Tejano History

Bonavía Y Zapata, Bernardo

Tejanos |

BONAVÍA Y ZAPATA, BERNARDO (?–1812). Bernardo Bonavía y Zapata, Knight of Alcántara and corregidor of Mexico, entered the service of the king of Spain in 1758. In 1788 he was appointed governor of Texas but, because his services were needed elsewhere, did not serve. Bonavía was appointed governor-intendant of Durango in 1796 and served in that capacity until 1809, when he was appointed military commander of Texas. He had previously been ordered to Texas in 1806 with the governors of Nuevo León and Coahuila but was unable to join them since he was urgently needed in Durango. Bonavía had played an important role in putting the liberal reforms of Charles III in trade and commerce into effect in Mexico and worked to see those reforms placed in operation in the provinces, especially in Texas.

Full article on the Texas State Historical Association’s Handbook of Texas Online