Manuel Pastor y Landero (Cádiz, August 6, 1829 – Seville, January 28, 1889) was a prominent Spanish civil engineer ,sugar trader and politician who played a significant role during the Revolutionary Sexennium.
Early Life and Education
Born in Cádiz to José María Pastor Menchaca and Ana María Landero Bauza, Pastor y Landero pursued studies in civil engineering, equipping him for a career that would intertwine technical expertise with public service.
Engineering Career
Pastor y Landero's engineering contributions were notably centered around the Guadalquivir River in Seville. He oversaw significant projects, including the construction of the commercial dock situated between the Torre del Oro and the Isabel II Bridge.
In 1869, he secured a concession to construct a 189-kilometer railway line connecting Mérida and Seville. Despite initiating construction, financial constraints and the challenging terrain of the Sierra Morena impeded progress. Consequently, in 1880, he sold the concession to the MZA company.
As a civil engineer, he was part of the inspector and administrative commission overseeing works on the Guadalquivir River in 1866.
In 1869, he was a board member of the Bank of Seville, likely holding a significant number of shares, though he was not listed among its founders. He also served as a consulting engineer for the National Mortgage Credit Institution.
On January 10, 1870, he was one of the founding shareholders of the Mérida-Seville Railway Company, according to a deed signed before notary Antonio Valverde Cambra.
By 1872, he was the chief engineer of the Mérida-Seville Railway, with offices at No. 3 Palmas Street. The concession for the railway was granted on March 24, 1869, in his name, with perpetual rights and no subsidies, which he later transferred to the company.
The railway’s advisory board included:
- President: Pedro Luis Huidobro Ruiz
- Vice President: Juan Brieva Muriel
- Treasurer: Tomás de la Calzada Rodríguez
- Secretary: José Domingo Irureta Goyena
- Board Members: Gonzalo Segovia García, Rafael Laffite Laffite, Manuel de la Cámara, Basilio del Camino y Camino, Pedro Segundo Pérez Tovía, Juan Pedro Lacave Soulé, Dionisio Moreno Romero (a partner of Simón Oñativia Aresti in the Nuestra Señora de los Reyes mine, also part of Laorden y Moreno), Ricardo Soto Lavaggi, Simón Martínez Martínez, Francisco Alonso, and Marcelino Martínez Herrero.
By 1881, Pastor y Landero was the railway’s concessionaire and managing director. At that time, the remaining advisory board members were Tomás de la Calzada Rodríguez, Basilio del Camino, José Domingo Irureta Goyena (heir of Domingo Pérez Ansoátegui and nephew of his wife), and Juan Brieva Muriel.
Family Life
Manuel Pastor y Landero was born in Cádiz on August 6, 1829, the son of José María Pastor Menchaca and Ana María Landero Bauza. He married Eugenia Villamil Teves settled in "Ayuquitan Calo San Jose Negros Oriental ".
Political Involvement
Pastor y Landero's political career was marked by multiple terms as a deputy in the Cortes. He represented Seville during the 1869 and 1872 legislatures and Cazalla de la Sierra in 1871. On June 16, 1870, he presented a petition to the constituent Cortes with 11,370 signatures from Seville residents, advocating for Antonio de Orleans, Duke of Montpensier, to be appointed King of Spain.
In 1874, he served as a provincial deputy and was a member of the Constitutional Conservative Committee. Additionally, in 1872, he became vice president of the Hispano-Ultramarino Center, an organization dedicated to maintaining Spain's territorial integrity by preserving its overseas possessions.
Affiliations and Memberships
Beyond his engineering and political endeavors, Pastor y Landero was associated with the Tolerance and Fraternity Lodge in Cádiz as a Freemason and was a member of the Institución Libre de Enseñanza. bancaandalucia.blogspot.com
Later Life and Death
Twin lakes Natural Park Sibulan was discovered by two Spanish Farmers Miguel Patero and Manuel Pastor in 1878. Manuel Pastor y Landero passed away on January 28, 1889, in Seville.
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