Beatriz de Bobadilla y Ossorio

Beatriz de Bobadilla y Ossorio (Medina del Campo, 1462 – Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 1501) was the daughter of Juan de Bobadilla and the niece of her namesake Beatriz de Bobadilla. Beatriz de Bobadilla y Ossorio was married to ruler of La Gomera island Hernán Peraza the Younger and after his death she became the ruler of La Gomera.

Conquest of the Canary Islands

During the Spanish Conquest of the Canary Islands the island of La Gomera was not taken in battle but was incorporated into the Peraza-Herrera fiefdom through an agreement between Hernán Peraza The Elder and some of the insular aboriginal groups who accepted the rule of the Castilian. However, there were a number of uprisings by the guanches due to outrages committed by the rulers on the native Gomeros. The last one, in 1488 caused the death of the islands ruler, Hernán Peraza, whose widow, Beatriz de Bobadilla y Ossorio, had to seek the assistance of Pedro de Vera, conqueror of Gran Canaria, in order to snuff out the rebellion. The subsequent repression caused the death of two hundred rebels and many others were sold into slavery in the Spanish markets.

Columbus

Christopher Columbus made La Gomera his last port of call before crossing the Atlantic in 1492 with his three ships. He stopped here to replenish his crew's food and water supplies, intending to stay only four days. Beatriz de Bobadilla y Ossorio, the Countess of La Gomera and widow of Hernán Peraza the Younger, offered him vital support in preparations of the fleet and he ended up staying one month.When he finally sailed, she gave him cuttings of sugarcane, which became the first to reach the New World.^[1]

Children

Beatriz de Bobadilla y Ossorio had two children Guillén and Inés.

References

1. Abreu y Galindo, J. de (1977). A. Cioranescu, ed. Historia de la conquista de las siete islas de Canarias. Tenerife: Goya ediciones.