José de Carvajal y Lancáster

José de Carvajal
First Secretary of State
In office
4 December 1746 – 9 April 1754
Monarch Ferdinand VI
Preceded by The Marquis of Villarías
Succeeded by The Duke of Huéscar
Personal details
Born 1698
Cáceres, Spain
Died April 9, 1754(1754-04-09) (aged 56)
Madrid, Spain

José de Carvajal y Lancáster (1698 – 1754) was a Spanish statesman.

He was son of the duke of Linares and his mother was descendant of Jorge de Lancastre, a natural son of King John II of Portugal. After graduating at the University of Salamanca, he was appointed oidor (judge) of the Chancillería of Valladolid and later councillor of the Council of the Indies. Prime minister José del Campillo elected him as his personal secretary. In 1746, he was appointed president of the Junta of Commerce and Money, and promoted the establishment of chartered corporations for the improvement of regional trade and manufacture.

The new king Ferdinand VI appointed him secretary of State (foreign minister) that same year, and carried out a neutrality policy. In 1750, he signed the agreement between Spain and Portugal that finished the disputes over the borders of Río de la Plata and Brazil; Colonia del Sacramento returned to Spain in exchange of some Paraguayan territories.

He reformed the royal mail and in 1752 founded definitively the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando[1].

Bibliography

  1. ^ Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando
Political offices
Preceded by
The Marquis of Villarías
First Secretary of State
1746-1754
Succeeded by
The Duke of Huéscar