Tomás de Renovales (c. 1788 – 10 July 1844) was a Spanish military commander for the southern region of Puerto Rico in the first half of the 19th century and de facto Mayor of the city of Ponce in 1831. He held the rank of colonel.Fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades. Ponce Ciudad Museo 2001. 2001. p. 109.
Early years De Renovales was born in Arcentales, Biscay, around 1788.Socorro Giron. Ponce, el teatro La Perla y La Campana de la Almudaina. Gobierno Municipal de Ponce. 1992. page 18.
Military career In 1808, he was a soldier in the Spanish Army and took part in the War of Independence in Spain against the French invaders.Socorro Giron. Ponce, el teatro La Perla y La Campana de la Almudaina. Gobierno Municipal de Ponce. 1992. page 18. He migrated to Puerto Rico from Venezuela circa 1825. In 1830, the Junta de Terrenos Baldíos granted him ownership of 450 cuerdas of land in Guayama's Barrio Jobos. He was military commander of Puerto Rico's 5th Department. He retired in March 1842.Eli D. Oquendo-Rodriguez. Pablo L. Crespo-Vargas, editor. A Orillas del Mar Caribe: Boceto histórico de la Playa de Ponce – Desde sus primeros habitantes hasta principios del siglo XX. First edition. June 2017. Editorial Akelarre. Centro de Estudios e Investigaciones del Sur Oeste de Puerto Rico (CEISCO). Lajas, Puerto Rico. Pages 25-26.
Family life He married Nicolasa Garcia, with whom he had seven children. He died in Ponce on 10 July 1844 and was buried at Panteón Nacional Román Baldorioty de Castro. He was known to abuse consumption of alcohol.Eli D. Oquendo-Rodriguez. Pablo L. Crespo-Vargas, editor. A Orillas del Mar Caribe: Boceto histórico de la Playa de Ponce – Desde sus primeros habitantes hasta principios del siglo XX. First edition. June 2017. Editorial Akelarre. Centro de Estudios e Investigaciones del Sur Oeste de Puerto Rico (CEISCO). Lajas, Puerto Rico. Pages 25-26.
Mayoral term De Renovales is best remembered as the mayor that made improvements to the lookout at Cerro El Vigia, including its telescope and flags.Socorro Giron. Ponce, el teatro La Perla y La Campana de la Almudaina. Gobierno Municipal de Ponce. 1992. page 18. There are no Acts in the Municipality of Ponce for the period 1824 to 1834, affecting the period while Tomás de Renovales was mayor as well.Mariano Vidal Armstrong. Ponce: Notas para su Historia. San Juan, Puerto Rico. Second Edition 1986. p. 79.
Death He was interred at Panteón Nacional Román Baldorioty de Castro.Fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades. Ponce Ciudad Museo 2001. 2001. p. 109.
References
See also
List of Puerto Ricans