Marquess of Jamaica () is a hereditary title in the Spanish nobility, created in 1537 by King Charles I in favor of Luis Colón y Toledo, grandson of explorer Christopher Columbus, along with the title of Duke of Veragua. At the time, it was also a jurisdictional manor.
History
When Luis Colón's father died in 1526, he inherited all of the family's rights to vast parts of the Viceroyalty of the Indies that his grandfather founded. His mother, to protect her son's rights, sued the Crown, and after years of legal battles, the two parties reached an agreement.
In exchange for renouncing most of their rights, the Crown created two jurisdictional manors for the Columbus family: the Duchy of Veragua (present-day Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama) and the Marquissate of Jamaica (encompassing the entire island of Jamaica). Years later, the Duke renounced his American manors —although he retained the titles—, which he ceded to the Crown in exchange for an annual income that the State paid to his descendants until 1898.
Legal battle After the death in 1787 of Carlos Bernardo Fitz-James Stuart y Silva, 11th Duke of Veragua and Marquess of Jamaica, from the House of FitzJames (or Berwick), Mariano Colón de Larreátegui y Jiménez de Embún, a descendant of one of Luis Colón's brothers, claimed the Colón family titles for himself, considering that he had a better right than the latter's descendants. The courts ruled in his favor, obtaining favorable rulings in 1790 and 1793, and he was confirmed as the 12th Duke of Veragua (GE), 12th Duke of La Vega (GE), 12th Marquess of Jamaica and 14th Admiral and Adelantado of the Indies by Royal Order of 9 January 1796.
Marquesses of Jamaica +No.NameTermClaim1Luis Colón y Toledo1537–1572Grantee2Felipa Colón de Toledo y Mosquera1572–1577Daughter of the previous3Cristóbal Colón de Toledo y Cardona1577–1583Cousin of the previous4Nuño Colón de Portugal1583–1622Second nephew of the previous5Álvaro Jacinto Colón de Portugal y Espinosa1622–1636Son of the previous6Pedro Nuño Colón de Portugal1636–1673Son of the previous7Pedro Manuel Colón de Portugal1673–1710Son of the previous8Pedro Nuño Colón de Portugal y Ayala Toledo1710–1712Son of the previous9Catalina Ventura Colón de Portugal y Ayala Toledo1712–1739Sister of the previous10Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart y Colón de Portugal1739–1785Son of the previous11Carlos Bernardo Fitz-James Stuart y Silva1785–1787Son of the previous12Mariano Colón de Larreátegui y Jiménez de Embún1796–1821Legal claim; direct descendant of one of the first duke's siblings13Pedro María Colón y Ramírez de Baquedano1821–1866Son of the previous14Cristóbal Colón de la Cerda1868–1910Son of the previous151911–1936Son of the previous16Ramón Colón de Carvajal y Hurtado de Mendoza1936–1941Nephew of the previous17Cristóbal Colón de Carvajal y Maroto1942–1974Son of the previous18Cristóbal Colón de Carvajal y Gorosábel1974–pres.Son of the previous
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