Esteban Mestivier

Esteban Mestivier (died 1832) served as the Argentine Military and Civil commander in the Falkland Islands for a brief period in 1832.

The announcement led to the British consul issuing a note of protest, which other than a brief acknowledgement from Argentina went unanswered.

[1] There are records of Mestivier serving in the campaigns against the aboriginal people in the region around Bahia Blanca.

This was at the time the southern boundary of the United Provinces of South America one of the precursor states of what is now Argentina.

[1] Following the USS Lexington raid of 1831, Luis Vernet refused to continue as military and civil commander in the Falkland Islands.

[2] President Juan Rosas conferred upon Mestivier the appointment of interim military and civil commander on 10 September 1832.

This, combined with the Lexington raid of 1831 prompted the British to send a naval patrol to re-assert sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.

[5] On 23 September 1832, Mestivier departed on board the ARA Sarandi commanded by Major Pinedo, accompanied by his pregnant wife[1] and a garrison of 25 men together with their wives and children.

[1] On 10 October 1832, Mestivier performed a ceremony formally claiming the islands for the United Provinces.

[1] The crews of the British sealer Rapid and the French whaler Jean Jacques witnessed the mutiny and took action.

[1] Gauchos from Vernet's settlers together with armed men from the Jean Jacques captured the mutineers near what is now known as Estancia[1] and imprisoned them on board the Rapid.

[1] On 8 February 1833, those sentenced to death were executed by firing squad and their bodies gibbeted on the gallows for four hours.