited island, from the local guanche chieftains. Gadifer then explored the archipelago, and Béthencourt left for Cádiz, where he was given reinforcements and finantial support at the Castilian court. At this time a power struggle had broken out on the island between Gadifer and Berthin, another officer. Local leaders were drawn into the conflict and scores of Castilians and islanders died in what was to become a bloodbath of the first months of Béthencourt's absence. During this crisis, Gadifer managed to conquer Fuerteventura, and to explore other islands. It was only with the return of Béthencourt in 1404 that peace was restored to the troubled island. De la Salle and Béthencourt founded the city of Betancuria in 1404.

Béthencourt had become king of the Canaries (a title granted by Henry III of Castile in exchange for Béthencourt's respect). Gadifer, who felt insulted, left the Canaries and appealed for redress at the court of Castile. When this appeal proved to be unsuccessful, he returned to France.