Manuel Riquelme de la Barrera y Vargas (1772-1857) was a Chilean military officer. Born in
Chillán
Chillán () is the capital city of the Ñuble Region in the Diguillín Province of Chile located about south of the country's capital, Santiago, near the geographical center of the country. It is the capital of the new Ñuble Region since 6 Sept ...
, Chile, he was the brother of
Isabel Riquelme, mother of
Bernardo O'Higgins
Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme (; August 20, 1778 – October 24, 1842) was a Chilean independence leader who freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence. He was a wealthy landowner of Basque-Spanish and Irish ancestry. Althou ...
.
Biography
Manuel Riquelme spent most of his life in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, along with his brothers, Estanislao, Francis and Simon. He started his military career at an early age, participating in the war for independence where he rose to master sergeant. He had outstanding participation in the personal guard of honor of his nephew Bernardo O'Higgins, with whom he had a strong friendship, accompanying him from his arrival from Europe to Chile in Los Angeles, on the quarry estates in 1802.
Manuel Riquelme was appointed Military Governor and Commander of Arms of the Plaza de Los Angeles remaining in that position until 1852, when he was appointed Minister of the martial arm of the . That year he was promoted to colonel, after which he received the rank of Brigadier General.
He was interviewed by great historians such as
Diego Barros Arana
Diego Jacinto Agustín Barros Arana (; August 16, 1830 – November 4, 1907) was a Chilean professor, legislator, minister and diplomat. He is considered the most important Chilean historian of the 19th century. His main work ''General History of ...
and
Claude Gay
Claude Gay, often named Claudio Gay in Spanish texts, (March 18, 1800 – November 29, 1873), was a French botanist, naturalist and illustrator. This explorer carried out some of the first investigations about Chilean flora, fauna, geology and geo ...
about the life of Bernardo O'Higgins and the period of the
Chilean War of Independence.
Personal life
Manuel Riquelme married Dona Carmen del Rio y Mier. His daughter Clorinda Riquelme del Rio married José María de la Maza. His family, like the descendants of the other Riquelme brothers, still live in Los Angeles. He died there in 1857/8.
References
External links
Riquelme family genealogy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Riquelme, Manuel
1772 births
1857 deaths
Viceroyalty of Peru people
Chilean Army officers
Chilean War of Independence