Miguel Antonio de Merlos (1669-c.1744) was a Spanish military man and politician, who served during the colonial period of Buenos Aires. He held various positions, including Sargento Mayor of the Compañía of Guardias Españolas and Governor of the province of Porco.

Biography

Miguel Antonio de Merlos was baptized on January 20, 1669 in the Parish of Santa Eulalia, the son of Diego de Merlos y Calvo and Estefanía Jiménez de los Ríos, belonging to Spanish noble families from Murcia. He did his studies in Spain and arrived at the Río de la Plata as a passenger of Capt. Francisco de Retama in 1691. Installed in Buenos Aires, Merlos held various military and political positions, including as commander of the Fuerte de Buenos Aires. He also served as notary of the

Real Asiento de Inglaterra Real Asiento de Inglaterra or Real Asiento de la Gran Bretaña, was the name in Spanish of the subsidiary in Buenos Aires of the South Sea Company. In 1713, the British Crown established the ''asiento'' in the current Plaza San Martín, neighborhoo ...

, and held the position of Mayordomo of Buenos Aires in 1705 and 1740 (hierarchical position, concerning to managing the finances of the city). His first public position in the Spanish domains of America was as governor of Porco (

Potosí Potosí, known as Villa Imperial de Potosí in the colonial period, is the capital city and a municipality of the Department of Potosí in Bolivia. It is one of the highest cities in the world at a nominal . For centuries, it was the location o ...

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

), appointed on September 15, 1708, during the viceroyalty of

Manuel de Oms, 1st Marquis of Castelldosrius Don Manuel de Oms y Santa Pau, 1st Marquess of Castelldosrius, Grandee of Spain (sometimes ''marqués de Castell dos Rius'') (1651 – 24 April 1710) was a Spanish diplomat, man of letters, and colonial official. From July 7, 1707 to April 22, ...

Family

Miguel Antonio de Merlos was married in the

Buenos Aires Cathedral The Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral ( es, Catedral Metropolitana de Buenos Aires) is the main Catholic church in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is located in the city center, overlooking Plaza de Mayo, on the corner of San Martín and Rivadavia ...

to Rosa Martinez de Figueroa, daughter of Juan Martínez Guerrero and Leonor Ramírez de Arellano, belonging to an illustrious family of the

Kingdom of Chile The Captaincy General of Chile (''Capitanía General de Chile'' ) or Governorate of Chile (known colloquially and unofficially as the Kingdom of Chile), was a territory of the Spanish Empire from 1541 to 1817 that was, for most of its existenc ...

. He and his wife were the parents of Miguel Antonio de Merlos y Martínez, caballero of the Real

Orden de Santiago The Order of Santiago (; es, Orden de Santiago ), is a religious and military order founded in the 12th century. It owes its name to the Patron Saint of Spain, "Santiago" ( St. James the Greater). Its initial objective was to protect the pilgr ...

, who served as alcalde of 2nd vote (vice-mayor) of Buenos Aires in 1735.

References

External links

Matrimonios 1656-1762Bautismos 1682-1713Bautismos 1682-1713
{{DEFAULTSORT:Merlos, Miguel Antonio de 1669 births 1740s deaths People from Murcia Politicians from Buenos Aires Military personnel from Buenos Aires 17th-century Spanish nobility 18th-century Spanish military personnel Spanish colonial governors and administrators 18th-century Spanish nobility