SANGUINETO, PEDRO PABLO Y BASSO

1756 - after 1796 from Spain


Spanish naval officer, was born in Cartagena in 1756, possibly on 29 June if his parents christened their offspring after the saints of the day. Sanguineto began his military career as a cadet in the Soria infantry regiment on 22 April 1773, transferring to the navy as a alférez de fragata on 6 June 1775. After a succession of appointments he joined the frigate Santa Teresa, and in 1776, he sailed for the River Plate. Here he was given command of several sumacas and took part in operations against the Portuguese. On 23 May 1778 he was promoted to alférez de navío. On returning to Spain he took part in the blockade of Gibraltar, but in April 1780 he was put ashore suffering from scurvy. On 16 September 1781 he was promoted to the rank of teniente de fragata and on 26 September 1783 to teniente de navío, and a few years later to capitán de fragata.

In 1791 Sanguineto was appointed comandante gobernador of the Spanish settlement at Puerto de la Soledad (Port Louis) in command of the corvette Santa Eulalia, in succession to Juan José de ELIZALDE, taking over on 1 March 1791. Sanguineto eventually held this post on three occasions, alternating with Elizalde for the first two periods and José de ALDANA for the last period. Sanguineto was relieved by Elizalde on 1 March 1792, relieving Elizalde in his turn, serving once again as comandante gobernador from 1 February 1793 to the first days of April 1794, when he was relieved once again by Aldana. Sanguineto relieved Aldana for the first time on 15 June 1795, serving once again as comandante gobernador for his third term until 15 March 1796, when he was relieved once again by Aldana. Sanguineto found the all-male population, consisting of a permanent number of settlers and convicts, and the rotating naval and military personnel, including artificers and chaplains, difficult to rule. On each occasion he was governor Sanguineto reported on the current state of the batteries and on the work and repairs carried out on the buildings, noting that the hospital was always in a good state of repair. Government House, which was built of stone, was however in need of repair and all its windows needed replacing; the storehouse was infested with rats. On 26 July 1793 Sanguineto convened a council of officers to consider how to deal with repeated large scale sealing activities at various places in West Falkland by an American sloop and a number of smaller vessels and it was resolved to send the brig San Julián there to investigate, but the outcome of this visit is not known.

On 22 June 1793 the brig Belén brought news that Spain had declared war on France and that communication with that country was now prohibited. On 25 December 1793 Capitán de navío José BUSTAMANTE entered Puerto de la Soledad in the corvette Atrevida on his way back to Spain after a five-year voyage to the Pacific under the command of Alejandro MALASPINA. After drawing up his report and surveying the harbour, Bustamante sailed on 11 January 1794 to search for the non-existent Aurora Islands, said to lie 35 leagues (105 miles) east of the Falklands, before continuing to Montevideo. On being relieved by Aldana on 15 March 1796 Sanguineto returning to Montevideo in the Santa Eulalia. Nothing is known of his subsequent career.


Authors

Andrew David & Carlos Novi

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