Hernando de Miranda

Hernando de Miranda was a Spanish conqueror and explorer that held the charge of governor of Florida (1575 – 1577) to the death of Governor Pedro Menendez de Aviles. He was brother of Gutierre de Miranda´s future gobernor and brother-in-law of next governors of Florida Pedro Menéndez de Márquez.^[1]

Biography

Hernando de Miranda was born in San Tirso, in Candamo (Asturias, España). He was son of Sancho de Miranda and Leonor de las Alas and brother the Gutierre de Miranda´s future gobernor.^[2] Hernando de Miranda joined the Spanish Navy in his youth, a place which the excelled, reaching the rank of General.^[3]

So, he was a personal friend of Pedro Menendez de Aviles, who accompanied him on several trips to Americas. When the Adelantado began the conquest and colonization of Florida (1565), Hernando de Miranda joined his staff, being named Factor, appointment that the king subsequently approved.

While the peninsula of Florida and neighboring regions were explored and conquered Hernando de Miranda had to stay in the capital of the colony, St. Augustine, because to his work, since he has not participated in major companies, until in 1566 the Adelantado selected him for to accompany him to pursue pirates in the Caribbean. On October 20 of that year, six ships were leaving St. Augustine to go to the big West Indian islands. Strong winds that found in the way split the fleet into two. The group of ships captained Hernando de Miranda and Pedro de Valdes ended up in San Germán, Puerto Rico town. The waters of this island was one of the areas where more marauding pirates, but failed to find any. The Asturians then learned that 15 leagues away, in Santa María de Guadianilla, came alarming news regarding a powerful French fleet of 16 ships and 6,000 men aboard that went to the New World to expel the Spanish in Florida. To make sure what was true of this information, Hernando de Miranda was a Guadinilla and met with the master and pilot of patax, his friends, returning after three days. The existence of the navy was real but in the end the French did not dare to cross the Atlantic and chose to go to the Portuguese island of Madeira, who looted, before returning to her homeland. In anticipation of possible enemy attacks, the Adelantado and his officers were scattered across the Caribbean islands reinforced with soldiers and weapons, defenses of the main cities and towns or creating new fortifications at strategic locations. Back to Florida, Hernando de Miranda remained here some time, late 1570 making a trip to Spain, probably to see his family and his wife. The following year, on May 16, 1571, he returned to India in the army that Pedro Menendez de Aviles drove to Florida with relief of soldiers, new settlers and other material. But Miranda was not directly to St. Augustine. On July 3, arrived in Havana so sick that he preferred to stay in this city a few days to recover.

On the death of Governor Pedro Menendez de Aviles, Felipe II of Spain named Hernando de Miranda new governor of Florida in 24 February 1576.^[4])

When he came to Florida in that year, he began working in abolishing corruption of the then Spanish province. In addition, on February 24 of that year, he began to examine the state of Florida. So, Hernando found that former Florida Governor Diego de Velasco had appropriated large sums of money from Menendez, with the excuse that the money belonged to him after his death officially. So, Miranda imprisoned to he, replacing him with one of his lieutenants, Alonso Solis, in the government of Santa Elena. Moreover, Velasco was also found with the accusations made him his treasurer, Bertolomeo Martinez about his inappropriate procedure exercised by the government of Velasco in Florida. However, he was also briefly imprisoned, as they suspected he was also complicit in illegally obtaining money by Velasco.^[3]

Miranda occupied the Florida Government until 1577, after that some Amerindians being rebelled and murdered several soldiers of the fort of Santa Elena (where he arrived in February, 1576^[5]). He died in 1593.^[6]

Personal life

The friendship with Pedro Menendez de Aviles was reflected by marrying with the eldest daughter of Avilés: Catalina Menéndez de Avilés. They had a daughter named Toribia.^[6]

References