Juan María Vicencio de Ripperdá
Encyclopedia
Juan María Vicencio, Baron de Ripperdá (Madrid
, ? - Honduras
, 21 October 1780) was the Spanish governor of Texas
and Honduras
.
and Francisca de Xarava del Castillo. His father became Duke of Ripperda and Prime Minister
of Spain
but was forced to flee the country following a scandal. Juan María Vicencio was subsequently raised in Madrid
by his mother and her relatives, a devoutly Catholic, aristocratic Spanish family.
by the King of Spain and set sail for Mexico. During his stay in Mexico City
he met and married (22 October) Mariana Gómez de Parada Gallo y Villavicencio. From February 1770, he lived in San Antonio with his wife and six children. Although he was appointed Governor of Honduras in 1776 they remained in Texas until 1778. He was much respected and became known as one of the most popular Spanish Governors. On 28 June 1779, the King promoted him to the rank of brigadier.
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, ? - Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
, 21 October 1780) was the Spanish governor of Texas
Spanish Texas
Spanish Texas was one of the interior provinces of New Spain from 1690 until 1821. Although Spain claimed ownership of the territory, which comprised part of modern-day Texas, including the land north of the Medina and Nueces Rivers, the Spanish did not attempt to colonize the area until after...
and Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
.
Early life
He was born ca 1724,the son of Dutch political adventurer John William, Baron RipperdaJohn William, Baron Ripperda
John William, Baron Ripperda , and afterwards duke of Ripperda, lord of Jensema, Poelgeest and Koudekerk , was a political adventurer and Spanish Prime Minister.- Origins :...
and Francisca de Xarava del Castillo. His father became Duke of Ripperda and Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
but was forced to flee the country following a scandal. Juan María Vicencio was subsequently raised in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
by his mother and her relatives, a devoutly Catholic, aristocratic Spanish family.
Career
He started his military career in 1743 and rose to become a colonel in 1761. In 1769, he was appointed governor of TexasSpanish Texas
Spanish Texas was one of the interior provinces of New Spain from 1690 until 1821. Although Spain claimed ownership of the territory, which comprised part of modern-day Texas, including the land north of the Medina and Nueces Rivers, the Spanish did not attempt to colonize the area until after...
by the King of Spain and set sail for Mexico. During his stay in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
he met and married (22 October) Mariana Gómez de Parada Gallo y Villavicencio. From February 1770, he lived in San Antonio with his wife and six children. Although he was appointed Governor of Honduras in 1776 they remained in Texas until 1778. He was much respected and became known as one of the most popular Spanish Governors. On 28 June 1779, the King promoted him to the rank of brigadier.
Sources
- Herbert Eugene Bolton, Texas in the Middle Eighteenth Century (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1915; rpt., Austin: University of Texas Press, 1970)
- Fritz Leo Hoffman, The First Three Years of the Administration of Juan María, Barón de Ripperdá, Governor of Texas, 1770-1778 (M.A. thesis, University of Texas, 1930)
- Juan Agustín Morfi, History of Texas, 1673-1779 (2 vols., Albuquerque: Quivira Society, 1935; rpt., New York: Arno, 1967)
- Robert S. Weddle and Robert H. Thonhoff, Drama and Conflict: The Texas Saga of 1776 (Austin: Madrona, 1976)