MEDINA Y JUAN, SALVADOR DE

fl 1780 from Spain


Spanish naval officer, entered the Spanish navy as a guardiamarina on 21 December 1767. After successive promotions he was promoted teniente de nav ío on 23 May 1778 and ordered to proceed to Montevideo, where he was given command of the snow* San Cristóbal. The following year he was sent in her to the Falklands as comandante gobernador of the Spanish settlement at Puerto de la Soledad (Port Louis), taking over from Ramón de CARASSA on 22 November 1779. In 1780 a presidio or convict settlement was established in Puerto de la Soledad. During his period in office Medina performed his duties conscientiously, paying the presidio special attention. On 23 November 1779, the day after taking over as governor, he informed Viceroy Vertiz that with the departure of the brig Nuestra Señora del Rosario, stationed until then at Puerto de la Soledad, with no other small vessel left in the colony, it was no longer possible to comply with royal orders that included keeping a watch on Port Egmont and other duties in the islands. He therefore asked the Viceroy to consider his situation in that light and to consider what course of action it was proper for him to take. On 4 March 1780 he wrote again to the Viceroy, who had ordered him on 22 October the previous year 'to destroy every object found in Port Egmont as part of his reconnaissance of that area', explaining that he had no vessels suitable for that purpose, nor if the need arose to relay any urgent news to the River Plate. Medina hoped that the Viceroy would provide the necessary assistance when convenient. He was relieved by Jacinto ALTOLAGUIRRE in February 1781, when he returned to the River Plate with the crew of his ship in the merchant frigate Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, with some salvaged goods he had been ordered to collect. He was promoted to capitán de navío on 17 January 1792.


Authors

Andrew David & Carlos Novi

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