Hernando de Miranda (1550–1593) was a Spanish '' conquistador'' and explorer who was governor of Spanish Florida from 1575–1577. He took office after the death of the first governor of the province, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés. He was the brother-in-law of the subsequent governor, Pedro Menéndez de Márquez,Witness to Empire and the Tightening of Military Control: Santa Elena's Second Spanish Occupation, 1577-1587
and the brother of

Gutierre de Miranda Gutierre de Miranda was interim governor of Spanish Florida in the late 16th century. He was a brother of the previous governor of Spanish Florida, Hernando de Miranda, and brother-in-law of the next governor, Pedro Menéndez Márquez Pedro Menén ...

, who would also become governor. The University of South Carolina.

Early years

Hernando de Miranda was born in San Tirso, a parish of

Candamo Candamo ( Asturian: ''Candamu'') is a municipality in the Autonomous Community of the Principality of Asturias, Spain. It is bordered on the east by Las Regueras, on the south by Grado, on the north by Illas, Castrillón and Soto del Barco, and ...

(

Asturias Asturias (, ; ast, Asturies ), officially the Principality of Asturias ( es, Principado de Asturias; ast, Principáu d'Asturies; Galician-Asturian: ''Principao d'Asturias''), is an autonomous community in northwest Spain. It is coextensiv ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

). He was the son of Sancho de Miranda and Leonor de las Alas. The University of South Carolina. As a young man, he joined the Spanish Navy, where he excelled, reaching the rank of

general A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

.Rowland, Lawrence Sanders; Moore, Alexander; Rogers, Jr., George C
The History of Beaufort County, South Carolina: 1514-1861
Page 36. He was a friend of Menéndez de Avilés, the former governor, who accompanied him on several trips to the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

. When the

Adelantado ''Adelantado'' (, , ; meaning "advanced") was a title held by Spanish nobles in service of their respective kings during the Middle Ages. It was later used as a military title held by some Spanish ''conquistadores'' of the 15th, 16th and 17th cen ...

began the conquest and colonization of Florida in 1565, Miranda joined his staff. While the peninsula of Florida and neighboring regions were explored and conquered, Miranda was directed to stay in the capital of the colony, St. Augustine. Then, in 1566, the Adelantado selected Miranda to accompany him in pursuit of pirates in the Caribbean.

Governorship

When Miranda arrived in Florida, he began working to eliminate corruption. He found that former Governor

Diego de Velasco Diego de Velasco (?? - 1575) was a career soldier who served as interim Lieutenant Governor of Spanish Florida between 1574 and 1576. His administration ended with his and his treasurer Bertolomeo Martinez's imprisonment by his successor as gove ...

had appropriated large sums of money from Menéndez de Avilés, claiming that Menéndez de Avilés had owed him money at the time of his death. Miranda imprisoned Velasco and replaced him in the government of Santa Elena with one of his lieutenants, Alonso Solís. Velasco's treasurer, Bertolomeo Martinez, supported the allegations against him. However, Martinez was himself briefly imprisoned, as Miranda suspected that he had been complicit in Velasco's crimes. Miranda held the Florida governorship until 1577, when a group of

Amerindian The Indigenous peoples of the Americas are the inhabitants of the Americas before the arrival of the European settlers in the 15th century, and the ethnic groups who now identify themselves with those peoples. Many Indigenous peoples of the A ...

s rebelled and murdered several soldiers at the fort of Santa Elena, where Miranda had arrived in February 1576.Gibert Arce, Jordi
Cronología histórica: 1554
(in Spanish: Historic chronology:1554). Retrieved May 08, 2013, to 01: 10 pm

Personal life

Miranda's friendship with Avilés was reflected in his marriage to Menéndez de Avilés's eldest daughter, Catalina Menéndez de Avilés, with whom he had a daughter named Toribia. Miranda died in 1593.Martínez, José Ramón; Garcia, Rogelio; and Estrada, Secundino (1992). "Historia de una emigración: asturianos a América, 1492-1599" (English: History of an emigration: Asturians to America, 1492-1599). Oviedo.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Miranda, Hernando de Royal Governors of La Florida Spanish conquests in the Americas 1593 deaths Year of birth unknown 1550 births Spanish people in New Spain