licenciado A licentiate (abbreviated Lic.) is an academic degree present in many countries, representing different educational levels. The Licentiate (Pontifical Degree) is a post graduate degree when issued by pontifical universities and other universities ...

Diego Pérez de la Torre, born in

Almendralejo Almendralejo () is a town in the Province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. It is situated 45 km south-east of Badajoz, on the main road and rail route between Mérida and Seville. , it has a population of 33,975. It was the site of a battle a ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

(c. 14821538), was a Spanish

conquistador Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (; ; ) were Spanish Empire, Spanish and Portuguese Empire, Portuguese colonizers who explored, traded with and colonized parts of the Americas, Africa, Oceania and Asia during the Age of Discovery. Sailing ...

, colonial administrator, royal attorney for the Court of Castile and second Governor of the Kingdom of

Nueva Galicia Nuevo Reino de Galicia (New Kingdom of Galicia; ) or simply Nueva Galicia (''New Galicia'', ''Nova Galicia''), known in Nahuatl as Chimalhuacán (‘the land of shield bearers’), was an autonomous kingdom of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. It w ...

, following the removal of

Nuño de Guzmán Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán (1558) was a Spanish conquistador and colonial administrator in New Spain. He was the governor of the province of Pánuco (province), Pánuco from 1525 to 1533 and of Nueva Galicia from 1529 to 1534, and president of the ...

Governorship and Death

Diego Pérez de la Torre was appointed captain general and second governor of the Kingdom of

(present-day Jalisco, Mexico) in 1536. He arrived the following year at Compostela, where Cristobal de Oñate had been acting as governor for a short time since

's departure. Pérez de la Torre's policy towards the indigenous people was radically different from that of

, and although it had a beneficial effect on the kingdom, it was too late to atone for past outrages, or to evade the storm of general revolt that was gathering among the indigenous tribes. The governor, however, was spared the humiliation of failure. While engaged in a campaign against rebellious tribes, and after winning a hard-fought battle, he was mortally wounded after falling from his horse early in 1538. He was carried back to Tonalá, where his wife and children awaited his return. He lay dying in his bed for a few days before summoning the priest and guardian of the parish church of St. Francis, Fr. Antonio de Segovia. The priest heard the confession of the honorable Diego Pérez de la Torre and administered the

last rites The last rites, also known as the Commendation of the Dying, are the last prayers and ministrations given to an individual of Christian faith, when possible, shortly before death. The Commendation of the Dying is practiced in liturgical Chri ...

of the Catholic Church. After receiving the holy sacraments, shortly before his death, he tried to put the government back in order by bringing in the other government officials, including, the clerk Diego Hurtado who would draw up and witness the documents and Captain

Cristóbal de Oñate Cristóbal de Oñate (1504 — October 6, 1567) was a Spanish Basque explorer, conquistador and colonial official in New Spain. He is considered the founder of the contemporary city of Guadalajara in 1531, as well as other places in Nueva Gali ...

, whom he would appoint as his successor. The dying Diego Pérez de la Torre began the appointment of Oñate in this manner: "In the name of Almighty God and of Mary, the Most Serene Queen of Angels and with her divine favor, and in the name of the Emperor

Charles V Charles V may refer to: Kings and Emperors * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise Others * Charles V, Duke ...

, King of Castile. I the

Diego Pérez de la Torre, who is present governor of the kingdom of Nueva Galicia, by authority that I have, and in conformity with the Justice and military officials and other captains of this kingdom and Village of Guadalajara, I appoint as Governor after my death and days, Captain

, a person who has three times served said government, with righteousness of service... and I give him power which I have from His Majesty for the exercise of that government." After his pronouncement, he embraced Oñate, and with many tears gave him all the documents and provisions of the king, and then Diego Pérez de la Torre spoke with great respect and love of all the blessings he had received from God, and he told Oñate to always remember God and to faithfully serve the king. Then he asked Oñate to look after his family and especially his two daughters, who were poor and unmarried. And the captain Cristóbal de Oñate promised to obey him in everything and follow these orders and instructions, which he did faithfully fulfil. And to the assembled military and colonial officials and other noble people gathered at the home of Diego Pérez de la Torre he told them to respect Captain Oñate as a person who had always faithfully served God and king and then he apologized to anyone if he ever did anything to offend them; and having disposed of all the things of his soul, he died in the year of Our Lord, 1538. He was 56. His body was buried in the convent of St. Francis of Tetlán, which was the first to be founded in this province, about a league from where Guadalajara is now. When the new convent was founded in the city of Guadalajara, the bones of the honorable don Diego Pérez de la Torre were transferred with great reverence to new convent. Oñate again became acting governor; but before the end of the year the viceroy appointed Francisco Vazquez de Coronado to succeed Diego Pérez de la Torre. The new ruler left Oñate still in command as lieutenant-governor, and himself made a tour of his province, subsequently engaging in an expedition to the far north. An attempt was made to continue Pérez de la Torre's policy toward the natives, and for a few years the general outbreak was deferred.

Family

Don Don, don or DON and variants may refer to: Places *Don (river), a river in European Russia *Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name * Don, Benin, a town in Benin * Don, Dang, a village and hill station in Dang district, Gu ...

Diego Pérez de la Torre was born in

in 1482. His family were most likely hidalgos. His grandmother Juana de la Torre had served the

Catholic Monarchs The Catholic Monarchs were Isabella I of Castile, Queen Isabella I of Crown of Castile, Castile () and Ferdinand II of Aragon, King Ferdinand II of Crown of Aragón, Aragon (), whose marriage and joint rule marked the ''de facto'' unification of ...

as the governess for their grandchild who would become the

Emperor Charles V Charles V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain (as Charles I) from 1516 to 1556, and Lord of the Netherlands as titular Duke of Burgundy (as Charles II) fr ...

. Diego Pérez de la Torre was married to doña Catalina Mejía. They had at least four known children: the priest, fray Diego de la Torre, Melchor Pérez, Catalina de la Torre and María Álvarez de la Torre who was married to Captain Hernán Flores,

and Alférez Mayor of the Royal Armies in the conquest and pacification of

.El Alférez Mayor Hernán Flores, Conquistador de Nueva Galicia.", Academia Mexicana de la Historia Correspondiente de la Real de Madrid By J. Ignacio Dávila Garibi.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pérez de la Torre, Diego Spanish colonial governors and administrators Spanish conquistadors People from New Spain 16th-century Spanish people 1480s births 1538 deaths