Francisco Menéndez Márquez
| Francisco Menéndez Márquez | |
|---|---|
| Governor of La Florida | |
|
In office 11 April 1646 – 8 January 1648 |
|
| Preceded by | Benito Ruíz de Salazar Vallecilla |
| Succeeded by | Benito Ruíz de Salazar Vallecilla |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Unknown |
| Died | 1649 St. Augustine, Florida |
| Profession | Royal treasurer and Administrator (Governor of Florida) |
Francisco Menéndez Márquez y Posada (died 1649) was a royal treasurer (teosoro real) and interim co-governor of Spanish Florida, and the founder of a cattle ranching enterprise that became the largest in Florida.
Francisco Menéndez Márquez's father was Juan Menéndez Márquez, also royal treasurer and interim co-governor of Spanish Florida. Francisco's mother was María Menéndez y Posada. Juan, after serving as royal treasurer in Spanish Florida for 22 years, was appointed governor of Popayán Province (in present-day Colombia) in 1620. Francisco had become his father's assistant and acting treasurer when Juan went to Spain on a leave of absence in 1619, and Francisco continued to perform the duties of treasurer in his father's absence. Juan died in 1627, and Francisco was confirmed as his replacement as treasurer-steward the following year. Francisco went to Mexico City three times to collect the annual situado (the royal subsidy for the presidio of St. Augustine): in 1627, while still acting treasurer, and in 1631 and 1632. Francisco was suspended from his office in 1637, and reinstated in 1639. To deal with the duties added to his position in 1628, Francisco appointed his uncle Alonso Menéndez y Posada as steward in 1630. Alonso served as steward until Francisco's suspension in 1637, again from 1639 until 1646, when he was briefly replaced, and finally from 1647 until 1649.
When governor Benito Ruíz de Salazar Vallecilla was suspended from office in 1646, Francisco Menéndez Márquez and acting accountant Pedro Benedit Horruytiner acted as co-governors until Salazar Vallecilla was returned to office in 1648. After being suspended, Salazar Vallecilla retreated to his farm near San Miguel de Asile.
A few years after Francisco's death, the royal treasury in St. Augustine was audited, and it was found that between 16,000 and 20,000 pesos were missing (Francisco's salary as treasurer was 1,470 pesos a year).
Francisco Menéndez Márquez was unusual among Spanish officials in the degree to which he pursued close relations with the native peoples of Florida, including compadrazgo. He may have served as godfather to several native chiefs. The baptized name of the chief of Santa Catalina de Guale was Don Alonso Menéndez, and that of the chief of San Martín de Timucua, and paramount chief of the Timucuas, was Lúcas Menéndez. Francisco's relationaship with Lúcas may have been instrumental in the support of the Timucua for the Spanish during the Apalachee rebellion. Lúcas spared the life of Francisco's son Juan in the Timucua rebellion of 1656, even though Lúcas had ordered that all Spaniards be killed.
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