Luis Ponce de León (governor of New Spain): Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Governor of New Spain}}

'''Luis Ponce de León''' (b. ca. [[1461]], d. [[July 20]], [[1526]], [[Mexico City]]) was a Spanish judge and governor of [[New Spain]], from [[July 4]], [[1526]] to [[July 16]], [[1526]].

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Luis Ponce de León

| image =

| order = <!-- 11th? -->

| honorific_prefix =

| office = [[List of viceroys of New Spain|Governor of New Spain]]

| term_start = 4 July 1526

| term_end = 16 July 1526

| alongside =

| predecessor = [[Hernán Cortés]]

| successor = [[Marcos de Aguilar]]

| term_start2 =

| term_end2 =

| alongside2 =

| predecessor2 =

| successor2 =

| caption =

| birth_name =

| birth_date =

| birth_place =

| death_date = 20 July 1526 <!-- [[Wikipedia:WikiProject_Microformats/dates|note microformat does not support dates before 1583]] -->

| death_place = [[Mexico City]]

| resting_place =

| nationality =

| known_for =

| occupation = Judge, bureaucrat

| spouse =

| partner =

| children =

| signature =

}}

'''Luis Ponce de León''' (c. 1461 - July 20, 1526) was a Spanish judge and briefly the governor of [[New Spain]], from July 4, 1526, to July 16, 1526.<ref name="García Puron">{{cite book|last = García Puron|first = Manuel|title = Mexico y sus gobernantes: biografias|publisher = Joaquín Porrua |___location = Mexico City|year = 1984}}</ref><ref name="Orozco Linares">{{cite book|last = Orozco Linares|first = Fernando|title = Gobernantes de México|publisher = Panorama Editorial|___location = Mexico City|year = 1985|isbn = 968-38-0260-5|url-access = registration|url = https://archive.org/details/gobernantesdemex0000oroz}}</ref>

==Biography==

Luis Ponce de León was aan learnededucated man and a [[knight]] of [[Córdoba, Spain|Cordoba]]. He was a friend and aide of the {{lang|es|[[Corregidor (position)|corregidor]]}} of [[Toledo (Spain)|Toledo]], [[Martín Alonso Fernández de Córdoba Montemayor y Velasco, conde de Alcaudete|Martín de Córdoba, conde de Alcaudete]].

Ponce's appointment came in 1525 after news about serious difficulties in New Spain began reaching the court of [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles I of Spain]] and the [[Council of the Indies]].<ref name="Chipman">{{cite book

In 1525 or 1526 news of the rivalry between [[Alonso de Estrada]] and [[Gonzalo de Salazar]] in the governing of [[New Spain]] reached [[Madrid]], as did rumors of the death of [[Hernán Cortés]] at the hands of the [[Indigenous peoples of Mexico|Indigenous]]. (Cortés had not been killed. He was absent from the capital on an expedition to [[Honduras]].) King [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles I]] ordered a ''juicio de residencia'' (a commission of inquiry, authorized to impeach) to investigate Cortés and ascertain the true situation in the colony, and the state of the interim government.

| last = Chipman

| first = Donald E.

| title = Moctezuma's Children: Aztec Royalty Under Spanish Rule, 1520-1700

| publisher = University of Texas Press

| year = 2005

| isbn = 978-0-292-70628-6}}</ref> In 1524 [[Hernán Cortés]] had learned of the rebellion of [[Cristóbal de Olid]] in [[Honduras]] and abandoned his governorship of New Spain to treasury officials to head to Honduras. During his absence the governorship was chaotically shared among rival pro-Cortés and anti-Cortés factions in the treasury. Eventually rumors arrived in [[Mexico City]] and in Spain that Cortés had died along the way to Honduras. King Charles I ordered a {{lang|es|[[juicio de residencia]]}} (a commission of inquiry) to investigate Cortés and ascertain the true situation in the colony, and the state of the interim government.

To carry out these orders, Charles named Luis Ponce de León as judge of the ''{{lang|es|residencia''}} and governor of New Spain, at an annual salary of 3,000 ducats of gold. Ponce de León sailed from [[Sanlúcar de Barrameda]] on [[February 2]], [[1526]]. HeIn May, Cortés returned to Mexico City and resumed his governorship. Ponce was detained in [[Hispaniola]] until [[May 31]], [[1526]], for repairs to his ship, arriving in Mexico City in June, He presented himself to the {{lang|es|ayuntamiento}} (city government) on July 5, 1526. He carried with him the decree from Toledo dated November 4, 1525 granting him the powers, and Cortés stepped aside to honor the royal decree.

HePonce de León left all the officials of the {{lang|es|ayuntamiento}} in their positions. He was about 65 years old and ill with fever contracted on his arrival in [[Veracruz]]. The fever had continued through the 12-day journey to the capital and did not let up even after his arrival there. After taking office, he retired from public occupations and thensoon died. Before his death he turned over his functions to [[Marcos de Aguilar]], his assistant who had accompanied him to the colony. Aguilar also had a royal appointment. He took over the government on [[July 16]], [[1526]].

Ponce de León arrived in Mexico City and presented himself to the ayuntamiento (city government) on [[July 5]], [[1526]]. He carried with him a decree from Toledo dated [[November 4]], [[1525]] granting him these powers.

Four days later Ponce de León died. He was interred in the first parochialparish church in Mexico City, facing the Plaza Mayor. Aguilar, also aged, died just over seven months later. Cortés was suspected of poisoning the two royal officials.

He left all the officials of the ayuntamiento in their positions. He was about 65 years old and ill with fever contracted on his arrival in [[Veracruz]]. The fever had continued through the 12-day journey to the capital and did not let up even after his arrival there. After taking office, he retired from public occupations and then died. Before his death he turned over his functions to [[Marcos de Aguilar]], his assistant who had accompanied him to the colony. Aguilar also had a royal appointment. He took over the government on [[July 16]], [[1526]].

Four days later Ponce de León died. He was interred in the first parochial church in Mexico City, facing the Plaza Mayor.

Aguilar, also aged, also died after governing only a short while. Cortés was suspected of poisoning the two royal officials.

==References==

{{Reflist}}

*García Puron, Manuel, ''Mexico y sus gobernantes''. Mexico City: Joaquín Porrua, 1984.

{{Authority control}}

*Orozco Linares, Fernando, ''Gobernantes de México''. Mexico City: Panorama Editorial, 1985.

[[Category{{DEFAULTSORT:Colonial Mexico|Ponce deDe LeónLeon, Luis]]}}

[[Category:1526Spanish deaths|Ponce de León, Luisknights]]

[[Category:1526 deaths]]

[[Category:16th-century Mexican people]]

[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]