José Canaveris

Notice about private school

He was born in Buenos Aires, the son of Juan Canaveris and Catalina Bernarda de Esparza, belonging to a distinguished family. He completed his primary and secondary studies in Buenos Aires, and possibly obtained his law degree in the National University of Córdoba. He began his career as government official in the early of 1800s, being later appointed to the position of notary at the Tribunal Mayor de Cuentas in 1810.[3]

He took an active part during in the defense of the city during the British invasions of the Río de la Plata, serving as assistant in the Cuerpo de Quinteros y Labradores, a cavalry unit[4] under the command of Antonio Luciano Ballester and Juan Clavería. The Corps of Quinteros was conformed in its majority by farmers and ranchers from the Province of Buenos Aires.[5]

The January 13, 1809 the Supreme Junta of Seville decided on behalf of the king Ferdinand VII, reward the officers of the various organs of the militia, giving the rank of Captain to José Canaveris.[6]

He had a long activity as a criminal lawyer of the United Provinces of the Rio de la Plata.[7] In 1825, he was legal representative of Colonel Francisco Montes Larrea, a respectable military man, who had suffered an assault in the Fonda de los Tres Reyes.[8] Between 1826 and 1833 he served as procurador del número (justice assistant) of the city.[9]

He also had an active participation in the beginnings of Argentine education, a pioneer in the application of the Lancasterian method in the Río de la Plata. He had a school of first letters located a few meters from the Church of San Miguel de Arcangel.[10]

Like all members of his family, Juan José Canaveris supported the emancipatory cause. Between 1815 and 1819 he served in the Junta de Observación,[11] in Comisaría de Guerra, and in the Ministerio de Hacienda of Buenos Aires.[12] He served in the Honorable Junta de Representantes in 1820,[13] and was appointed to occupy the position of accountant of the Tribunal de Cuentas of Buenos Aires in 1821.[14]

He and his family were involved in political conflicts between federales and unitarios, occurred during the Argentine Civil War. He was present together with Miguel de Azcuénaga and Gervasio Espinosa,[15] at the house of Governor Juan José Viamonte, when his house was attacked with shots by bandits belonging to the Sociedad Popular Restauradora.[16] The Viamonte meeting took place during his second term as governor of Buenos Aires, and it is mentioned in the personal correspondence of Encarnación Ezcurra to her husband Juan Manuel de Rosas.[17]

In 1830, Canaveris served in the Inspección and Comandancia General de Armas, taking an active part in the enrollment of volunteers to be incorporated into the Regiment of Patricians.[18]

José Canaveri in The British Packet of August 1, 1835.

He was also involved in the beginnings of the economic institutions of the Río de la Plata, taking part in the National Bank meetings with distinguished figures of his time, like the journalist Pedro de Ángelis, the English Thomas Gowland and Juan Zimmermann, a businessman belonging to the German community of Buenos Aires.[19]

In 1833, he was part of the jury charged with ensuring the freedom of the press in the Argentina.[20] He belonged to the moderate sector of the Federal Party, known as "lomos negros". He suffered political persecution during the government of Juan Manuel de Rosas, being accused of Unitario in 1835.[21]

Retired from political activity Juan José Canaveris returned to practice his career as a lawyer and accountant towards the end of his life. In 1835, he posted a notice in the British Packet, and Argentine News, an english speaking newspaper, where he offered his services of lawyer and accountant to the Anglo-Argentine community of Buenos Aires.[22]

Paseo de Julio by 1867, located in the vicinity of the house of the Canaveris family

Juan Joseph Canaveris was married to Agustina Denis, daughter of Juan Denis and María Silva, criollos, descendants of settlers from Ireland and Iberian Peninsula.[23]

He lived in the house he inherited from his parents located in Calle de la Piedad No. 21, neighborhood of San Nicolás.[24] He was neighbor of Vicente Anastasio Echevarría (colonial period), and by a large number of Irish people installed in the neighborhood, including Edmundo Cranwell.[25]

Several members of his family including siblings, cousins, and nephews were divided over political issues.[26] His son Juan Manuel Canaveris, had participated in the military escort the remains of Manuel Dorrego from Navarro to the La Recoleta Cemetery.[27] He actively served in the early days of the Rosas government, later having to go into exile in Montevideo.[28]

His other son Feliciano Canaveris also military, was assassinated in January 1843 in the vicinity of Tacuarembó, and his execution was attributed to General Manuel Oribe.[29]

The family of José Canaveris was related to Francisco Crespo y Denis, a patriot who took part in the Argentine War of Independence, and Francisco Pantaleón Luna, who served as Lieutenant Governor of La Rioja Province. His daughter, Patricia Canaveris Denis, born on March 17, 1811 (Saint Patrick's Day)[30] received a state pension for the services rendered by his father to the National State.[31]

It is not clear if the legitimate father's last name was Canaveris or "Jugluns", a surname possibly of French or Irish origin (Juggins or Jungius), and completely unknown in the Piedmont region. His father came from an important family established in various regions of the Kingdom of Sardinia, probably related to the Spanish society of the time.

The idiosyncrasy of his father and his descendants was not at all like the French or Italian community of the colonial and post-colonial period of Buenos Aires, and it is quite possible that their paternal ancestors were of noble or bourgeois origin. Historically they lived in places of Buenos Aires where English, Scottish and Irish communities were established.[32]

His last name de Canaveris, is a Latin toponymic surname which in French means de Chennevieres.[33]

• Bautismos 1775-1791
• Matrimonios 1760-1808
• Bautismos 1801-1811
• Defunciones 1816-1849
• Guia de la Ciudad 1833 – archive.org
• Registro nacional de la República Argentina – Digital Library