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ENSENADA, CENON DE SOMODEVILLA, MARQU...

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Originally appearing in Volume V09, Page 653 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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ENSENADA, CENON DE SOMODEVILLA, MARQUES DE LA (1702-1781) , See also:Spanish statesman, was See also:born at Alesanco near Logical() on the 2nd of See also:June 1702. When he had risen to high See also:office it was said that his See also:pedigree was distinguished, but nothing is known of his parents—Francisco de Somodevilla and his wife Francisca de Bengoechea,—nor is anything known of his own See also:life before he entered the See also:civil See also:administration of the Spanish See also:navy as a clerk in 1720. He served in administrative capacities at the See also:relief of See also:Ceuta in that See also:year and in the reoccupation of See also:Oran in 1731. His ability was recognized by See also:Don Jose Patinos, the See also:chief See also:minister of See also:King See also:Philip V. Somodevilla was much employed during the various expeditions undertaken by the Spanish See also:government to put the king's sons by his second See also:marriage with See also:Elizabeth See also:Farnese, See also:Charles and Philip, on the thrones of See also:Naples and See also:Parma. In 1736 Charles, afterwards King Charles III. of See also:Spain, conferred on him the Neapolitan See also:title of Marques de la Ensenada. The name can be resolved into the three Spanish words " en se nada," meaning " in himself nothing." The courtly flattery of the See also:time, and the envy of.the nobles who disliked the rise of men of Ensenada's class, seized upon this poor See also:play on words; an Ensenada is, however, a roadstead or small See also:bay. In 1742 he became secretary of See also:state and See also:war to Philip, See also:duke of Parma. In the following year (11th of See also:April 1743), on the See also:death of Patinos's successor See also:Campillo, he was chosen by Philip V. as minister of See also:finance, war, the navy and the Indies (i.e. the Colonies). Ensenada met the nomination with a becoming nolo episcopari, professing that he was incapable of filling the four posts at once. His reluctance was overborne by the king, and he became in fact See also:prime minister at the See also:age of See also:forty-one. During the See also:remainder of the king's reign, which lasted till the 11th of See also:July 1746, and under his successor See also:Ferdinand VI. until 1754, Ensenada was the effective prime minister.

His ad-ministration is notable in Spanish See also:

history for the vigour of his policy of See also:internal reform. The reports on the finances and See also:general See also:condition of the See also:country, which he See also:drew up for the new king on his See also:accession, and again after See also:peace was made with See also:England at See also:Aix-la-Chapelle on the 18th of See also:October 1748, are very able and clear-sighted. Under his direction the despotism of the See also:Bourbon See also:kings became paternal. Public See also:works were undertaken, See also:shipping was encouraged, See also:trade was fostered, See also:numbers of See also:young Spaniards were sent abroad for See also:education. Many of them abused their opportunity, but on the whole the prosperity of the country revived, and the way was cleared for the more sweeping innovations of the following reign. Ensenada was a strong partizan of a See also:French See also:alliance and of a policy hostile to England. See also:Sir B. See also:Keene, the See also:English minister, supported the Spanish See also:court party opposed to him, and succeeded in preventing him from adding the See also:foreign office to others which he held. Ensenada would probably have fallen sooner but for the support he received from the Portuguese See also:queen, See also:Barbara. In 1754 he offended her by opposing an See also:exchange of Spanish and Portuguese colonial possessions in See also:America which she favoured. On the loth of July of that year he was arrested by the king's See also:order, and sent into mild confinement at See also:Granada, which he was afterwards allowed to exchange for Puerto de See also:Santa Maria. On the accession of Charles III. in 1759, he was released from See also:arrest and allowed to return to See also:Madrid.

The new king named him as member of a See also:

commission appointed to reform the See also:system of See also:taxation. Ensenada could not renounce the See also:hope of again becoming minister, and entered into intrigues which offended the king. On the 18th of April 1766 he was again exiled from court, and ordered to go to See also:Medina del Campo. He had no further See also:share in public life, and died on the 2nd of See also:December 1781. Ensenada acquired See also:wealth in office, but he was never accused of corruption. Though, like most of his countrymen, he suffered from the See also:mania for grandeur, and was too fond of imposing schemes out of all See also:pro-portion with the resources of the state, he was undoubtedly653 an able and patriotic See also:man, whose administration was beneficial to Spain. For his administration see W. See also:Coxe, See also:Memoirs of the Kings of Spain of the See also:House of Bourbon (See also:London, 1815), but the only See also:complete See also:account of Ensenada is by Don See also:Antonio See also:Rodriguez See also:Villa, Don Cenon de Somodevilla, Marques de la Ensenada (Madrid, 1878). (D.

End of Article: ENSENADA, CENON DE SOMODEVILLA, MARQUES DE LA (1702-1781)

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