Esteban Mestivier
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Major José Francisco Esteban Mestivier | |
|---|---|
Joseph François Etienne Mestivier | |
| Died | 1832 |
| Cause of death | Murdered |
| Resting place | Unknown |
| Occupation | Soldier |
| Known for | Argentine Military and Civil commander who was murdered in a mutiny |
| Spouse | Gertrudis Sanchez |
| Children | 1 |
Esteban Mestivier (died 1832) served as the Argentine Military and Civil commander in the Falkland Islands for a brief period in 1832. His appointment to the role was gazetted in the British and Argentine Packet News in September 1832. The announcement led to the British consul issuing a note of protest, which other than a brief acknowledgement from Argentina went unanswered. This combined with the USS Lexington raid of 1831, is considered to have prompted the British to send a small naval patrol to re-assert British sovereignty in the Falkland Islands.
Arriving in October 1832, he was murdered in a mutiny the following month. There are few reliably known details of his early life and even the exact circumstances of his death are unclear.
There is very little known for certain about Mestivier's life. He was French-born[1] but even his name is not known with certainty. The Argentine historian Paul Groussac (also of French origin) refers to him as Jean or Juan,[1] but reflecting a custom of hispanicising Christian names he is generally referred to as Major Esteban Mestivier in Argentine literature.[1]
There are records of Mestivier serving in the campaigns against the aboriginal people in the region around Bahia Blanca. This was at the time the southern boundary of the United Provinces of South America one of the precursor states of what is now Argentina. In the 7th Cavalry he served as a First Lieutenant, was promoted to captain in 1828 and to brevet major in 1829.[1]
Deployment to the Falklands
Following the USS Lexington raid of 1831, Luis Vernet refused to continue as military and civil commander in the Falkland Islands.[2] President Juan Rosas conferred upon Mestivier the appointment of interim military and civil commander on 10 September 1832. This was subsequently confirmed by being gazetted in the British and Argentine Packet News on 15 September 1832.[1] The announcement provoked a protest from the British minister in Buenos Aires, Henry Fox, on 28 September 1832,[1] which like the protests of 1829 against Vernet's appointment,[3][4] went unanswered apart from a brief acknowledgement. This, combined with the Lexington raid of 1831 prompted the British to send a naval patrol to re-assert sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.[5]
On 23 September 1832, Mestivier departed on board the ARA Sarandi commanded by Major Pinedo, accompanied by his pregnant wife[1] and a garrison of 25 men together with their wives and children. This small garrison included criminals released from prison to serve in the army.[1] Some of Vernet's men also took passage including William Dickson and Henry Metcalfe, Vernet's deputy Matthew Brisbane acted in the capacity of pilot for the Sarandi.[1]
On 10 October 1832, Mestivier performed a ceremony formally claiming the islands for the United Provinces.[1]