ELIZALDE Y USTARIZ, JUAN JOSÉ DE

fl 1790 from Spain


Spanish naval officer, sometimes known as Juan José Martínez de Elizalde. Teniente de navío Juan José de Elizalde served two terms as comandante gobernador of the Spanish settlement at Puerto de la Soledad (Port Louis) in command of the corvette San Pío. On 30 June 1790 Elizalde took over the governorship from Ramón de CLAIRAC. On relinquishing his post Clairac transmitted to his successor a set of charts and a plan of a basin named El Camello at Puerto de la Soledad, possibly the Careenage, which he had recently surveyed. On 26 August 1790 the brig Carmen y Ánimas was despatched from Buenos Aires to inform Elizalde that Spain was now at war with Britain. On 8 October 1790 Elizalde confirmed to Viceroy Nicolás de Arredondo that the force under his command was maintaining a permanent watch for foreign shipping off the coasts of these islands ready to challenge anyone suspected of surveying or attempting to land under cover of whaling or other fishing activities. In 1791 Elizalde was instructed to proceed in the San Pío accompanied by the brig San Julián, to reconnoitre the waters around Cape Horn and Tierra del Fuego to ascertain that the British had not established any presence in the region. Elizalde was relieved by Pedro SANGUINETO on 1 March 1791. He began his second term as governor on 1 March 1792 when he relieved Sanguineto, serving until 1 February 1793 when Sanguineto once again relieved him. On 23 January 1793 Elizalde submitted a Plan of Battle to the viceroy, in which he stated that the establishment consisted of 183 individuals, including 35 convicts, organised into three batteries to make use of the defensive possibilities of the terrain. These were San Carlos, with 8 guns, which he commanded, Santiago with 4 guns and San Felipe with 2 guns, each commanded by a commissioned officer. In addition there was a flying squadron on horseback, presumably to ensure speedy liaison between the three batteries.


Authors

Andrew David & Carlos Novi

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