Manuel de Basavilbaso Urtubia was a Spanish nobleman, who served as alcalde, procurador and regidor of Buenos Aires. He was the second General Administrator of the RoyalPost Office of Río de la Plata.
Biography
He was born in Buenos Aires, son of Domingo de Basavilbaso and María Ignacia de Urtubia, belonging to a noble family of Basque and Creole roots. He possibly obtained his law degree in the Universidad Mayor, Real y Pontificia de San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca. The public life of Domingo Basavilbaso began in January 1767, when he was elected alcalde in second vote by the Cabildo of Buenos Aires. During the years 1767, 1772 and 1773 he was reelected successively like Síndico Procurador of Buenos Aires, position from which it developed an intense activity in the Río de la Plata. Among the public works that were in his charge are included the project of a public university in Buenos Aires, the creation of the Asiento de Carnes y Panaderos, who was dedicated to the supply of meat and bread in the city. And the realization of the pavement of the streets. He was also involved in the construction of a dock in the city of Buenos Aires. The main activity of the Basavilbaso's was the administration of the Mail in Buenos Aires. He began his career in the Real Renta de Correos around mid-1767, appointed on an interim basis as administrator of the Correo Maritimo. By recommendation of his father to the Jerónimo Grimaldi, General Superintendent of Posts and Post Offices, he was appointed as Director of the Real Renta del Correo of Buenos Aires, in 1772. The Basavilbaso family maintained a conflictive relationship with the Accountant of the Real Renta de Correos, Don Cayetano Badan, a Spanish caballero, who had served as Administrator General of the Mail of New Orleans. Manuel de Basavilbaso took part in the expulsion and confiscation of property of the Jesuits in the territories of King Charles III of Spain. In 1767, he and his father led a company of Provincial Grenadiers, in charge of the expulsion of the religious from the territories of the Río de la Plata. Basabilbaso was also dedicated himself to the commerce and administration of his farms in San Isidro, and the Banda Oriental. He also was the owner of a soap factory and brewery in Retiro, Buenos Aires.
Family
Basavilbaso was married two times, first to Rosa Maciel y Lacoizqueta, daughter of Rosa de Lacoizqueta and Manuel Maciel, a rich man descendant of Manuel Cabral de Melo. His second wife was Francisca de Garfias y Giles, daughter of Agustín de Garfias and Antonia Giles, with whom he had two children, Manuel Basavilbaso Garfias and Justa Rufina Basavilbaso Garfias, who was married to her relative Miguel de Azcuénaga Basavilbaso. Manuel de Basabilbaso belonged to a family of illustrious Spanish lineages. He was appointed as Caballero of the Order of Charles III in 1788.
