José María Coppinger

José María Coppinger (April 5, 1773 – August 15, 1844) was a Spanish soldier who served in the infantry of the Royal Spanish Army (Ejército de Tierra) and governed East Florida (1816–1821)[1] and several areas in Cuba including Pinar Del Río, Bayamo, the Cuatro Villas (the towns of Trinidad, Santo Espiritu, Villa Clara, San Juan de los Remedios) and Trinidad at various times between 1801 and 1834.

His father was of Irish origin[3] and engaged in the slave trade, fleeing Ireland because he had hidden a priest in the family house, which was considered treasonous at the time.

[3] She was the daughter of Francisco López Gamarra y Ayala, a magistrate of the Real Audiencia, Spain's supreme Court in Havana, and accountant of the Royal Treasury.

In 1801 he became brigadier and the military governor of the third largest province in Cuba, Pinar Del Rio, previously known as Nueva Filipinas (New Philippines), and the town of Bayamo.

[4] Coppinger's superiors had previously sent him confidential instructions, which he received on June 8, to issue orders for the evacuation of the Spanish population of St. Augustine and the rest of East Florida[10] to move them to Cuba, Texas or Mexico.

[11] On January 28, 1825, Coppinger relieved General Francisco Lemaur of command of the fortress complex of San Juan de Ulúa in Mexico.

[15] Coppinger's descendants still live in Cuba and (after the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista and Fidel Castro's assuming power) Florida.