NAVARRETE, Martín Fernández de, Spanish historian, born
in Abalos, Rioja, 9 November, 1765; died in Madrid, 8 October, 1844. He studied
in Calahorra in 1774-'7, and then in Bergara till 1780, and entered the navy in
the latter year. He was a lieutenant in 1783, resigned in 1788, and determined
to devote his life to historical research.
He obtained admission to the archives of Simancas, the
Escorial palace, and those of several monasteries, and discovered among the
manuscripts of the Duke del Infantado, the sea journals of Columbus. Reentering
the navy in 1793, he served in Toulon, and became in 1807 attorney of the
admiralty court. At the time of the French invasion he was professor in the
College of Santo Isidro, and fled to Cadiz in 1813, resuming his functions in
the admiralty in 1815.
He left many manuscripts, which were published after his
death, and have become standard works on Spanish and South American history.
His principal writings are "Resumen del descubrimiento de los
Españoles en las costas de California" (Madrid, 1802); "Collección de Viajes y
descubrimientos que hicieron por mar los Españoles desde fines del Siglo XV" (7
vols., Madrid, 1825-'65); and "Collección de documentos ineditos para la
historia de España" (8 vols., Madrid, 1842-'67).
Edited Appletons Encyclopedia, by John Looby Copyright © 2001
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