| Pedro Menéndez de Márquez | |
|---|---|
| 03ºGovernor of La Florida | |
| In office 1575–1577 |
|
| Preceded by | Hernando de Miranda |
| Succeeded by | Gutierre de Miranda |
| Personal details | |
| Born | unknow Asturias, Spain |
| Died | unknow unknow |
| Spouse(s) | María Solís |
| Profession | explorer, conquistador and governor |
Pedro Menendez Márquez (? -?), Marqués de Avilés, was an explorer, Spanish conquistador and governor of Florida. He was a nephew of Pedro Menéndez de Avilés.
Pedro Menéndez Marqués was born probably in Asturias, Spain. He was the son of Marquis Alonso "El Mozo" and of Maria Alonso Arango "La Moza. He had four brothers: Alonso, Juan, Catalina and Elvira Menéndez Marqués.[1] They were nephews of Pedro Menéndez de Avilés. In 1565, along with his uncle, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés and Bartolomé Menéndez, Pedro Alonso and Juan Menendez Marques led the conquest of Florida. They played the command of the troops. The last two were killed in clashes with the Indigenous peoples. On April 3, 1571, Menéndez Marquéz was governor of Cuba [2] and in 1577 he was appointed governor of Florida. In October of that year, he sent to Santa Elena, a military force commanded by who was appointed Governor of Santa Elena to replace Hernando de Miranda. Menéndez Marques anticipated that the Indians might attack any force that tried to return to Santa Elena, so he and Miranda took from St. Augustine a strong prefabricated. He and his 53 men were able to erect it in just six days. At this point, Santa Elena was only a military post, and St. Augustine retained its position as the capital of Florida. Menéndez Marqués sent to Gutierre de Miranda, brother of former Governor Hernando de Miranda, to Castillo de San Marcos, a new fortress built in Saint Augustine, to serve as Governor and Captain of the site. Menendez Marques soon found other obligations that Miranda should do in San Marcos. However, Captain Tomas Bernardo de Quirós was appointed acting governor of Santa Elena, in August 1578. Between 1577 and 1580, Pedro Menéndez Marqués, Gutierre de Miranda and Captain Bernardo de Quiros, attacked and subjected to various ethnic groups who had participated in the destruction of the first city of Santa Elena. [3]
Pedro Menendez Marquez married María Solís. According to some sources, they had a son, Martin Menendez, who was governor of the states of Flanders, mayor and alderman of the town of Avilés. However, according to others, they had no children.[4]