Melchor de Mediavilla y Azcona was the acting governor of Texas between 1727 and 1731.

Biography

Mediavilla y Azcona was born in the early eighteenth century. He was appointed

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

of the

Presidio A presidio ( en, jail, fortification) was a fortified base established by the Spanish Empire around between 16th century, 16th and 18th century, 18th centuries in areas in condition of their control or influence. The presidios of Captaincy Genera ...

of Bexar. Later, Governor

Fernando Pérez de Almazán Fernando Pérez de Almazán, was a Spanish emissary who served as the first governor of Texas as a politically independent province from Coahuila (1722–1727). Early life Fernando Perez de Almazan was born in the early eighteenth century, b ...

became him in

lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

. This office allowed him to occupy the positions of

acting governor An acting governor is a person who acts in the role of governor. In Commonwealth jurisdictions where the governor is a vice-regal position, the role of "acting governor" may be filled by a lieutenant governor (as in most Australian states) or an ...

and interim governor of Texas when Almazán decided to resign from his charge as governor in 1727.MEDIAVILLA Y AZCONA, MELCHOR DE
Published on The Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved 21 December 2010, to 12:45 pm. Under his administration, Mediavilla y Azcona promoted the foundation of several missions by friars in a zone located between the

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

and Brazos Rivers, although these foundations (the San Xavier missions) were carried out in 1748 and 1749, when Azcona had left the office of governor of Texas. While Mediavilla y Azcona was governor, Inspector

Pedro de Rivera y Villalón Pedro de Rivera y Villalón was a brigadier general in the Spanish army, who was sent to New Mexico in 1724 to study the presidios near Louisiana. Biography Pedro de Rivera y Villalón was born between the late seventeenth and early eighteenth ...

revised political management of Mediavilla and found several errors in his administration of the presidio. Villalón recommended to the Viceroy to reduce the number of officials of the presidio, as well as the price of the supplies that the garrison needed, and to remove some of their equipment, because not all that was in the garrison was necessary. He also indicated that the Presidio de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores should be removed and the number of military men that formed the garrison of Nuestra Señora del Pilar was too high and should be limited to only 60 people. Mediavilla accepted Rivera's suggestions and these were carried out, despite the fact that the

Viceroy of New Spain The following is a list of Viceroys of New Spain. In addition to viceroys, the following lists the highest Spanish governors of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, before the appointment of the first viceroy or when the office of viceroy was vacant. M ...

Juan de Acuña ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronounced differently) in the Isle of Man. In Spanish, t ...

, had refused to approve its realization. This caused disaffection among Mediavilla and the viceroy. On 5 March 1731 (and following the Rivera's advice), three missions were renamed in San Antonio: Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de los Hainai changed its name to Nuestra Señora de la Purisima Concepción de Acuña, San Francisco de los Neches was renamed San Francisco de la Espada, and San Jose de los Nazones was renamed San Juan Capistrano. On the other hand, in March 1731, when a group of Spanish settlers from the

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...

came to San Antonio to help populate the place, it was the captain of the presidio of San Antonio, Juan Antonio Perez de Almazan (and not Mediavilla), who was in charge of welcoming them and providing them with accommodation. This was because Mediavilla was never an official governor of Texas, as he never was appointed to the position by the viceroy of New Spain, but only by the previous governor. He governed the province until 1731, when the Viceroy Acuña appointed a new governor,

Juan Antonio Bustillo y Ceballos Juan Antonio Bustillo y Ceballos (Zevallos) was a soldier and politician who served as governor of Province of Texas (1730–1734) and Coahuila, New Spain (1754–1756). He also served as ''alcalde ordinario'' (ordinary mayor) in Mexico City ...

References

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