Juan Fernández de Olivera

Juan Fernández de Olivera (1560 - 23 November 1612) was the governor of Florida between 1610 and 23 Nov 1612.^[1]

Biography

As a youth, Olivera joined the Spanish army, where he stressed, ascending the post of Captain.^[2]

Olivera was appointed governor of Florida in 1610, in place of Pedro de Ibarra. During his ruled in the Spanish province, Fernández sent the Infantry Captain Alonso Díaz, from Badajoz, Spain, to punish the Pohoy´s Amerindians, from Tampa Bay, for having killed seventeen Christian Amerindians when them coming for the Cofa river with the food and cloting of a missionary. So, Alonso Díaz decided kill this people as a punish by the murders of the Amerindians. After his death, Fernández dispatched soldiers to the hairs of Pohoy to say them that then onward they should not do any damage to towns of Christians, because was the damage that their predecessors of Pohoy done to them, which prompted to Fernández punish them. Some Fernández´s soldiers carried gifts to the hairs of Pohoy, offering them peace and amity, being accepted by them.^[3] In addition, Fernández give military support to the Friars that teach to the natives. He supplied St. Augustine, Florida carried thinks such as over 300 yards of various kinds of cloth, 64 blankets, 14 hatchets, 148 boxes kniver, 34 stings and 26 "hand" of tobacco. The governor also took gifts in San Pedro (Mocama) and Guale provinces such as shirts and strings of beads.^[4]

Fernández de Olivera died in 23 November 1612 ^[1] while still ruled Florida,^[5] being replaced by Juan de Arraçola and Joseph de Olivera.^[1]

References