Hato Mayor del Rey is the capital of
Hato Mayor Province,
Dominican Republic. It is bordered on the North by the municipalities of
El Valle and
Sabana de la Mar, on the South by the
San Pedro de Macorís Province, on the East by the
El Seibo Province and on the West by the municipality of
Bayaguana,
Monte Plata. It is located 27 kilometers from the San Pedro de Macorís Province and 110 kilometers from the capital city of
Santo Domingo. Hato Mayor del Rey has a population of 70,141 inhabitants, and is divided into three municipal districts: Yerba Buena, Guayabo Dulce and Mata Palacio.
Etymology
Directly translated into English, it means ''Great Herd of the King'' or ''King's Great Herd''. The name stems from the colonial period in the 16th century, in which Hato Mayor del Rey was among the largest herding regions of
Hispaniola
Hispaniola (, also ; es, La Española; Latin and french: Hispaniola; ht, Ispayola; tnq, Ayiti or Quisqueya) is an island in the Caribbean that is part of the Greater Antilles. Hispaniola is the most populous island in the West Indies, and th ...
and served
King Charles I.
History
Hato Mayor del Rey was founded around the year 1520 by Francisco Dávila as land that was dedicated to cattle and agriculture. Francisco Dávila, in his position as
Treasurer and
Perpetual Royal Regidor in
Hispaniola
Hispaniola (, also ; es, La Española; Latin and french: Hispaniola; ht, Ispayola; tnq, Ayiti or Quisqueya) is an island in the Caribbean that is part of the Greater Antilles. Hispaniola is the most populous island in the West Indies, and th ...
, established the ''
Majorat of Dávila'' on 23 August 1554 in the city of
Santo Domingo, in the presence of his nephew Gaspar Dávila. The lands of Hato Mayor del Rey then formed a part of Dávila's majorat.
Over time, Hato Mayor del Rey passed through the hands of several heirs and keepers. In 1746, Don Antonio Coca y Vevers Landeche, who was the perpetual manager of the ''Majorat of Dávila'', founded Hato Mayor del Rey as a village. The village included a
hermitage dedicated to
Our Lady of Mercy
Our or OUR may refer to:
* The possessive form of " we"
* Our (river), in Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany
* Our, Belgium, a village in Belgium
* Our, Jura, a commune in France
* Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR), a government utility regula ...
to encourage people living near the estate to practice
Catholicism.
Until July 1843, Hato Mayor del Rey was part of the community of
El Seibo and the province of
El Seibo. After 1843, Hato Mayor del Rey became its own independent community by decree of the occupying Haitian forces under
Charles Rivière-Hérard
Charles Rivière-Hérard also known as Charles Hérard aîné (16 February 1789 – 31 August 1850) was an officer in the Haitian Army under Alexandre Pétion during his struggles against Henri Christophe. He was declared President of Haiti on ...
. On 9 June 1845, Hato Mayor del Rey's independent community status was lost under law No. 40 of the Provincial Administration, reverting it to a military outpost of El Seibo. On 13 October 1848, Dominican President
Manuel Jiménes
Manuel José Jimenes González (January 14, 1808December 22, 1854) was a military figure and politician in the Dominican Republic. He served as the second President of the Dominican Republic from September 8, 1848, until May 29, 1849. Prior to ...
, proclaimed the community of Hato Mayor del Rey an independent town by Decree No. 174 of the Conservative Council and the Chamber of Tribunes. During the
Annexation
Annexation (Latin ''ad'', to, and ''nexus'', joining), in international law, is the forcible acquisition of one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. It is generally held to be an illegal act ...
, Hato Mayor del Rey was converted into a military base in charge of the protection of El Seibo.
On 14 December 1888, Mrs.
María de las Mercedes de la Rocha y Landeche and her husband Esteban Fernández de Coca, before the presence of Ramón María Gautreaux, Secretary and Treasurer of the township, and Antonio Lluberes and Manuel Mañón, witnesses, donated 1,070,879.41 m
2 to the City Council of Hato Mayor del Rey.
Climate
Hato Mayor del Rey has a
tropical monsoon climate (
Köppen ''Am'') a little wetter in its driest month than a
tropical savanna climate (''Aw'') would be. The weather is hot and humid all year round, with a drier and less unpleasant season from December to March and a wetter, even hotter season between April and November.
Notable residents
*
Antonio Bastardo
Antonio Francisco Bastardo Rafael (born September 21, 1985) is a professional baseball relief pitcher who is currently a free agent. He is from the Dominican Republic. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phil ...
(
major league baseball pitcher,
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hato Mayor Del Rey
Populated places in Hato Mayor Province
Municipalities of the Dominican Republic
Populated places established in 1520