Tomás de Cardona

Map of the Gulf of California included by Nicolás de Cardona, 1632 nephew of Tomás de Cardona, in his report on the trip to the Kingdom of California.

Original Chart of San Francisco de Campeche by Nicolás de Cardona, 17th century, towards 1620. From Archivo de Indias, Seville Spain.

Tomás de Cardona, a native of Venice who lived in Seville during the 17th century, was a business entrepreneur and a favorite at the Spanish royal court. With his partners Sancho de Meras and Francisco de la Paraya, he invested in a company formed to exploit the pearl fisheries in California.

Exploration and enterprise

Encomienda from Phillip III for the enterprise Cardona, Merás and Paraya, all of whom were residents of Seville, petitioned the Spanish Crown for permission to voyage to the pearl fisheries of California and harvest pearl oysters using their vessels and certain implements in their possession they claimed would enable them to collect pearl oysters from depths of twenty-five to fifty fathoms, i.e.. In 1611 Tomás de Cardona was granted an "encomienda" from Philip III of Spain to create a company to exploit California's pearl fishery. In 1612 he signed an agreement with the viceroy to find pearl fisheries, look for General Luis Fernandez de Cordoba's lost galleons, and explore California.