Manuel de Montiano
| Manuel de Montiano | |
|---|---|
| Royal Governor of La Florida | |
|
In office April 29, 1737 – 8 Aug 1749 |
|
| Monarch | Philip V |
| Preceded by | Manuel Joseph de Justís |
| Succeeded by | Melchor de Navarrete |
| Royal Governor of Panama | |
|
In office 1749–1758 |
|
| Monarch | Ferdinand VI |
| Preceded by | Dionisio de Alcedo |
| Succeeded by | Antonio de Guill y Gonzaga |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
January 6, 1685 Bilbao, Spain |
| Died | January 6, 1762 (aged 76) Madrid, Spain |
| Spouse(s) | Gregoria Josefa Aguiar |
| Profession | Lieutenant General |
| Religion | Catholic |
Manuel de Montiano y Luyando (January 6, 1685 – January 7, 1762) was a Spanish General and colonial administrator who served as Royal Governor of La Florida and Royal Governor of Panama. He defended Florida from an attack by British forces in 1740 and launched his own unsuccessful Invasion of Georgia during the War of Jenkins' Ear
Montiano was born in the city of Bilbao, in the Basque Country in northern Spain. He was the older brother of Agustín de Montiano, a dramatist and noted historian who founded the Real Academia de la Historia in 1735 and became its first director.
While still a young man, Montiano joined the Royal Spanish Army, and served for three years in the Aragon Regiment. From there he was transferred to Darién in Panama. By 1719, he was a captain of grenadiers and was sent to Oran, in what is now Algeria, where he fought in the defence of the city against the Arabs.
On April 29, 1737, Montiano was named Governor of La Florida. Shortly after his taking possession he wrote to the Governor of Cuba notifying him of a forthcoming British invasion, and requesting supplies to ward off the danger. On March 15, 1738, Governor Montiano established Fort Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose, a fortified town for escaped African slaves from the Carolina Colony to whom Montiano granted citizenship and freedom in return for their serving in the militia, and which became the first free black settlement legally sanctioned in North America and a haven for escaped slaves from all the British colonies to the north. Here the freedmen would cultivate the ground and learn the Catholic religion. However, following the murder of some inhabitants at the fort by British Indian allies, Montiano ordered it abandoned and its inhabitants resettled in St. Augustine.
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Wikipedia