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 merchant, military man and politician. He held honorary positions during the Viceroyalty of Peru serving as Alcalde, Regidor and Alférez real of Buenos Aires.[2]

Personal life

Juan Miguel de Esparza was baptized on January 30, 1712, in the Cathedral of Buenos Aires by the presbyter Bernardino Verdún, 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 Creole family of Portuguese and Spanish roots.[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]

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),[6] Mathias Joseph. And Catalina Bernarda Esparza, wife of Juan de Canaveris, one of the neighbors who attended the open Cabildo of 1810.[7]

His grandfather Alejo de Esparza, was a rich merchant native of Navarre, and who settled in the Río de la Plata by 1660. All the male members of the Esparza lineage, were royal officers in the Buenos Aires Cabildo. His uncle, Joseph de Esparza (b.1667) had a long performance as city councilor. In 1712 he was appointed as Alcalde de la hermandad.[8] He also held the position of Depositario General and Judge, and took part in military expeditions in the Banda Oriental.[9]

Through his maternal ancestors, Esparza was a remote descendant of illustrious Spanish personalities who included the kings and queens of Castile and Navarre.[10] On February 15, 1612 Manuel Cabral de Melo, the great uncle of Antonia Cabral Morales, made a certificate of nobility (delivered by the King of Arms of Portugal).[11] The Cabral de Melo Alpoin family were arrived in the Río de la Plata in 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.[12]

Before marrying, Juan Miguel de Esparza had had a natural daughter (Camila) with María Josefa González de Alderete, daughter of Sebastián González de Alderete and Ignacia de Basualdo Cabral de Melo.[13] Camila de Esparza y González de Alderete was married to Juan José Rocha de la Torre, belonging to a noble lineage. The family of the Rocha Esparza, were the direct ancestors of Dardo Rocha, a distinguished Argentine politician, who was the founder of La Plata and Governor of Buenos Aires Province between 1881 and 1884.[14]

Through the Rocha the lineage of the Esparza's linked with other prestigious Argentine families as Porcel de Peralta[15] Ramos Mexía, Castro Castillo, Pueyrredón O'Dogan and Sundblad Sáenz.[16]

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 in 1737 as Procurador General of Buenos Aires, being entrusted to raise money for his Majesty the King of Spain, tending to the construction of a palace. He also took part in the debates produced by the conflict between Spain and Portugal (Spanish–Portuguese War (1735–37) over the domain of the Colonia del Sacramento. In 1738 he served as delegate of the Buenos Aires Cabildo in the 1738 census in the City.[17]

Juan de Esparza was also dedicated to trade and agriculture. He lived some time in Cádiz (Spain), during the reign of Philip V. He returned to the city of Buenos Aires around the year 1743, where he continued to fulfill commercial and governmental tasks.[18]

In 1746, were elected to fill the positions of mayor of Buenos Aires Juan Martín de Mena y Mascareña and Gaspar de Bustamante, alcaldes of first and second vote, being named Don Miguel Gerónimo de Esparza in substitution of Bustamante as second mayor of the City.[19] In 1748, was chosen Francisco Rodríguez de Vida, as first mayor and Juan Miguel Esparza occupied the position of mayor of second vote. That same year he was appointed Alférez Real, in charge of carrying the Royal Standard during the day of Saint Martin of Tours.[20] Esparza had participated in the funeral honors held in Buenos Aires to the monarch Philip V of Spain, deceased in 1746. And he carried the royal standard in the celebrations for the assumption of Ferdinand VI, being escorted by a Regiment of Dragons with sword in hand.[21]

In 1750 Esparza was appointed regidor of the Ayuntamiento, a position who he held for several periods.

He also held the position of Procurador General of Buenos Aires. By 1749 he had denounced the illegal traffic of hides made with foreign ships.[22] In 1754, he was legal representative of several creditors of Francisco de Escalada (merchant), among which was Patrick Lynch, a famous Irish merchant established in Argentina.[23]

In 1758 he was member of the Hermandad de la Caridad (Brotherhood of Charity), a religious institution of colonial Buenos Aires.[24] One year later, he served as treasurer in the city, a position he occupied until 1763.[25] Esparza was also in charge of the legal defense of people without economic resources, including a black man named Felix, who had exercised the office of executioner of the city of Buenos Aires.[26]

In 1764, Juan Miguel Esparza was elected Alcalde ordinario of Buenos Aires.[27] 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.[28] The new tower of the council included an expensive clock brought from Cadiz, was finished for the year of 1765.[29]

Juan Miguel de Esparza had served for many years in the Plana Mayor of the Spanish Militia of Buenos Aires. In 1752, due to Pampas tribes that attacked Spanish settlements in the northwest region of the province of Buenos Aires, 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 aldermen Juan de Lezica, had been in charge of the "La Atrevida", serving in the area of Lobos. And Domingo González, a distinguished member of the city council, was commander in the guard of Salto.[30] 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.[31] Esparza was the responsible for the defense in the area of Lujan, place continuously attacked by Indians raids.[32]

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.[33]

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. ↑ Bautismos 1752-1775. Nuestra Señora de La Merced.
  7. ↑ Genealogía, hombres de mayo. Instituto Argentino de Ciencias Genealógicas.
  8. ↑ Acuerdos del extinguido Cabildo de Buenos Aires, Volume 2; Volume 20. Talleres gráficos de la Penitenciaria nacional.
  9. ↑ Acuerdos del extinguido Cabildo de Buenos Aires (1723-1727). Archivo General de la Nación.
  10. ↑ Historia genealógica argentina. Narciso Binayán.
  11. ↑ 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).
  12. ↑ Boletín de la Academia Nacional de la Historia,. Academia Nacional de la Historia (Argentina).
  13. ↑ Estudios sobre historia argentina:. Juan Isidro Quesada.
  14. ↑ Revista patriótica del pasado argentino, Volumen 5. Manuel Ricardo Trelles.
  15. ↑ El notariado en la colonia y la emancipación: los Rocha, un linaje porteño de fundadores. Tomás Diego Bernard.
  16. ↑ Genealogías argentinas, Volume 1. Lucio Ricardo Pérez Calvo.
  17. ↑ Acuerdos del extinguido Cabildo de Buenos Aires (1734-1738). Archivo General de La Nación Argentina.
  18. ↑ Expediente de información y licencia de pasajero a indias de Juan Miguel de Esparza. Archivo General de Indias.
  19. ↑ Acuerdos del extinguido Cabildo de Buenos Aires. Archivo General de la Nación Argentina.
  20. ↑ Bandos de los virreyes gobernadores del Rio de la Plata, 1741-1809. Archivo General de la Nación (Argentina). Departamento Documentos Escritos,.
  21. ↑ Acuerdos del extinguido Cabildo de Buenos Aires (1745-1750) (PDF), Archivo General de la Nación Argentina
  22. ↑ Revista del Instituto de Historia del Derecho "Ricardo Levene" (PDF). Imprenta de la Universidad.
  23. ↑ Concurso acreedores de F.Escalada, comerciante Buenos Aires. Archivo General de Simancas.
  24. ↑ Buenos Aires--historia de las calles y sus nombres, Volume 1. Vicente Osvaldo Cutolo.
  25. ↑ 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.
  26. ↑ El Monasterio de Santa Catalina de Sena de Buenos Aires:. Pellegrini, 1955.
  27. ↑ Revista patriуtica del pasado argentino - Manuel Ricardo Trelles, Pedro Montenegro (Brother.) - Google Libros. Books.google.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-10-31.
  28. ↑ Todo es historia, Issues 33-38. Honegger., 1970.
  29. ↑ Historia cronológica de la ciudad de Buenos Aires 1536-2014. Contreras, Leonel.
  30. ↑ Historia de la Guardia de Luján: durante el período hispano-indiano, Ricardo Tabossi
  31. ↑ El origen de la ciudad de Mercedes, Alfredo A. Yribarren
  32. ↑ Frontera ganadera y guerra con el indio durante el siglo XVIII, Fernando Enrique Barba
  33. ↑ Calles porteñas mas bien extrañas. La Nación.
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