Juan Miguel de Esparza

Juan Miguel de Esparza
Alcalde of Buenos Aires
In office
1764–1765
Monarch Charles III
Preceded by Joseph Blás de Gainza
Succeeded by Eugenio Lerdo de Tejada.[1]
Personal details
Born Juan Miguel de Esparza Cabral de Melo y Morales
1712
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Died 1766
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Nationality Spanish
Spouse(s) María Eugenia Sánchez
Occupation Politician
Militia
Profession attorney
Signature
Military service
Allegiance  Spain
Service/branch Spanish Army
Rank Captain

Juan Miguel de Esparza (1712–1766) was a Spanish nobleman, he held honorary positions during the Viceroyalty of Peru serving as Alcalde, Regidor and Alférez real of Buenos Aires.[2]

Personal life

Juan Miguel was baptized on January 30, 1712, being his godparents Miguel de Riglos and Josefa Rosa Alvarado. His parents were Miguel Gerónimo de Esparza and Antonia Cabral de Melo y Morales, belonging to a noble family of Portuguese and Spanish origin.[3] He was married to her cousin María Eugenia Sánchez, daughter of Captain Francisco Sánchez and Sebastiana Zenarro, (sister of the Third Order of Saint Francis),[4] daughter of Cap. Juan de Zenarro (born in Pasaia, Gipuzkoa) and Inés Esparza Rodríguez.[5]

Before marrying, Esparza had had a natural daughter (Camila) with María Josefa González de Alderete.[6] Camila de Esparza y González de Alderete was married to Juan José Rocha de la Torre, being the ancestors of Dardo Rocha, founder of La Plata and Governor of Buenos Aires Province between 1881 and 1884.[7]

His wife María Eugenia Sánchez Galiano, was possibly (paternal line) of Galician or Asturian origin. She was born in 1730 in Buenos Aires, and died on March 3, 1817, being buried in the Santo Domingo convent. They were the parents of numerous children including: María Theodora, María Florencia, Mariano Marcos, godson of Francisco Álvarez Campana, Maria Anna Esparza (goddaughter of Francisco de Cabrera and Antonia Saavedra),[8] Mathias Joseph. And Catalina Bernarda Esparza, wife of Juan de Canaveris, one of the neighbors who attended the open cabildo of 1810.[9]

Through his maternal ancestors (Cabral de Melo), Esparza was a remote descendant of illustrious Spanish personalities who included the kings and queens of Castile and Navarre as Alfonso VI,[10] Henry II and Sancho III of Pamplona.[11] On February 15, 1612 Manuel Cabral de Melo (great uncle of Antonia Cabral Morales), made a certificate of nobility (delivered by the King of Arms of Portugal).[12]

The Cabral de Melo Alpoin family had arrived in the company of Diego Rodriguez de Valdés, a Spanish nobleman who would be designated as Governor of Río de la Plata and Paraguay on July 8, 1599.[13]

Career

Officers of the Cabildo of Buenos Aires (Marià Fortuny)

Juan Miguel de Esparza did his studies at Colegio Nacional de Monserrat, and got his law degree at the University of Saint Francis Xavier. His first public office was as delegate of the Buenos Aires Cabildo in the 1738 census in the City. Later Esparza was dedicated to trade, and lived some time in Cádiz (Spain), returning to the city in the year 1743.[14]

Juan Miguel de Esparza served as alcalde of 2nd vote of Buenos Aires in 1748, and was appointed regidor of council in 1750. He also held the position of attorney general. In 1754, he was legal representative of several creditors of Francisco Escalada (merchant), among which was Patrick Lynch, a famous Irish merchant established in Argentina.[15]

In 1758 Esparza was member of the Hermandad de la Caridad (Brotherhood of Charity), a religious institution of colonial Buenos Aires.[16] One year later, he served as treasurer in the city, a position he occupied until 1763.[17]

In 1764, Juan Miguel Esparza was elected Alcalde ordinario of Buenos Aires.[18] For the same year, the newly elected Esparza and Ramón de Palacio (alcalde of 2nd vote), along with the officials Gerónimo de Matorras and José de Albizur, were responsible for fundraising among the neighbors for the construction of a tower in the Cabildo.[19] The new tower of the council included an expensive clock brought from Cadiz, was finished for the year of 1765.[20]

In 1752, due to Pampas tribes that attacked Spanish settlements, in the northwest region of the province of Buenos Aires, Juan Miguel de Esparza, was commissioned to lead "La Valerosa", a militia of the Regiment of Blandengues of the Frontier, under command Captain José de Zarate. His colleague in the Ayuntamiento, the Regidor Juan de Lezica, had been in charge of the "La Atrevida", serving in the area of Lobos.[21] The mission of border militias were to pursue the Indians rebel and protect civilians and their families. These Cavalry patrols were armed with carabine and sabre.[22] Esparza was the responsible for the defense in the area of Lujan, place continuously attacked by Indians raids.[23]

Currently a street in the neighborhood of Balvanera, carries the name Esparza, in honor to Miguel Gerónimo, Joseph (regidor), Francisco (priest), Juan Miguel and Martín Esparza, friar assassinated during the second British invasions of the River Plate.[24]

References

  1. ↑ Registro estadístico de la provincia de Buenos Aires, Parts 1-2. Buenos Aires (Argentina : Province).
  2. ↑ Acuerdos del extinguido Cabildo de Buenos Aires, Volume 27. P. E. Coni e hijos.
  3. ↑ Buenos Aires-historia de las calles y sus nombres - Vicente Osvaldo Cutolo - Google Libros. Books.google.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-10-31.
  4. ↑ Boletín interno, Issues 9-50. Instituto Argentino de Ciencias Genealógicas.
  5. ↑ Los vascos en América: Los vascos en Buenos Aires, 1713-1810 : ciudad y campaña. Fundación Vasco-Argentina Juan de Garay, Departamento Estudios Históricos, Jan 1, 1991.
  6. ↑ Estudios sobre historia argentina:. Juan Isidro Quesada.
  7. ↑ Revista patriótica del pasado argentino, Volumen 5. Manuel Ricardo Trelles.
  8. ↑ Bautismos 1752-1775. Nuestra Señora de La Merced.
  9. ↑ Genealogía, hombres de mayo. Instituto Argentino de Ciencias Genealógicas.
  10. ↑ Primer Congreso de Historia de la Provincia de Corrientes, Volume 1. Moglia Ediciones.
  11. ↑ Historia genealógica argentina. Narciso Binayán.
  12. ↑ Actas de la XI Reunión Americana de Genealogía: España y America :. Eduardo Pardo de Guevara y Váldes, Instituto Padre Sarmiento de Estudios Gallegos (Santiado de Compostela).
  13. ↑ Boletín de la Academia Nacional de la Historia,. Academia Nacional de la Historia (Argentina).
  14. ↑ Expediente de información y licencia de pasajero a indias de Juan Miguel de Esparza. Archivo General de Indias.
  15. ↑ Concurso acreedores de F.Escalada, comerciante Buenos Aires. Archivo General de Simancas.
  16. ↑ Buenos Aires--historia de las calles y sus nombres, Volume 1. Vicente Osvaldo Cutolo.
  17. ↑ El Río de la Plata en el Archivo General de Indias de Sevilla: Guía para ... - Luis Alberto Musso Ambrosi - Google Libros. Books.google.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-10-31.
  18. ↑ Revista patriуtica del pasado argentino - Manuel Ricardo Trelles, Pedro Montenegro (Brother.) - Google Libros. Books.google.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-10-31.
  19. ↑ Todo es historia, Issues 33-38. Honegger., 1970.
  20. ↑ Historia cronológica de la ciudad de Buenos Aires 1536-2014. Contreras, Leonel.
  21. ↑ Historia de la Guardia de Luján: durante el período hispano-indiano, Ricardo Tabossi
  22. ↑ El origen de la ciudad de Mercedes, Alfredo A. Yribarren
  23. ↑ Frontera ganadera y guerra con el indio durante el siglo XVIII, Fernando Enrique Barba
  24. ↑ Calles porteñas mas bien extrañas. La Nación.
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