José Ignacio Heredia y Mota



José Ignacio Heredia y Mota (1859–1930)
Great-Grandfather

José Ignacio Heredia Mota was born on November 23, 1859, in Baní, Dominican Republic, though his son Rodolfo later insisted his father was born in Santiago, Cuba, despite official records stating otherwise. He was the son of Brigadier General Francisco Xavier Heredia Sola, a notable figure in the Dominican Republic, and the brother of Nicolás Heredia y Mota, a poet, novelist, journalist, lawyer, surgical doctor, and Cuban revolutionary born in 1855 in Baní, who later became a prominent figure in Matanzas, Cuba. He was instrumental in Cuba's fight for independence.

José Ignacio followed a path of military service, joining the Cuban Army during the Cuban War of Independence (1895–1898). By 1898, he had attained the rank of 1st Lieutenant, contributing to the struggle against Spanish colonial rule. His father’s connection to General Máximo Gómez, a key figure in the Cuban independence movement, is noteworthy. Gómez, born in Baní in 1836, served as Francisco Xavier’s secretary in Ocoa during his youth, indicating a close familial tie to the revolutionary cause.

After the war, José Ignacio settled in Baní, Dominican Republic, where he married his first wife, Pelegrina Lara y de los Santos. Together, they had four children: a son, Rodolfo Heredia y Lara (September 3, 1916 – February 21, 1991), and three daughters. Rodolfo’s eldest child, Carmen C. Heredia y González de Peguero, is the mother of Edgar L. Peguero y Heredia. Later in life, José Ignacio separated from Pelegrina and relocated to Santo Domingo, where he married his second wife and had three additional daughters.

José Ignacio’s life reflects the turbulent era of Caribbean independence movements, with his military service in Cuba and his familial ties to both Dominican and Cuban revolutionary figures. He passed away in 1930 in Santo Domingo, leaving a legacy through his children and his contributions to the Cuban independence effort.

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