Pedro de Castro y Figueroa
Pedro de Castro y Figueroa , Duke (Spanish: duque) of la Conquista , Margrave (Spanish: marqués) of Gracia Real (* 1678 in San Julián de Cela near La Coruña , Spain ; † August 22, 1741 in Mexico City ) a Spanish officer and colonial administrator who served as Viceroy of New Spain.
Life
Origin and career in Europe
Pedro de Castro came from a family of the low Spanish nobility. He embarked on a military career and reached the rank of Sargente Mayor (about: Lieutenant Colonel) of the infantry guard . In 1729, King Philip V rewarded him with the newly created title of nobility of marqués de Gracia Real in gratitude for his achievements . Later he rose to field marshal and captain general.
In the service of King Charles III. , who was King of Sicily at the time , Castro worked as a chamberlain and war act. After the victorious battle of Bitonto , the king made him duke; from then on he was allowed to bear the title duque de la Conquista .
Pedro de Castro was a member of all military orders of knights in Spain: the Order of Santiago , the Order of Calatrava and the Order of Alcantara . He was one of the core of influential advisors to the Bourbons in Spain.
He married Bernarda de Azcárraga y Abaunza, with whom he had three children. His eldest son Bernardo stayed with him in Spain and would later inherit his titles, his younger son Bernardo accompanied him to Mexico and a daughter named Josefa.
Tenure as Viceroy of New Spain
With a royal charter from May 1739 Castro was appointed Viceroy of New Spain. Also due to the death of his wife, his departure for Mexico was delayed until April 1740. Spain was at war with England at that time , and Castro's entourage was divided among several Dutch ships for safety reasons for the crossing from Spain to Mexico .
On the way across the Atlantic, the convoy got into severe storms, and on the leg between Puerto Rico and the mainland it was attacked by British frigates. Castro and his closest confidante were able to flee on a dinghy, but the ship with its valuables and documents fell into the hands of the English who brought it to Jamaica .
On June 20, 1740, the viceroy reached the port of Veracruz without a letter of appointment . His predecessor in office, Archbishop Juan Antonio de Vizarrón y Eguiarreta , however, recognized him as his legitimate successor, and in August the inauguration took place with the ceremonial entry into Mexico City .
The war with the British determined his term of office. Viceroy Castro had the defenses at the ports of Veracruz and the fort of San Juan de Ulúa strengthened against the threat of attacks by British warships . The British had attacked San Agustín under General James Oglethorpe and took Portobelo . Cartagena (Colombia), on the other hand, withstood the attacks of Edward Vernon's troops under Blas de Lezo . Castro had a civil militia set up to defend the coasts, which he called Ejército de la Corona (German: Army of the Crown).
During his tenure, the drainage system in the silver mines of Zacatecas (city) was improved so that yields increased. He was also able to pay higher taxes to the Spanish crown from the Philippines.
In the summer of 1741 he traveled to Veracruz to check the progress of the fortification work. There he suffered a severe fever that led to bloody diarrhea and water loss (presumably dysentery ). Although he still managed to return to Mexico City, he died there on August 22, 1741.
Until the Spanish court had appointed and dispatched a successor, the Real Audiencia of Mexico , chaired by Pedro Malo de Villavicencio, temporarily took over the leadership of the viceroyalty.
literature
- Juana Vázquez Gómez: Dictionary of Mexican Rulers, 1325–1997 . Greenwood Publishing Group, Westport, CT, USA 1997, ISBN 0-313-30049-6 , pp. 39 ( books.google.de ).
- Fernando Orozco: Gobernantes de México . 3. Edition. Panorama Editorial, Mexico City 2004, ISBN 968-38-0260-5 , p. 131-132 ( books.google.de ).
Web links
- Biography (spanish)
- History of his tenure (Spanish)
- Entry at Geneall.net
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Juan Antonio de Vizarron y Eguiarreta |
Viceroy of New Spain 1740–1741 |
Pedro Malo de Villavicencio |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Castro y Figueroa, Pedro de |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Duce de la Conquista, Duke of la Conquista, marqués de Gracia Real, Margrave of Gracia Real |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Viceroy of New Spain |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1678 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | San Julián de Cela near La Coruña , Spain |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 22, 1741 |
| Place of death | Mexico city |