Juan Manso de Contreras
| Juan Manso de Contreras | |
|---|---|
| 17th Spanish Governor of New Mexico | |
| In office 1656–1659 | |
| Preceded by | Juan de Samaniego y Xaca |
| Succeeded by | Bernardo López de Mendizábal |
| Personal details | |
| Born | unknown Villa de Loarca, Consejo de Valdes, in Oviedo (Asturias, Spain) |
| Died | 1671 unknown |
| Profession | Governor of New Mexico and Alguacil Mayor |
Juan Manso de Contreras (?? – 1761) was Governor of New Mexico between 1656 and 1659.
Biography
Juan Manso de Contreras was born in la Villa de Loarca, Consejo de Valdes, in Oviedo (Asturias, Spain), [1] and lived in Sevilla (Andalusia, Spain) [2] Juan Manso was the younger half - brother[3] of Fray Tomás Manso, [4][3] bishop of Nicaragua, [5] so he had good relations with the Franciscans. [4] Probably in 1652,[3] Juan Manso and Tomás Manso travel to New Spain in a mission, where they supply caravans from Mexico City to Santa Fe, New Mexico. [4] In 1656, he began work with the mission supply wagons. [4][3]
Juan Manso Contreras was appointment Governor of Santa Fe de Nuevo México in 1656. [5] During his administration it is known, Contreras had a politic against the Pueblo Amerindians because his native religion. Contreras created many enemies between the Spanish settlers of New Mexico, highlighting the case of military Francisco de Anaya Almazán, who had several importants charges in the military and administrative areas, being jailed for him (although he managed to escape from prison with the help of Pedro Lucero de Godoy and Francisco Gómez de Robledo). The reasons of Anaya imprisonment are unknown. [4]
Juan Manso Contreras was replaced by Bernardo López de Mendizábal in the New Mexico government in 1656.
After this, Contreras moved to Mexico City, where he lived until 1661, when he left the city and, with the charge of alguacil mayor, or chief constable, return to New Mexico to arrest his successor, Gov. Bernardo López de Mendizabal (1659–61), following a commission from the Inquisition. Mendizabal was arrested finally in the spring of 1663 and Contreras moved to Parral, in New Vizcaya. Since this year, Contreras was administrator in the New Mexico mission supply wagons, while ejercised as an important figure in the trade of Parral, in his northern frontier. These works were occupied for him until his death in 1671. [3]
Personal life
Contreras married Maria de Medina and they had one son: Francisco Manso de Contreras. [2]
References
- ↑ From Household to Empire: Society and Economy in Early Colonial New Mexico. Written by Heather Bethany Trigg. Page 197.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Francisco de Manso de Contreras | Linaje Contreras. Retrieved in June 18, 2014, to 02:40pm.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Colonial Governors:1656–1661. Posted by José García. Retrieved in June 18, 2014, to 03:40pm.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 To the End of the Earth: A History of the Crypto-Jews of New Mexico. Written by Stanley M. Hordes.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 UAIR: University of Arizona. MANSO DE VALDEZ, PEDRO. Retrieved in June 18, 2014, to 03:16pm.