Francisco Núñez Melián (died 13 April 1644) was a

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

adventurer and royal administrator born in

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

. By 1619, Melián had become a member of the

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Windward Islands The Windward Islands are the southern, generally larger islands of the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean islands or the West Indies. Located approximately between latitudes 10° and 16° N and longitudes 60° and 62° W, they extend from D ...

region of the Santa Cruzada, a fund that managed the alms given by the faithful for indulgences and the support of the church. In 1624, after initial attempts to salvage the ships of the

1622 Events January–May * January 7 – The Holy Roman Empire and Transylvania sign the Peace of Nikolsburg. * February 8 – King James I of England dissolves the Parliament of England, English Parliament. * March 12 – ...

Tierra Firme (South American) Fleet had failed, he was granted license by King Philip IV to search for the wrecks of the Nuestra Señora de Atocha and Santa Margarita. He sent a crew to the area in

1625 Events January–March * January 17 – Led by the Duke of Soubise, the Huguenots launch a second rebellion against King Louis XIII, with a surprise naval assault on a French fleet being prepared in Blavet. * February 3 &nda ...

, but they vanished at sea. In

1626 Events January–March * January 7 – Polish–Swedish War (1625–1629), Polish-Swedish War: Battle of Wallhof in Latvia – Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, defeats a Polish army. * January 9 – Peter Minuit sail ...

, he led an expedition to locate the wrecks of the two ships ''

Nuestra Señora de Atocha ''Nuestra Señora de Atocha'' () was a Spanish treasure galleon and the most widely known vessel of a fleet of ships that sank in a hurricane off the Florida Keys in 1622. At the time of her sinking, ''Nuestra Señora de Atocha'' was heavily l ...

'' and '' Santa Margarita''. On 3 June 1626 one of his

slaves Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

, Casta Bañon, discovered the wreck of ''Santa Margarita''. He was Governor of Venezuela from 1630 to 1637. Between 1643 and 1644 he was Governor of Yucatán, appointed by

Philip IV of Spain Philip IV (, ; 8 April 160517 September 1665), also called the Planet King (Spanish: ''Rey Planeta''), was King of Spain from 1621 to his death and (as Philip III) King of Portugal from 1621 to 1640. Philip is remembered for his patronage of the ...

. He died while in office on 13 April 1644.

References

External links

The Melian Document
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nunez Melian, Francisco Governors of Yucatán (state) 1644 deaths Royal governors of Venezuela Year of birth unknown Spanish people in Spanish Cuba People from the Captaincy General of Yucatán