Manuel Quimper
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Manuel Quimper Benítez del Pino (c. 1757
Early life
Quimper was born in
Following his university studies, Quimper was assigned to the frigate Áquila on a mission to re-affirm Spanish sovereignty over the island of
The Spanish court was becoming increasingly concerned about British and Russian incursions along the Pacific Northwest coast of North America. Seven naval officers were dispatched to learn of British and Russian intentions. These included Quimper and his fellow Peruvian Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra, who was named commander of the Naval Department of San Blas. They departed from Cadiz aboard the San Ramon in May 1789. Shortly after their arrival at Veracruz, the seven were transferred to San Blas.
In July 1789 they received news from the Pacific Northwest with the arrival of the
On 3 February 1790, a Spanish expedition sailed north from San Blas under the command of Ship Lieutenant Francisco de Eliza, the most senior officer available at San Blas. It included Ship Lieutenant Salvador Fidalgo, and Ship Ensign Manuel Quimper. Their purpose was to strengthen the settlement at Nootka Sound, to further chart the waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the San Juan Islands, and to return the Princesa Real to the British. After several weeks at sea, the Princesa Real and Quimper arrived with difficulty at Nootka Sound where repairs on the vessel were undertaken before returning the ship to the British. Throughout the month of May the Princesa Real was repaired with no sign of the British. Quimper then used the vessel to carry out a two-month exploration of the north and south coasts of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
During June and July he charted and named many geographic features along the south shore of
During Quimper's 1791 expedition to northern Puget Sound Quimper's sloop Eliza stopped in the southern area of Bellingham Bay (Gulfo de Gaston). During this brief encampment near the mouth of present day Padden Creek, several of Quimper's men reportedly ran across a group of hostile natives (Lummi) who drove Quimper's men back to their rowboat. In later years during the construction of a powerhouse along the creek in Victorian era Fairhaven a gilded Spanish goblet and the deteriorated remains of a Spanish type musket were recovered. Modern archaeological studies of the area have not been documented concerning the presence of Quimper and his men.
Quimper returned to Nootka Sound in early August but was unable to enter the port for several days due to heavy fog. He set sail for New Spain and arrived at Monterey on 1 September 1790. From there he was joined by Fidalgo aboard the San Carlos. They arrived at San Blas on 13 November 1790. Viceroy Revillagigedo was surprised to learn that the Princesa Real was still in Spanish possession. He dispatched a message to the Court in Madrid recommending the return of the vessel to the British at Macau and sent a report of Quimper's explorations in the Pacific Northwest with nine of his charts. Quimper was promoted to Frigate Lieutenant.
On 14 February 1791, Quimper set sail aboard the Princesa Real with orders from San Blas commander Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra to chart the Sandwich Islands and then turn the vessel over to the Philippines Governor-General Félix Berenguer de Marquina, who would then have it returned to the British at Macau. While exploring the Sandwich Islands he had a tense encounter with James Colnett, the British commander at Nootka, on 1 April 1791. Colnett demanded an explanation from Quimper as to why the Princesa Real had not yet been returned to the British and Quimper informed him of the plans to return it at Macau. Colnett threatened to seize the ship then and there, but when he observed Quimper preparing for combat he backed down. Quimper continued his exploration of the islands of Hawaii, Maui, and Oahu, and, on 19 April 1791, set sail for the Philippines.
Quimper arrived at the Cavite naval base on
On 21 May 1792, Quimper was given command of the frigate San José de las Ánimas and sailed for San Blas, accompanied by the schooner Valdés under the command of Lieutenant Cosme Bertadano. The two vessels were soon separated by a hurricane causing the Valdés to return to Manila. Quimper continued on to San Blas. His ship was badly damaged by the weather and he did not arrive until nearly six months later on 6 November 1792. He learned that on 15 October, orders had been issued granting him permission to marry Francisca Márquez, and appointing him as special assistant to his countryman and friend Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra, the naval commander at San Blas, who was in failing health but did not want to resign his command while the international situation was deteriorating and war was likely. He held this position until February 1794 when Bordega y Quadra died.
Quimper himself was in poor health and was therefore granted permission in June 1795 to return to Spain. While waiting at Veracruz to embark on this voyage he was named the captain of the corvette Atrevida and sailed on this ship to Cádiz while it was still under the command of Malaspina. Quimper apparently never took command of the Atrevida because while it was at the port of Cádiz, he requested and was granted a transfer to Madrid to attend to personal matters. Eight months later he was inducted into the prestigious Orden Militar de Calatrava.
Quimper then served at Algeciras under the command of Bruno de Heceta, a veteran explorer who had also explored the Pacific Northwest of America. He soon asked for the governorship of Guayaquil, but was instead given command of the naval fleet at Madrid, a position he maintained until 1802. He was then appointed the Minister of the Treasury in Veracruz and so returned to America in a ministerial position.
Places named by Quimper
- Bahía de Bodega y Quadra (now Discovery Bay, Washington at 48°3′0″N 122°52′0″W / 48.05000°N 122.86667°W)
- Bahía de Nuñez Gaona (now Neah Bay, Washington at 48°21′56″N 124°36′56″W / 48.36556°N 124.61556°W)
- Bonilla Point, British Columbia
- Ensenada de Quadra (now Maalaea, Maui, Hawaii)
- Ensenada de Quimper (now Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii)
- Ensenada de Ulloa (now Kawaihae Bay, Hawaii Island, Hawaii)
- Gonzales Point, Victoria, British Columbia (and indirectly Gonzales Bay, Gonzales Hill at the same location)
- Gran Montan de Carmello (now Mount Baker, Washington at 48°46′0″N 121°48′0″W / 48.76667°N 121.80000°W)
- Jordan River, British Columbia (and indirectly the settlement of Jordan River, British Columbia at the mouth of that river
- Haro Strait, British Columbia/Washington
- Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles (now Port Angeles, Washington at 48°7′20″N 123°26′30″W / 48.12222°N 123.44167°W)
- Puerta de Revillagigedo (now Sooke, British Columbia at 48°22′55″N 123°43′52″W / 48.38194°N 123.73111°W)
- Puerto de Cordova (now Esquimalt, British Columbia at 48°25′50″N 123°24′29″W / 48.43056°N 123.40806°W)
- Puerto de Quimper (now Dungeness Bay, Washington at 48°9′45″N 123°9′0″W / 48.16250°N 123.15000°W)
- Puerto de San Juan (now Port Renfrew, British Columbia at 48°33′31″N 124°23′57″W / 48.55861°N 124.39917°W)
- Punta de San Miguel (now Albert Head, British Columbia)
- Punta de Santa Cruz (now Dungeness, Washington at 48°8′0″N 123°9′0″W / 48.13333°N 123.15000°W)
- Punta de Santo Domingo (now William Head, British Columbia)
- Rada de Eliza (now Pedder Bay, British Columbia)
- Rada de Solano (now Parry Bay, British Columbia)
- Rada de Valdes y Bazan (now Royal Roads, British Columbia)
- Sombrio River, British Columbia
Places named for Quimper
- state of Washington
- Mount Manuel Quimper (48°25′N 123°40′W / 48.417°N 123.667°W) on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
- Quimper Park, a commemorative site near Sooke, British Columbia, dedicated on 23 June 1990, to mark the 200th anniversary of Quimper's landing there
- Quimper Street, Oak Bay, British Columbia, Canada
Governmental career
Quimper was appointed in 1802 a Spanish treasury minister to oversee emperial disbursements in
During his term as governor (Intendente) of Puno an independence movement emerged of which Quimper warned Viceroy Abascal in July 1809. Quimper's own carefully guarded collection of papers, maps, manuscripts, and books were destroyed in an uprising of the local people. He was removed as governor at the end of January 1810. His successor, Manuel Antonio Nieto, died within months and Quimper returned to Puno as governor in June 1810.[citation needed]
In early 1813, Quimper was at the center of the political storm that began brewing in southern Peru with the elections promulgated by the Constitution of Cadiz (1812). Elected officials in various towns (notably Puno and Azangaro) almost immediately began asserting local control and directly challenged the royalist command. Quimper then writes to the Vicerroy that descended upon Puno "is a spirit of anarchy found among many individuals in this capital who shroud themselves with the wise Constitution.".
Retirement in Spain
While Quimper was in Spain, his son Colonel Manuel Quimper, was fighting for the Spanish cause in Peru. He had been serving in Upper Peru until named the commander-in-chief of Spanish forces of the southern coast of Peru on 9 February 1820. The young Manuel Quimper suffered a major defeat while defending the city of Nazca and was forced to flee to the coast in October 1820.
Meanwhile in Madrid the senior Quimper received the military honor of
Still showing regret over the loss of the documents which had been destroyed at Puno, at the end of 1821 he solicited the endorsement of
Return to Peru
Quimper longed to return to his native land of Peru and in February 1822 took steps to assure sympathetic treatment there upon his return. He returned shortly thereafter and is reported to have become a Peruvian "Patriot" in 1823. The government of the Republic of Peru named him a naval commander in 1827 and later a captain. He continued his literary pursuits and wrote the poem Poema raro, segments of which were published in La Gazeta de Lima. He died in Lima in April 1844.
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f Beerman, Eric. Manuel Quimper: un marino limeño en la costa oeste del Canadá [Manuel Quimper: a marine from Lima on the west coast of Canada] (in Spanish). Eric Beerman. p. 1. Archived from the original on 2007-09-26.
- ^ a b Fernández, Tomás; Tamaro, Elena. "Biography of Manuel Quimper". In Biographies and Lives: The online biographical encyclopedia (in Spanish). Biographies and Lives. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
- ^ Nº 539, Oficio de Manuel Quimper al virrey Abascal, 1 de junio de 1813, en Libro de correspondencia con el Excmo. Sr. Virrey del Reyno.
- ^ Carta de Manuel Quimper a Abascal, Junio 1° de 1816, Huamanga.
- Beerman, Eric, "Manuel Quimper: Un marino limeño en la costa oeste del Canadá", Derroteros de la Mar del Sur, Number 4; retrieved 22 August 2006.
- "Olympic National Park – Elwha Valley: Native Americans: S'Klallam or Klallam", Wilderness Technology Alliance; retrieved 31 August 2006.
- "Quimper, Manuel", B.C. Bookworld; retrieved 21 August 2006.
- "Quimper Park", Sooke Region Museum & Visitor Centre; retrieved 21 August 2006.
- "Spanish Cross", Coastal History, Metchosin School Museum; retrieved 21 August 2006.