Gaspar de la Cerda, 8th Count of Galve
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Don Gaspar de la Cerda Conde de Gelve |
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| Viceroy of New Spain | |
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In office November 20, 1688 – February 26, 1696 |
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| Monarch | Charles II |
| Preceded by | |
| Succeeded by | Juan Ortega |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 11 June 1653 Madrid, Spain |
| Died | March 12, 1697 (aged 43) El Puerto de Santa María, Spain |
| Religion | Catholic |
Gaspar Melchor Baltasar de la Cerda Silva Sandoval y Mendoza, 8th Count of Gelve, Lord of Salcedón and Tortola (in full, Spanish: Don Gaspar Melchor Baltasar de la Cerda Silva Sandoval y Mendoza, Conde de Gelve y Señor de Salcedón y Tortola) (11 June 1653 – 12 March 1697) was viceroy of New Spain from November 20, 1688 to February 26, 1696.
Cerda Sandoval Silva was only 35 years old when he was named viceroy of New Spain, in May 1688. He arrived in Veracruz in the middle of October. On the road from there to Mexico City he met with his predecessor, , on November 8, 1688. He arrived at Chapultepec on November 11 and took the oath of office before the Audiencia on November 20, 1688. His solemn entry into Mexico City was December 4, 1688, but his term of office is dated from the earlier swearing-in ceremony.
Shortly after his arrival, the viceroy received a message from the governor of New Mexico that three Frenchmen from the French colony in the Seno Mexicano (Texas) had arrived in New Mexico. The viceroy ordered the governor of Coahuila to take a detachment of soldiers, a geographer and an interpreter to march to the coast to confront the French. After many days march through desert, the governor arrived in the Bay of San Bernardo, where he found the French in the process of constructing a fort. The French held five Spanish prisoners, two of which the Spanish force was able to free. From these ex-prisoners, the governor learned that the French were very interested in colonizing this region.
Also in 1689 the viceroy raised funds from the archbishop and the bishops of the colony to send a fleet from the Pacific port of Acapulco in search of pirates marauding in the southern ocean. He also took steps to fight intruders on the Gulf coast, in Tabasco and Campeche. These were Englishmen cutting precious woods to send to Jamaica and Europe. There were only a few English, supervising Mayans who were doing the actual cutting. The Indian workers were well paid in aguardiente and money.
There were heavy rains in the year 1689, and Cerda Sandoval was diligent in maintaining the drainage works.
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