Gonzalo O'Farrill facts for kids
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The Most Excellent
Gonzalo O'Farrill
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| Prime Minister of Spain | |
| In office 3 March 1808 – 19 March 1808 |
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| Monarch | Charles IV |
| Preceded by | Pedro Cevallos |
| Succeeded by | Pedro Cevallos |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Gonzalo O'Farrill y Herrera
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| Nationality | Spanish |
Gonzalo O'Farrill y Herrera (born 1754 in La Habana, Cuba – died 1831 in Paris) was an important Spanish soldier and politician. He served as a general in the Spanish Royal Army and even briefly as Prime Minister of Spain.
Contents
Life and Career of Gonzalo O'Farrill
Early Life and Military Service
Gonzalo O'Farrill was born in La Habana, Cuba in 1754. His family had Irish roots. His great-grandfather, Richard O'Farrill, moved from Londonderry to Montserrat around 1667.
Gonzalo moved to Spain and became a lieutenant general in the Royal Spanish Army. He was also the Director of the Military College in Puerto de Santa María, Cadiz.
Political Roles and Prime Minister
Gonzalo O'Farrill served as a special representative for Spain in the Kingdom of Prussia. This was during the time of King Charles IV of Spain.
He was also a member and president of the Supreme Joint Council of Spain. This council was important when King Charles IV traveled to Bayonne, France, to meet with Napoleon I in March 1808.
For a short time, from March 3 to March 19, 1808, Gonzalo O'Farrill was the Prime Minister of Spain. He served as Minister of War under King Charles IV. Later, he continued as Minister of War under King José I Bonaparte, who was Napoleon's brother.
Exile and Later Years
After the French power in Spain ended, Gonzalo O'Farrill moved to France. All his properties in Cuba were taken away by the Spanish government.
He passed away in 1831 and was buried in the famous Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. He had married a widow named Ana Rodríguez de Carassa. She had a son from a previous marriage, Pedro Miguel Saenz de Santamaría.
Gonzalo O'Farrill's Family Connections
Maria Teresa Montalvo y O'Farrill
Gonzalo O'Farrill had a niece named Maria Teresa Montalvo y O'Farrill (1771–1812). She was the daughter of his sister, María-Josefa Josefa O'Farrill y Herrera.
Maria Teresa became a widow in 1807 when she was 36 years old. She had two young daughters and moved to Madrid. Her Literary Salon in Madrid became very popular. Many important people visited it, including the poet Manuel José Quintana and the famous painter Francisco de Goya.
It was said that she was close to King José I Bonaparte, the new French king of Spain. His wife, Julie Clary, preferred to stay in France.
Life in Paris for the Family
Maria Teresa Montalvo y O'Farrill died in 1812. The next year, as Napoleon's army faced defeats, her two daughters moved to Paris. They went with their great-uncle, Gonzalo O'Farrill.
One daughter, Mercedes Santa Cruz y Montalvo, married French General Antoine Christofe Merlin in 1809. He was a Captain General of the Spanish Royal Guards. Her sister, María Josefa de Santa Cruz y Montalvo, married Pedro Miguel Sáenz de Santa María y Carassa. He was Gonzalo O'Farrill's stepson and worked for King José I.
Spanish-Cuban Aristocrats in Exile
Mercedes Santa Cruz y Montalvo, Gonzalo's niece, also hosted French thinkers in Paris. She translated a book called "Viaje a La Habana" from French into Spanish. The famous Spanish-Cuban poet Gertrudis Gomez de Avellaneda wrote the introduction for it.
Mercedes hoped to get back her family's land, money, and titles that were taken by the Spanish government. She appealed to Queen Isabella II of Spain around 1845, but her efforts were not successful.
See also
In Spanish: Gonzalo O'Farrill para niños
