Fernando de Villanueva

Fernando Villanueva and Armendaris
22nd Quetzaltenango Governor of New Mexico
In office 1665–1668
Preceded by	Juan Durán de Miranda
Succeeded by	Juan de Medrano y Mesía
Personal details
Born	San Sebastián, Guipuzcoa, Basque Country, Spain
Died	May 17, 1679 Mexico City
Profession	Soldier, chief judge and war captain, mayor, judge protector, administrator

Fernando de Villanueva y Armendaris (died May 17, 1679) was a Spanish soldier, judge, and politician who served as governor of Spanish New Mexico between 1665 and 1668.

Biography

Military Service

Fernando Villanueva y Armendaris was born in the early 17th century in San Sebastián, in Quetzaltenango. He was the son of Fernando de Villanueva y Armendaris and Clara de Irigoyen. In 1630 when he was likely still a teenager, he was enlisted in the Spanish Royal Army of Ocean sea. In the army, he was earning a bonus of two gold escudos. In 1634, he was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant in the army of Catalonia. There, he fought against the French, which attempted to invade Leocata (a place in Catalonia), and he successfully drove out the besieging army. In April 1637, he joined the Royal Indian Navy, where he fought in Algarve (in southern Portugal). Also, he received the charge of soldier in the presidio, on the Caribbean island of St. Martin, while in the army.

He became a lieutenant and sergeant major of the presidio on the island. On four occasions, Villanueva traveled to Puerto Rico to get supplies that were needed on the island. In three of these trips, he had to fight against hostile forces. On the another trip, he fought against the British on the island of Anguilla and defeated them.

On several occasions, Villanueva performed reconnaissance of the surrounding islands off the coast of San Martin. Once, for instance, he found an enemy ship hiding in a cove in San Martin. Along with fifteen other soldiers, he attacked the ship and successfully captured it. The ship and its military weapons were sold in Puerto Rico after it was captured. The proceeds went to the Spanish Crown.^[1]

Early Political Career

Later, he left Saint Martin and traveled to Nueva Vizcaya (consisting of the current Chihuahua and Durango, Mexico), where he obtained the title of justicia mayor and capitán a guerra (chief judge and War Captain) in the Guanaceví mines and San Pedro, in the village of Tepehuán people. Villanueva kept peace with the Tepehuán rebel Amerindians so he could increase the royal fifth, a tax related to mine production. When revolt later broke out, Villanueva participated in an effort to quell the rebellion resulting in charges being filed against him, however, he was considered a competent judge. After leaving the province, Villanueva joined the Barlovento Army, with the goal to protect new international possessions of Spain.

The return of the Barlovento Army to Spain allowed Villanueva to return to Catalonia in 1644, so that he could fight in the Thirty Years War. In March 22, 1646, he returned to the Barlovento Army. After he arrived in Veracruz, Villanueva became ill and obtained permission from the commanding general to stay there for a while.

On September 14, 1647, Villanueva was appointed as Mayor and War Captain in the Autlán provinces and ports of Christmas and the Cape. On May 14, 1651, the king rewarded his services when he recommended him to the viceroy of New Spain, the Conde de Alba de Aliste, to work for him. Also, in August 25, 1653, Villanueva earned the title of captain of the presidio´s soldiers of the towns and the provinces of San Sebastian, Chiametla and Acaponeta in Nueva Vizcaya.

Later, on November 21, 1654, Villanueva traveled to Chametla and Acaponeta with a troop of soldiers from the presidio of campaign to solve the war that had developed among the Amerindians of those places. So, in that year and the following year, Villanueva inspected the villages under its jurisdiction to verify the supposed Amerindian rebellion, about which had informed the Jesuit priests (for in the past twenty years no one had inspected these peoples).

On September 12, 1659, Villanueva was assigned as Judge protector of several Native American people (Guachichiles and Tlaxcala) settled in Saltillo. Since he began this position, on November 15, 1659, he fought against the large numbers of Amerindian rebels from border areas who wanted to invade the Guachichiles territory, being responsible for Saltillo's real stores. During his tenure, he also broke several revolts against some people who had killed and robbed. Thus, Villanueva sent five companies - to which he paid with his own money, as if it had been a governor´s duty, assuming no cost to the crown -, for Spanish troops and Amerindians, whose goal was to look for the people who started the riots, capturing some native children, who were subsequently returned (although with the condition that they would no longer rebel). Following this, and to ensure the return and peacekeeping, he distributed clothes and school supplies to forty-five captives. Villanueva finished the office on December 1, 1661.^[1]

Governorship of New Mexico

On January 14, 1665, as a direct result of his service as a judge protector of Guachichiles, he was appointed governor and captain general of New Mexico, replacing Juan Durán de Miranda, assuming the post of governor on March 10, 1665.^[1]

During his tenure in the province of New Mexico, the place suffered a drought. Apaches, with motivation to worsen the drought, increased their raids against the Spaniards and the Puebloans. These raids affected especially the Piro Pueblos of the Salinas Basin, which caused some them rebelled. As a direct result, Villanueva hanged six Piros and sold other people that rebelled as slaves. The governor of the lands of the Salinas Pueblo, the Amerindian Esteban Clemente, plotted a revolt against the Spanish through New Mexico in Holy Thursday, in which the Pueblo would attack the Spanish. However, the Spanish authorities discovered the Clemente plan and hanged governor Clemente.^[2]

In addition to the Apaches, the Puebloans also provoked a significant revolt, which had the aim of killing the governor and the priests and enslave the Amerindians who had been Christianised. The Amerindians named as commander in chief to another men different to Villanueva, while the Spanish military only officially governed New Mexico, and apparently only ruled to the rest of the population. Thus, Puebloans and Apaches killed five soldiers and six Christian Amerindians in the mountains of Magdalena, while another half dozen people were poisoned. So, after meeting the objectives of these Amerindians, Villanueva imprisoned the conspirator chiefs, and punished the people of Senecú lands and Socorro for causing the murders, burning their idols, and using witchcraft tools and poison. After this, Villanueva made a general pardon to all members of the rebellion. In addition, after returning to Santa Fe de Nueva Mexico, he visited the villages of their jurisdiction in order to leave the province in peace. He ended his government on November 29, 1668.

Because of his actions to prevent the rebellions of Amerindians, Villanueva or Santa Fe council suggested that he be granted the honorary title of restorer of the Kingdom.^[1]

Later years and Death

Later, Villanueva was elected mayor of Huauchinango - a region that stretched from the northern and northeastern Veracruz, in the current state of Pueblo. He held that position until 1678, where Villanueva recorded tax payments of natives from Zapotitlán.

Villanueva died in Mexico City on May 17, 1679.^[1]

References

1. New Mexico Office of the State Historian: Fernando de Villanueva, Rick Hendricks. Retrieved May 25, 2012.
2. Etulain, Richard W. (editor; 2002). New Mexican Lives: Profiles and Historical Stories. University of New Mexico Press. Page 60.