Jerónimo de Alderete

Jerónimo de Alderete y Mercado (Spanish: [xeˈɾonĩmo ðe aldeˈɾete]; c. 1518 – April 7, 1556) was a Spanish conquistador who was later named governor of Chile, but died before he could assume his post.

Adelantado
Jerónimo de Alderete
Caballero de Santiago
Bornc.1518
Olmedo, Spain
DiedApril 7, 1556(1556-04-07) (aged 37–38)
Taboga, Panama

Early life

Alderete was born in Olmedo, Castille in 1518, the son of Francisco de Mercado and of Isabel de Alderete.[1] He came to Peru in 1535, under the orders of Diego de Rojas who intended to undertake the conquest of the Gran Chaco region.[1] The expedition had several difficulties attempting to reach the Pilcomayo River. Alderete settled down in Tarija, until he became a member of Francisco de Aguirre's force who joined Pedro de Valdivia's in the conquest of Chile in 1540.[2]

In Chile

Jerónimo de Alderete was part of Pedro de Valdivia's expedition to settle in the Mapocho valley of Chile in 1540. He was a regidor of the first city government of Santiago, Chile in 1541. In 1544, he joined the expedition of Juan Bautista Pastene that was explore the lands to the south to the Straits of Magellan in the bark San Pedro.[1]

In 1550, during the campaign to establish Concepción he led the cavalry charge that broke the leading division of the Mapuche army at the Battle of Penco. In 1552 Valdivia ordered Jerónimo de Alderete to go inland and establish a fort at Lake Villarrica and established a fort at the site of the present Villarrica.

In Europe

In late 1552, Pedro de Valdivia dispatched Alderete to negotiate the confirmation of his governorship[1] with Charles V, but after he arrived back to Spain he discovered that the Emperor had transferred the suzerainty of Chile, and all his other territories, to his son Philip II, who was at the time living in England.[3] Alderete then travelled to London, where he met the King and obtained from him the governorship-for-life for Valdivia.[4] As he was on the road to Spain to start the journey back to Chile, he received the news of the death of Valdivia,[5] so he returned to England once more, where the King appointed him to succeed Valdivia on October 17, 1554, and named him Adelantado and a Knight of Santiago.[6]

In the meantime, back in Chile the will of Valdivia had also appointed him as his successor as governor of Chile, but that was disallowed by the Viceroy of Peru Melchor Bravo de Saravia, who appointed an interim governor. As Alderete was returning to America to assume his post he was taken ill with yellow fever in Panamá and died there on April 7, 1556.[7]

Additional information

See also

Notes
  1. Medina, José Toribio. Diccionario Biográfico Colonial de Chile (PDF) (in Spanish). pp. 44–49.
  2. Mariño de Lobera, Pedro. "VIII". Crónica del Reino de Chile (in Spanish).
  3. Góngora Marmolejo, Alonso de. "XXIII". Historia de Todas las Cosas que han Acaecido en el Reino de Chile y de los que lo han gobernado (1536-1575) (in Spanish). ...Llegado Jerónimo de Alderete a España en nombre de Pedro de Valdivia para negociar con su majestad, le fué necesario pasar a Ingalaterra, porque el Emperador don Carlos había renunciado todos sus reinos en el serenísimo príncipe don Felipe, su hijo, y retirado en un monasterio de religiosos, no entendía cosa alguna, ni en proveimiento de ninguna suerte; por donde le convino Alderete irse a ver con el rey, que a causa de se haber casado con la reina de Ingalaterra estaba en aquel reino.
  4. Góngora Marmolejo, Alonso de. "XXIII". Historia de Todas las Cosas que han Acaecido en el Reino de Chile y de los que lo han gobernado (1536-1575) (in Spanish). ...informado el rey de su venida, desde a pocos días le hizo merced dalle a Valdivia la gobernación por su vida, y más, que le sucediese la persona que él nombrase; con este despacho se partió de Ingalaterra.
  5. Góngora Marmolejo, Alonso de. "XXIII". Historia de Todas las Cosas que han Acaecido en el Reino de Chile y de los que lo han gobernado (1536-1575) (in Spanish). ...Entrando por Francia le alcanzó un correo, que le hizo Eraso, secretario del rey, en que le decía que por cartas había el rey sabido era Valdivia muerto...
  6. Góngora Marmolejo, Alonso de. "XXIII". Historia de Todas las Cosas que han Acaecido en el Reino de Chile y de los que lo han gobernado (1536-1575) (in Spanish). Alderete, con esta nueva, volvió a Londres, donde el rey estaba; con buenos terceros que tuvo, y por crédito que el rey tenía de su persona, le hizo merced dalle la gobernación de Chile, ansí como la tenía Valdivia, y más un hábito de Santiago y título de Adelantado; con esta merced se partió de España para Chile.
  7. Góngora Marmolejo, Alonso de. "XXIII". Historia de Todas las Cosas que han Acaecido en el Reino de Chile y de los que lo han gobernado (1536-1575) (in Spanish). Llegado a Panamá, que es y ha sido sepoltura de cristianos, enfermó de calenturas, y apretándole la enfermedad, murió.

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