José Ramon Fernández

José Ramon Fernández, 1st Marquis of La Esperanza (1808–1883), was the wealthiest sugar baron in Puerto Rico in the 19th century. He was also one of the most powerful men of the entire Spanish Caribbean. He owned an immense plantation of nearly 2300 acres on the northern coast of Puerto Rico, and a sugar mill with an advanced steam engine. His wealth and political connections gave him the power to convince the Spanish Colonial government in the island to split the municipality of Manati in two, and thus found the municipality of Barceloneta.

The Hacienda La Esperanza steam engine has been designated a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark. Today the entire property is owned by the Puerto Rico Conservation Trust, which preserves and protects it, including some of the only coastal forest left in the region.

Early years Fernández (birth name: José Ramon Fernández y Martínez) was one of three siblings born to Fernando Fernández and Francisca Martínez in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Fernández's father was a Spanish naval captain from Castile who fought against pirates and English merchant ships. In 1797, the Spanish Crown granted him large plots of land in the towns of Bayamon and Manati in recognition of his service to Spain.

In Bayamon he planted sugar cane and raised cattle. He named the property the "Santa Ana Plantation". Like other planters, he depended on imported African slaves for labor on the plantations. In 1804, the senior Fernández used a mixture of sugar and honey to process and distill rum. He aged his product in special barrels imported from Europe. The rum he produced was only for his own personal use and that of his family and friends, and he served it with pleasure. The senior Fernández did the same with his other plantation in Manati, which he named Hacienda La Esperanza.

According to Puerto Rican historian Federico Ribes Tovar, there were many instances when rival tribes in Africa would kidnap royal members of another tribe and sell them to slave traders. This was the case of one of Fernández's slave in 1832. He noticed that the slave in question received special treatment from his other slaves. When he found out about the slave's royal lineage, he sent him back to Africa.

Fernández married Clemencia Dorado y Serrano. They had four daughters, the youngest of whom died young. An 1868 uprising against the monarchs of Spain forced Queen Isabella II to go into exile in September of that year. This revolt, which deposed the queen, is known as the Glorious Revolution. It ushered the First Spanish Republic into power. After much deliberation, the new government replaced Isabella with Amadeo I, son of the Italian king.

The new provisional government allowed its colonies to send representatives to the Spanish Court. Fernández was among those who represented Puerto Rico. On February 5, 1869, the Spanish government bestowed the title of "Marqués de La Esperanza" (Marquis of Hope, related to the name of his plantation) upon Fernández.

Rum Another of Fernando Fernández' sons inherited the property at Bayamon. His line has kept some of the property. Based on a son's education in France and learning about cognac aged in oak barrels, the family made changes to their rum-making process. In 1915, they started producing Ron del Barrilito (literally, rum from the little barrel) for commercial sales. Fernández descendants still produce this local brand of Puerto Rican rum at Bayamon.