Juan Muñoz Gadea
| Juan Muñoz Gadea | |
|---|---|
| Governor of Margarita | |
|
In office 25 November 1676 – 17 May 1681 |
|
| Preceded by | Francisco de Mejía y Alarcón |
| Succeeded by | Juan Fermín de Huidobro |
| Governor of Margarita | |
|
In office 19 September 1683 – 1685 |
|
| Preceded by | Juan Fermín de Huidobro |
| Succeeded by | Martin Cabeza de Vaca |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
November 12, 1634 Lima, Peru |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Occupation | Soldier |
Juan Muñoz de Gadea (born 12 November 1634) was a Spanish soldier who served in Peru, Chile, Mexico and the Philippines. He was appointed Governor of Margarita in 1676.
Juan Muñoz de Gadea was born on 12 November 1634 in Lima, Peru. On 7 January 1650 he enrolled in the army as a harquebusier in the seaport of Callao, Peru. In February 1654 he was in Chile, where he escorted a herd of over 1,000 horses from Maule to Concepción to relieve the garrison during a native revolt. For a period he was deputy Corregidor of Colchagua Province. On 19 February 1658 he won permission to leave Chile to pay a visit to Spain. He reached Havana, Cuba, too late to sail with the annual fleet. There he found his older brother, Nicolás Muñoz de Gadea in Havana, who was starting a term as Lieutenant Governor of Cuba.
Muñoz Gadea sailed to New Spain, where on 7 January 1659 he was given a commission by the Viceroy Duque de Albuquerque to recruit and train a company of soldiers in Puebla. In September he was appointed Provost Marshal of all the newly formed companies that were gathering in Veracruz. On 14 December 1662 he was appointed second in command to an expedition led by Francisco de Leiva Issasi to carry troops to the Antilles. His ship with 100 troops was wrecked of the coast of Cuba, and they were marooned for a period on an offshore islet before being ferried to Havana. There they heard that the English pirate Christopher Myngs had sacked Campeche in February 1663, and were ordered to Campeche to assist in its defense. He reached Campeche by January 1664. On 15 October 1664 Muñoz Gadea was appointed sargento major and commander of the garrison of the city. In 1668 he resigned from this position.
Muñoz de Gadea travelled north to Mexico City. On the journey, pirates captured the ship that carried all his possessions. On 26 November 1668 the Viceroy Marqués de Mancera offered him the position of alcade mayor of La Antigua, Veracruz. Muñoz Gadea declined this offer and instead crossed the Pacific to the Philippines, where he obtained a position on the staff of the Governor in Manila. On 18 January 1672 he was given permission to return to Spain by way of Mexico, since his brother Nicolás had died and left him as heir. In the Caribbean, the Dutch ship he was sailing on was captured by the English and taken to Jamaica. He was held prisoner there, and then shipped to England, arriving destitute in London on 20 November 1673. The Spanish Ambassador to England let him accompany his party to Cadiz.
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Wikipedia