Marquess of Jamaica
| Marquess of Jamaica | |
|---|---|
| Creation date | 19 January 1537 |
| Created by | Charles I of Spain |
| Peerage | Spanish nobility |
| First holder | Luis Colón, 1st Duke of Veragua |
| Present holder | Cristóbal Colón de Carvajal, 18th Duke of Veragua |
| Heir apparent | Cristóbal Colón de Carvajal y de Mandalúniz |
| Status | Extant |
Marquess of Jamaica (Spanish: Marqués de la 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.[1]
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).[1] 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.[2]
Marquesses of Jamaica
| No. | Name | Term | Claim |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luis Colón y Toledo[1] | 1537–1572 | Grantee |
| 2 | Felipa Colón de Toledo y Mosquera | 1572–1577 | Daughter of the previous |
| 3 | Cristóbal Colón de Toledo y Cardona | 1577–1583 | Cousin of the previous |
| 4 | Nuño Colón de Portugal | 1583–1622 | Second nephew of the previous |
| 5 | Álvaro Jacinto Colón de Portugal y Espinosa | 1622–1636 | Son of the previous |
| 6 | Pedro Nuño Colón de Portugal | 1636–1673 | Son of the previous |
| 7 | Pedro Manuel Colón de Portugal | 1673–1710 | Son of the previous |
| 8 | Pedro Nuño Colón de Portugal y Ayala Toledo | 1710–1712 | Son of the previous |
| 9 | Catalina Ventura Colón de Portugal y Ayala Toledo | 1712–1739 | Sister of the previous |
| 10 | Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart y Colón de Portugal | 1739–1785 | Son of the previous |
| 11 | Carlos Bernardo Fitz-James Stuart y Silva | 1785–1787 | Son of the previous |
| 12 | Mariano Colón de Larreátegui y Jiménez de Embún[2] | 1796–1821 | Legal claim; direct descendant of one of the first duke's siblings |
| 13 | Pedro María Colón y Ramírez de Baquedano | 1821–1866 | Son of the previous |
| 14 | Cristóbal Colón de la Cerda[3] | 1868–1910 | Son of the previous |
| 15 | Cristóbal Colón y Aguilera[4] | 1911–1936 | Son of the previous |
| 16 | Ramón Colón de Carvajal y Hurtado de Mendoza[5] | 1936–1941 | Nephew of the previous |
| 17 | Cristóbal Colón de Carvajal y Maroto[6] | 1942–1974 | Son of the previous |
| 18 | Cristóbal Colón de Carvajal y Gorosábel[7] | 1974–pres. | Son of the previous |
References
- ^ a b c Sotelo, Rafael Diego-Fernández (1987). Capitulaciones colombinas (1492-1506) (in Spanish). El Colegio de Michoacán A.C. p. 149. ISBN 978-968-7230-30-6.
- ^ a b Royal Academy of History. "Historia Hispánica - Mariano Colón de Larreátegui y Ximénez de Embún". historia-hispanica.rah.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-08-30.
- ^ Ministry of Justice (14 June 1868). "Resumen de resoluciones adoptadas por el Ministerio de Gracia y Justicia en el mes de Mayo último" [Summary of resolutions adopted by the Ministry of Grace and Justice in May] (PDF). Official State Gazette (in Spanish).
- ^ Ministry of Justice (15 December 1911). "Real orden de 27 de Noviembre último mandando expedir Real carta de sucesión en los títulos que se menciona a favor de D. Cristóbal Colón y Aguilera" [Royal Order of 27 November 1911 ordering the issuance of a Royal Letter of Succession in the titles mentioned in favor of Don Cristóbal Colón y Aguilera] (PDF). Official State Gazette (in Spanish).
- ^ "Movimiento nobiliario 1931-1940. Año 1939" (PDF). Royal Madrid Academy of Heraldry and Genealogy. 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ^ "Movimiento nobiliario 1941-1950. Año 1942" (PDF). Royal Madrid Academy of Heraldry and Genealogy (in Spanish). 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ^ Ministry of Justice (17 June 1974). "Orden de 13 de mayo de 1974 por la que se manda expedir Carta de Sucesión en el título de Marqués de la Jamaica a favor de don Cristóbal Colón de Carvajal y Gorosábel" [Order of 13 May 1974, ordering the issuance of a Letter of Succession to the title of Marquess of Jamaica in favor of Don Cristóbal Colón de Carvajal y Gorosábel] (PDF). Official State Gazette (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 August 2025.