Melchor de Navarrete

Melchor de Navarrete
64ºGovernor of Cartagena
In office
1739–1740
Preceded by Pedro Fidalgo
Succeeded by Basilio de Gante
37ºRoyal Governor of La Florida
In office
August 8, 1749 – June 3, 1752
Preceded by Manuel de Montiano
Succeeded by Fulgencio García de Solís
76º Colonial Governorof Yucatán
In office
1754–1758
Preceded by Juan José de Clou
Succeeded by Alonso Fernández de Heredia
Personal details
Born January 17, 1693
Briones, Calahorra, La Rioja (Spain).
Died August 28, 1761
Cartagena de Indias (Colombia
Spouse(s) María Micaela de Sanz y de la Roche.
Profession Politician and soldier

Melchor de Navarrete (1693–1761) was a Spanish soldier and governor of Cartagena de Indias (Colombia, 1739–1740), Spanish Florida (1749–1752) and the Yucatan (Mexico, 1754–1758).

Biography

Melchor de Navarrete y Bujanda, was born on January 17, 1693, in the town of Briones, Bishop Calahorra, La Rioja (Spain). He was the son of the ruler of Briones Francisco de Navarrete and of Josefa Bujanda y Bañuelos. His brothers were Javier and Teresa de Navarrete y Bujanda.[1] Melchor de Navarrete began his career as military and over time, he came to Field Marshal armies.[2]

On February 1, 1736, he settled in Cartagena de Indias as a Lieutenant of King and the March 12, 1737. He took office before the council of Cartagena. In 1739, due to the death of Governor Pedro Hidalgo, Melchor de Navarrete was appointed Acting governor of the city. He was in charge of the administrative and supply of food. While the admiral Blas de Lezo held the military command. In 1740, he entered the Order of Santiago and he won the title of Marshal of Field of the Royal Army. In this city he had to struggle against the British Admiral Sir Edward Vernon, who tried to conquer the fortress of Cartagena de Indias, accompanied by Spanish sailor Blas de Lezo and in the presence of Viceroy of New Granada Sebastián de Eslava, Lieutenant General of the Royal Army and that lived in that city.[3]

On August 8, 1749, he was appointed governor of Spanish Florida.[2][4] During his years in office he defended the region in the War of Jenkins' Ear.[2] Melchor de Navarrete left office on July 3, 1752.[4]

In this year, he was admitted as Knight of Order of Santiago. On April 19, 1754, he was appointed Governor and Captain General of the Mexican province of Yucatán, in the Viceroyalty of New Spain and of Mérida, its capital city.[3] During his tenure in Yucatan were raised issues that had already occurred before with the question of forced labor of indigenous Mayas of the peninsula, who were enslaved by the encomenderos forcing them to produce cotton or patíes to pay tribute and bonuses. Navarrete defended the position of the owners of the parcels and he made declare by force and in writing to the Mayan chiefs that were not forced to such practices. This statement was forwarded to the Council of the Indies and King Ferdinand VI. He was satisfied with it, so that the injustices to the Indians continued.[5] Also in his government of Yucatán, the Campeche council requested permission to build outside the square of the province a powder magazine, as this normally caught fire with the summer storms. In 1758 this was already done.[6] He completed his service in the province of Yucatan in 1758. After that, he returned to Cartagena de Indias, city where he died at eight o'clock in the evening of August 28, 1761.[3]

Personal life

Melchor de Navarrete married on May 28, 1740 with María Micaela de Sanz y de la Roche. Melchor's marriage with María Micaela had three children: María Antonia, born in Cartagena, María Josefa and María Francisca de los Dolores.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Caballeros de la Orden de Santiago, siglo XVIII – Google books (In Spanish: Knights of the Order of Santiago, the eighteenth century - Google Book).
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 ENRIQUE RODRÍGUEZ CUZA, Fidel (March and April, 2007). "Euskal Herria, cuna de héroes hispánicos (Euskal Herria, the cradle of Hispanic héroes) (In Spanish)". Retrieved August 24, 2010. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 ENRIQUE RODRÍGUEZ CUZA, Fidel (March and April, 2007). "Busco ascendencia: De la Rocha y Coca – General – Family History (in Spanish: I am seeking ancestry: De la Rocha and Coca - General - Family History)". Retrieved August 24, 2010. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 U.S. States F-K.
  5. ↑ Casares G. Cantón, Raúl; Duch Colell, Juan; Antochiw Kolpa, Michel; Zavala Vallado, Silvio et ál. Yucatán en el tiempo (In English: Yucatan in Time), 1998. |isbn = 970 9071 04 1. Mérida, Yucatán
  6. ↑ Las murallas de Campeche (in Spanish: The walls of Campeche).

External links