Pedro Cebrián, 5th Count of Fuenclara facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Most Excellent The Count of Fuenclara
Portrait by José de Ibarra
40th Viceroy of New Spain
In office November 3, 1742 – July 8, 1746
Monarch	Philip V
Preceded by	The Duke of la Conquista
Succeeded by	The Count of Revillagigedo
Personal details
Born	April 30, 1687 Luceni, Spain
Died	August 22, 1752(1752-08-22) (aged 65) Madrid, Spain
Spouse	María Teresa Patiño

Pedro Cebrián y Agustín, 5th Count of Fuenclara, was an important Spanish diplomat. He was also a Grandee of Spain, a special title for high-ranking nobles. He was born on April 30, 1687, in Luceni, Spain. Later, he became the viceroy of New Spain, which was a large Spanish colony. He served as viceroy from November 3, 1742, to July 8, 1746. He passed away in Madrid, Spain, on August 22, 1752.

Early Life and Career

Pedro Cebrián y Agustín had an interesting early career. He worked as a Spanish ambassador in several important European cities. These included Vienna, Dresden, and Naples. He was also a trusted helper and horse master for Prince Felipe of Spain.

He received high honors during his life. He became a member of the Order of the Golden Fleece in 1738. This was a very respected knightly order. He also joined the Order of Saint Januarius. On January 31, 1742, King Philip V of Spain personally chose him to be the new viceroy of New Spain.

Serving as Viceroy of New Spain

Pedro Cebrián y Agustín arrived in Veracruz, New Spain, on October 5, 1742. He officially entered the capital city on November 3, 1742. He then took over his new job. He replaced Pedro Malo de Villavicencio, who had been temporarily in charge. Villavicencio had stepped in after the previous viceroy, Pedro de Castro y Figueroa, passed away.

As viceroy, Pedro Cebrián y Agustín made several improvements. He fixed the aqueduct that brought water from Chapultepec to Salta del Agua. He also paved many streets in Mexico City. He repaired and made wider a main road called the Calzada de San Antonio Abad.

He also set up new government controls. These were called estancos. They gave the government special rights to control things like gunpowder, salt mines, and ice. He also controlled juego de gallos, which was cockfighting. He even banned card games and dice games.

Gathering Information about the Colony

The king in Spain asked Cebrián y Agustín to collect important information. This included details about the people, history, and statistics of the colony. He asked a geographer named José Antonio Villaseñor y Sánchez to help. Villaseñor was tasked with estimating the population of New Spain.

The population estimate was finished in April 1744. It showed that about 3,865,000 people lived in New Spain. Villaseñor also wrote a very important book. It was called Theatro Americano, descripción general de los reinos y provincias de la Nueva España. This book was published in two parts between 1746 and 1748. It is still a valuable source for historians today.

The Case of Lorenzo Boturini

On June 2, 1743, the viceroy ordered an investigation. This led to the detention of an Italian knight named Lorenzo Boturini Bernaducci. Boturini had been asking people for money to buy a gold crown for the Virgin of Guadalupe. He was also accused of bringing church documents into the colony without the king's permission.

When he was held, many valuable items were taken from him. These included old documents, codices (ancient books), and writings about old cultures. These items were never given back to him. In 1744, Boturini was sent to Spain. There, he was able to show that he had good intentions. He was then set free. The king even named him the official historian of the Indies. He was also allowed to return to New Spain. In Madrid, he wrote a history of ancient Mexico. However, it was not published before he died in 1753.

The Galleon Capture

On July 1, 1743, a British admiral named George Anson captured a Spanish ship. This ship was called the Nuestra Señora de Covadonga. It was a treasure galleon, a large ship carrying valuable goods. The ship was sailing from Manila to New Spain, near the Philippines.

The British took all the goods and a huge amount of silver. The ship was carrying 1,318,843 pesos of silver. Anson later sold his prize for a lot of money in China. Some people blamed the viceroy for this loss, but nothing came of these accusations.

The Puebla Riot

In 1744, there was a small riot in Puebla. It happened because of a misunderstanding about a religious event. The viceroy had ordered the church bells to be rung loudly. He did this to show respect for his visit to the bishop. However, the people thought the bells meant that a previous bishop, Juan de Palafox y Mendoza, was being made a saint. Many people had been asking for this to happen.

When they found out it was not true, they rioted. The viceroy ordered soldiers to stop the riot. Some people were hurt. The viceroy was later criticized for how he handled this situation.

The Escandón Expedition

In the 1740s, Spain was worried about other European countries. The French were expanding from Louisiana, and the English were along the Gulf coast. Spain decided it needed to fully control the Gulf coast area, especially what is now Tamaulipas and Texas.

A meeting was held from May 8 to 13, 1743, to discuss this plan. Several officers presented their ideas. The plan by José de Escandón was chosen as the best. The viceroy sent this expedition to explore and settle a new area called Nuevo Santander (which is now Tamaulipas). The expedition left Mexico City on March 5, 1744.

Return to Spain

Pedro Cebrián y Agustín became sick during his time as viceroy. He asked to be allowed to leave his position. He returned to Spain in July 1746. He passed away in Madrid on August 6, 1752.

See also

In Spanish: Pedro de Cebrián y Agustín para niños

• José de Escandón
• Lorenzo Boturini Bernaducci

Sources