Luis de Horruytiner

Luis de Horruytiner
Governor of Presidio of Cartagena de Indias
In office
1625–1625
Governor of La Florida
In office
July 29, 1633  November 26, 1638
Preceded by Nicolás Ponce de León and Eugenio de Espinosa
Succeeded by Damián de Vega, Castro, y Pardo
Personal details
Born Saragossa, Aragon Spain
Died Unknown
Nationality Spanish
Profession Rancher and Administrator (governor of Cartagena de Indias Presidio and Florida)

Don Luis Benedit y Horruitiner, also known as Luis Benedit y Horruitiner was governor of the Presidio of Cartagena, Colombia (1625) and of Florida (July 29, 1633 - November 26, 1638), so as well Viceroy of Sardinia, Italy. He was uncle of next governor Pedro Benedit Horruytiner.

Biography

Don Luis Benedit y Horruitiner was born in Saragossa, Aragon (Spain), to Mosén Gilbert Benedit de Huessa and María de Hurrutinel. He had a brother, Mosén Gilbert Benedit y Horruitiner.[1] Resident in Saint Augustine, Florida, was during long time a rancher, whose family land covered along the St. Johns River. [2]

In 1625, he exerted as governor of the Presidio of Cartagena (modern Colombia) [3] and, on 1630, he was Alcaide of Castillo del Morro, in Habana, Cuba. [1]

On July 29, 1633, he was appointed governor of Florida,[4] so as Viceroy of Sardinia (in modern Italy), in this time, a Spanish possession.[1]

In 1633, during the Luis Hurruytiner´s government in Florida, Spanish Franciscans[5][6] of the Order of Friars Minor [6] arrived to northern Florida founding a mission in the Apalachee´s region (localized in modern Apalachee Province). [5][6]

So, in this year (1633), Hurruytiner and General Fr Lorenzo Martinez had agreed to send to Florida two Friars, who knew the Amerindian languages of Florida and wanted the conversion of these people to Catholicism, in order to become to this religion to the indigenous populations in the Apalachee. The Friars may have become around 6,000 people[note 1] and they remained there for many years, being their conversions known even for the subsequent governor Damián de Vega, Castro, y Pardo (1639 - 1645. He wrote a letter to Spain´s King indicating it), because the friars continued exerting in this time. In 1635 there were over 30,000 converts between 44 doctrinas, administered by 39 friars. [7]

Likely one of the first Apalachee missions established by these missionaries in 1633 was Anhaica, that may have been founed as San Luis in honor to Luis Horruytiner, who ruled Florida at that time. [8]

Also during his government in Florida, Hurruytiner dispatched sergeant Major Antonio de Herrera, López and Mesa to the western mission provinces to negotiate the peace between the leaders of this places and Chacato (West of Apalachee), a pagan place, Apalachicole (Northwest of Apalachee) and Amacano (probably in Southeast of Apalachee), places in warfare between them. So, he gathered the leaders of each war parties and he achieved a peace agreement between all parties, a successful deal.[9]

Luis de Horruytiner left the office of Governor of Florida in November 26, 1638, being replaced by Castro, y Pardo.[4]

Notes

  1. The subsequent governor Damián de Vega, Castro, y Pardo (1639 - 1645) indicated the figure the indigenous in the Apalachee baptized in 1,000 people, but in 1635, the Franciscan Custodio of Florida claimed that around 5,000 of the more of 34,000 indigenous of the Apalachee had been already baptized. However, in 1676, a Franciscan claimed to have registed (he saw it in a listing in 1638) to 16,000 Christians living in Apalachee for 1638. Albeit, we should think that the government of Florida was only counted men, with a ratio to the total population of the province of 1-5 people. However, probably the Franciscans also inflated the numbers of Christianized Indians. According to historian Paul E. Hoffman, if in 1647 the population remained at 34,000 people and the caciques had the same number of subject in the Apalachee (each person there had a cacique), the Christian population there would be 6,800 people in that year.

References

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