Jose Solano y Bote

Infobox Military Person
name=General Captain of the Royal Navy José Solano y Bote, Spanish Navy
lived=March 11 1726 – death date and age|1806|4|24|1726|03|11
placeofbirth=Zorita, Extremadura, Spain
placeofdeath=Madrid, Spain


caption=
nickname=
allegiance=Spain
service=Spanish Royal Nay
serviceyears=1742–1806
rank=General Captain of the Royal Navy (1802)
commands=General Captain of Royal Navy
unit=
battles=Battle of Toulon (1744)
awards= Named Marqui de Socorro
laterwork= Governor and Captain General of Venezuela (1763-1771)
Governor and Captain General of Santo Domingo (1770)

José Solano y Bote (March 11 1726 – April 24 1806), marquess of Socorro, was a Spanish Naval leader.

He served an extensive career in the Spanish Navy starting at the age of 16 until his death in 1806. Shortly after joining the Spanish navy in 1742, he participated in the Battle of Toulon (1744), where the Spanish fleet defeated the British fleet. As a result of his performance in that battle he was promoted to the rank of "alférez de fragata". In 1754 he was promoted to the rank of "capitán de fragata" and sent to the Americas as a commissary named by the King with the objective of helping with the demarcation of the limits between Spain and Portugal's holdings.

During this charge he spent seven years traveling the Orinoco river and its tributaries as well as making several trips to Bogota in pursuit of additional funding from the Viceroy to support his efforts.

When he concluded his assignment he was promoted to the rank of "Capitán de Navío" in 1761. In 1762 after war broke out with England he took command of the "Rayo" a 100 gun ship of the line built in La Havana.

He was governor of Venezuela from 1763 to 1770 and later Governor and Captain General of Santo Domingo (1770). He became the General Captain of the Armada in 1804.

References

*Jose Luis Santalo Rodriguez de Viguri(1973). Don Jose Solano y Bote, Primer Marques del Socorro Capitan General de la Armada. Instituto Historico de Marina, Madrid. I.S.B.N. 84-00-03891-6