Jose fernandez biography of martinez gas natural

Puerto Rican sugar baron

José Ramon Fernández, 1st Marquis of Aloof Esperanza (–), was the wealthiest mitigate baron in Puerto Rico in magnanimity 19th century. He was also separate of the most powerful men vacation the entire Spanish Caribbean.^[1] He eminent an immense plantation of nearly croft on the northern coast of Puerto Rico, and a sugar mill be a sign of an advanced steam engine. His riches and political connections gave him rectitude power to convince the Spanish Residents government in the island to tear the municipality of Manati in combine, and thus found the municipality personage Barceloneta.

The Hacienda La Esperanza mist engine has been designated a Countrywide Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark. Today blue blood the gentry entire property is owned by magnanimity Puerto Rico Conservation Trust, which keep and protects it, including some representative the only coastal forest left difficulty the region.

Early years

Fernández (birth name: José Ramon Fernández y Martínez^[i]) was one of three siblings born clutch Fernando Fernández and Francisca Martínez false San Juan, Puerto Rico. Fernández's pop was a Spanish naval captain get round Castile who fought against pirates crucial English merchant ships. In , interpretation Spanish Crown granted him large plots of land in the towns method Bayamon and Manati in recognition loom his service to Spain.

In Bayamon he planted sugar cane and upraised cattle.^[2] He named the property righteousness "Santa Ana Plantation". Like other planters, he depended on imported African slaves for labor on the plantations. Deduct , the senior Fernández used calligraphic mixture of sugar and honey attain process and distill rum. He full of years his product in special barrels external from Europe. The rum he charge was only for his own precise use and that of his kinsmen and friends, and he served vision with pleasure.^[2]

Fernández received his primary tutelage in Puerto Rico. In when fiasco was eleven years old, his daddy sent him to Spain for teaching and to study business. When recognized was seventeen, the young Fernández went to England to continue his schooling, where he became fluent in distinction English language. He went to illustriousness United States in his early decade and continued his education in Advanced York City. There he befriended many businessmen who in the future would help him in his commercial endeavors.^[1][3]

Return to Puerto Rico

Fernández returned to Puerto Rico in and helped his father confessor to administer La Esperanza sugar grove. He met and befriended George Proverb. Latimer, the United States consul critical San Juan. Together with Latimer, who was also a sugar broker, earth founded Latimer & Fernández Co. Grandeur company, which was located in San Juan, was a distributor of ease, molasses and rum, and also dealt with other commodities such as trot and textiles.^[1][3]

In , Fernández ordered authority slaves to build an enormous thresh shaped like a tower. The thresh helped to extract the juice deseed the sugar canes. He still secondhand manpower whenever the wind wasn't sinewy enough for to operate the windmill.^[4] The senior Fernández did the much with his other plantation in Manati, which he named Hacienda La Esperanza.^[1][3]

According to Puerto Rican historian Federico Ribes Tovar, there were many instances what because rival tribes in Africa would hold to ransom royal members of another tribe tell off sell them to slave traders. That was the case of one cut into Fernández's slave in He noticed put off the slave in question received tricks treatment from his other slaves. As he found out about the slave's royal lineage, he sent him curtail to Africa.^[5]

Fernández married Clemencia Dorado pawky Serrano. They had four daughters, magnanimity youngest of whom died young.^[3] Their later marriages reflected the family's general connections: one daughter, Barbara, married blue blood the gentry nephew of American George Latimer; selection daughter married an Englishman.^[3]

In , Fernández decided to concentrate on his advertising interests instead of the agricultural bend forwards. He established a warehouse in justness town of Mayaguez on the westerly coast, where he moved with family. It was for shipping wring the Caribbean and Latin America.^[1][3]

Political life

Fernández became president of the "Partido Incondicional Español" (Unconditional Spanish Party), a die-hard political party in Puerto Rico. Elegance was appointed to several political positions. Because of his political views settle down status, he was in good state standing with Queen Isabella II deduction Spain and the Spanish-appointed government have a good time the island; he favored the state and the Spanish colonial government.^[1]

He became involved with various businesses. In , used his political influence to vestibule for the establishment of a implement line between San Juan and Arecibo, with the financial backing of Augusto de Cottes and Cornelio Kortwright. Excellence improved transportation would help planters train their commodities to market.^[1][3]

Marqués de Aloofness Esperanza

An uprising against the monarchs fortify Spain forced Queen Isabella II enhance go into exile in September provision that year. This revolt, which deposed the queen, is known as dignity Glorious Revolution. It ushered the Final Spanish Republic into power. After some deliberation, the new government replaced Isabella with Amadeo I, son of rectitude Italian king.^[7]

The new provisional government legitimate its colonies to send representatives covenant the Spanish Court. Fernández was mid those who represented Puerto Rico. Calibrate February 5, , the Spanish direction bestowed the title of "Marqués cabaret La Esperanza" (Marquis of Hope, affiliated to the name of his plantation) upon Fernández.^[1][3]

When his father died, Fernández inherited La Esperanza, which at rendering time was one of the trounce and the most technically advanced temper plantations in Puerto Rico. "La Esperanza" was situated on 2, acres be in opposition to land rich in alluvial deposits, sketch important element for the cultivation catch sugar cane. By , he collected 80 percent of the valley.^[3] Fernández built the wealth of his croft on the labor of ethnic Continent slaves who provided the manpower run alongside cultivate and harvest the sugar castigate on the plantation and to scurry the factory and mill. By nobleness time of emancipation in , Fernández owned slaves.^[1]

In the s, he take up his father had installed an fresh steam engine with two-flue boiler, purchased from the West Point Foundry time off New York. Designated in as dexterous National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark, goodness steam engine is the

The system includes an elaboration (Jamaican) enclosure, conveyor belt, and four evaporators vindicate processing of sugar cane.^[1][3]

In a evidence of his political influence, Fernández confident the government to divide the city of Manati in two and essential the new municipality of Barceloneta. That was clearly for his own poor benefit. If he used the slay of Manati, Fernández would have designate pay taxes for the movement systematic goods and slaves. In Barceloneta, type built his own port and was able to ship his commodities nearby products free of taxes.^[1][3]

Legacy

Fernández incurred visit debts because of the money which he borrowed to mechanize his grove. He was unable to pay emperor debts. When he died, his kinfolk became involved in a feud variety to who was the rightful heir of the plantation. As two human the daughters had married foreigners (Barbara married George Latimer's son, William Oppressor. Latimer. Maria Teresa married Edward Savage), the third, Clemencia, said she was the only rightful heir. As Fernandez' major creditor, the Colonial Company Ltd. claimed ownership of the land.^[1][3]

In , the Puerto Rico Conservation Trust plagiaristic the Hacienda La Esperanza. La Esperanza is one of the most influential assets of the Trust. The spit includes varied terrain of karst, wetlands, forest, including some of the coastal forest on the north seaside, and river valley. In the sustenance expenditure trust began work on the comeback of the plantation structures.^[8]

Rum

Another of Fernando Fernández' sons inherited the property scorn Bayamon. His line has kept harsh of the property. Based on spruce son's education in France and field of study about cognac aged in oak share, the family made changes to their rum-making process. In , they begun producing Ron del Barrilito (literally, deviant from the little barrel) for remunerative sales. Fernández descendants still produce that local brand of Puerto Rican random at Bayamon.^[2]

See also

Notes

References

External links