Tomás López Marín y González de Poveda, 1st Marquis of Cañada Hermosa () (February 26, 1650 – October 8, 1703) was a Spanish colonial administrator who served as
Royal Governor of Chile
The royal governor of Chile ruled over the Spanish colonization of the Americas, Spanish colonial administrative district called the Captaincy General of Chile, and as a result the royal governor also held the title of a captain general. There w ...
Almería Province
Almería (, , ) is a city and municipality of Spain, located in Andalusia. It is the capital of the province of the same name. It lies in southeastern Iberia on the Mediterranean Sea. Caliph Abd al-Rahman III founded the city in 955. The city gr ...
, the son of Tomás López Marín and María González de Poveda. He came to America in 1687 with his uncle, who had been named Archbishop of Charcas, in present-day
Bolivia
Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...
. Afterwards, in 1670, he moved to
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
for the first time with the retinue of governor Juan Henríquez.
He later returned to Spain, where he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General and named
Royal Governor of Chile
The royal governor of Chile ruled over the Spanish colonization of the Americas, Spanish colonial administrative district called the Captaincy General of Chile, and as a result the royal governor also held the title of a captain general. There w ...
on July 1, 1683. However, he was forced to wait for the term of the serving governor, José del Garro, to expire before travelling to take up his post, this meant that he could not assume until 1692.
On August 9, 1687, he was made a knight of the
Order of Santiago
The Order of 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 pilgrims on the Way of S ...
. In 1689, he wrote a ''Funereal Prayer for Marie Louise of Orléans'' () to mark the death of the Queen.
As Governor of Chile
His administration was marked by a brief flare-up of the
Arauco War
The Arauco War was a long-running conflict between colonial Spaniards and the Mapuche people, mostly fought in the Araucanía region of Chile. The conflict began at first as a reaction to the Spanish conquerors attempting to establish cities a ...
. In 1694 the
Toqui
Toqui (or Toki) (Mapudungun for ''axe'' or ''axe-bearer'') is a title conferred by the Mapuche (an indigenous Chilean and Argentines, Argentinian people) on those chosen as leaders during times of war. The toqui is chosen in an assembly or parl ...
Mapuche
The Mapuche ( , ) also known as Araucanians are a group of Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina, including parts of Patagonia. The collective term refers to a wide-ranging e ...
were incited to revolt by the unauthorized activities of Antonio Pedreros, the Commissary for Indian Affairs, against their machis, whom Pedreros had tried to violently isolate and relocate. Pedreros died of wounds when his force tried to cross the Quepe River to attack Millalpal.
The Spanish army of the
Captaincy General of Chile
The General Captaincy of Chile (''Capitanía General de Chile'' ), Governorate of Chile, or Kingdom of Chile, was a territory of the Spanish Empire from 1541 to 1818 that was, initially, part of the Viceroyalty of Peru. It comprised most of mod ...
was then sent against Millalpal under
Maestre de Campo
''Maestre de campo'' was a rank created in 1534 by the Emperor Charles I of Spain, inferior in rank only to the '' capitán general'' and acted as a chief of staff. He was chosen by the monarch in the Council of State, and commanded a ''tercio'' ...
Alonso de Cordova and the Sargento MayorAlonso Cobarrubias was impossible for Millalpal to resist and he had to capitulate. The governor then called the Parliament of Choque-Choque with the Mapuche, realizing Pedreros had been the source of the dispute and made a peace that lasted for nearly thirty years.
Also Poveda had to deal with the expeditions of various pirates against Chilean trade, and the competition between the various functionaries of the Real Audiencia of Chile. During his term, he founded the cities of San Agustín of Talca,
Rengo
Rengo is a city and commune located in the Zona Central of Chile, situated in the Cachapoal Province of the O'Higgins Region at a distance of south of the city of Rancagua and south of the national capital Santiago. It was named after the c ...
(''Villa Hermosa'') and
Chimbarongo
Chimbarongo, Chile, is a city and commune located south of Santiago in the Colchagua Province of the O'Higgins Region. Many of the people of Chimbarongo make their living weaving wickerwork, ''mimbre'', baskets.
Demographics
According to the 2 ...
.
After his tenure, he received the title ''Marquis of Cañada Hermosa''. He died in
Santiago
Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...
a year later, in 1703.
In 2019 the title was rehabilitated by a cousin of the 1st Marquis,
Nick Loeb
Nicholas Mears Loeb (born August 2, 1975) is an American businessman and actor.
Early life and education
Loeb is the son of John Langeloth Loeb Jr. and his second wife, Meta Martindell Harrsen.Count of San Pascual Bailón.