Manuela Caldera | |
|---|---|
 | |
| First Lady of Chile | |
| In role 25 January 1827 – 8 May 1827 | |
| President | Ramón Freire |
| Preceded by | Isabel Riquelme |
| Succeeded by | Carmen Gana López |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Manuela Mercedes Caldera Mascayano c. 1803 Captaincy General of Chile, Spanish Empire |
| Died | 30 May 1865 (aged 61–62) |
| Resting place | Santiago General Cemetery |
| Spouse |
Ramón Freire
(m. 1826; died 1851) |
| Relations | José Joaquín Aguirre (uncle) José Joaquín Pérez (cousin) Juana Rosa Aguirre (cousin) |
| Children | 4, including Francisco Freire |
Manuela Mercedes Caldera de Freire (née Caldera Mascayano; c. 1803 – 30 May 1865) was the Chilean political activist and the First Lady of Chile during 1827.[1][2] Following the death of her husband Ramón Freire, Caldera campaigned for the recognition of Freire's legacy.[1][3]
Early life and family
Manuela Mercedes Caldera Mascayano was born around 1803 to a Santiago family who were members of the Los Ochocientos branch of the Larraín family.[4] Caldera was the niece of José Joaquín Aguirre and the first cousin of José Joaquín Pérez and Juana Rosa Aguirre.[4]
On 1 October 1826, Caldera married Ramón Freire, a military officer, politician and former Supreme Director of Chile.[1][3] Caldera and Freire had four children[3], including
- Zenón Freire Caldera (1827–1898), politician; married Mercedes García de la Huerta Pérez[5]
- Liborio Ramón Freire Caldera (1829–1884), politician; married Rosario García de la Huerta Pérez[6]
- Francisco Freire (1839–1900), lawyer, farmer and politician; married Enriqueta Valdés Solar[7]
Caldera was the great-grandmother of the diplomat Carmen Vial Freire Dows[8], and was the aunt of Nicolás Freire González, a Peruvian military officer and politician.
Career
From 25 January 1827 Caldera served as the First Lady of Chile until her husband resigned on 8 May 1827.[3] During the First Chilean Civil War, Freire fought on side of the liberal Pipiolos and became the President of the Governing Junta in November 1829.[3] After Freire's defeat at the Battle of Lircay by Joaquín Prieto, Freire was arrested and sentenced to death.[1][3][9] Caldera successfully positioned for her husband's death sentence to be commuted to ten years exile.[1] Caldera wanted to join her husband in exile but he refused.[1]
In 1842, Caldera's husband returned to Chile under amnesty.[10][3][9] Upon Freire's return the families estate La Hacienda Cucha Cucha, which had been given to Freire for his contribution to Chilean independence, was expropriated causing the family financial problems.[1] Following Ramón Freire's death in 1851, Caldera campaigned for the recognition of her husband's legacy.[1] In 1852, Caldera and her youngest son Francisco were awarded a pension of 1125 CLP by President Manuel Montt.[10]
Caldera died on 30 May 1865 and is buried at Santiago General Cemetery [1]
References
- "Manuela Caldera Mascayano". Primeras Damas de Chile (PDF) (in Spanish). Chile: Centro de Estudios Históricos Forenses. pp. 27–30. ISBN 978-956-7620-21-0. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
- "Plan Municipal de Cultura San Felipe 2015-2020" (PDF). Ministerio de las Culturas (in Spanish). San Felipe, Chile. November 2015. p. 15. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
- "Reseña Biográfica Ramón Freire Serrano". Presidentes de la República de Chile (in Spanish). Valparaíso, Chile: Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
- Cristóbal, Gillet del Solar (2022). Las Agrupaciones Familiares de Concepción y su Influencia Política (1808-1851) (PDF) (in Spanish). Concepción, Chile: Ediciones del Archivo Histórico de Concepción. pp. 144, 178. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
- "Reseña Biográfica Juan Zenón Freire Caldera". Reseñas biográficas parlamentarias (in Spanish). Valparaíso: Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
- "Reseña Biográfica Liborio Ramón Freire Caldera". Reseñas biográficas parlamentarias (in Spanish). Valparaíso: Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
- "Reseña Biográfica Liborio Francisco Freire Caldera". Reseñas biográficas parlamentarias (in Spanish). Valparaíso: Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
- "Carmen Viale Freire Dows, 70, A Former Chilean Ambassador". The New York Times. 28 January 1978. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
- "La construcción del Estado republicano (1823-1831): Ramón Freire Serrano (1787-1851)". Memoria Chilena (in Spanish). Santiago, Chile: Biblioteca Nacional Digital de Chile. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
- Chambers, Sarah C. (2015). Families in War and Peace: Chile from Colony to Nation. Durham, North Carolina: Duke University Press. p. 1148. ISBN 9780822375562. Retrieved 23 March 2026.