Richard Kane

Richard O'Cahan ( born December 20 1666 Dunay, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, † December 31, 1736 in Mahon ) under the name Richard Kane was known an Irish soldier, Colonel, Brigadier-General and Governor of the Spanish Balearic island of Menorca.

Life

1680 Kane took part in the fighting between Catholics and Protestants on the island of Ireland. In the Spanish Succession wars on the battlefields of Flanders, he emerged as a lieutenant under the command of the Duke of Marlborough. In 1710 he was promoted to colonel. 1711 he participated in the expedition of General Jack Hill in the later province of Quebec ( Canada).

The end of 1712 he returned to England and was ordered to Menorca. Together with the Duke of Argyll, chief representative of the Queen Anne Stuart of Great Britain, it was his job to take the island of Menorca in possession.

By the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 Minorca fell to Great Britain. The Duke of Argyll was appointed Governor of Minorca. After a few months in office Kane was the successor to the Duke and took command in Menorca as military governor. From 1725 to 1727 O'Cahan worked in Gibraltar to prepare this on the defense just before the impending English- Spanish war. Governor in the time of his absence was Lord Charpentier. In 1733 he returned and was Titulargouverneur of Menorca. 1735 Kane was promoted to brigadier general.

He died on December 31, 1736, in Mahon and was buried in the chapel of San Felipe Castle.

Works

The person Kanes were numerous improvements attributed to island life, such as marketing, manufacturing and trading in Mahon -Menorca cheese, because of the departure of the British had left a vacuum in the island's economy. Kane has not only drawn a growing importance of milk and cheese production in Menorca, he also reformed weights and measures, introduced new cattle and sheep breeds in order to improve by new crossings, the productivity of indigenous livestock, let new vineyards create, expanded the fruit growing significantly and introduced improvements to water supply and forestry in Menorca.

S'Aljub, one of the major military architecture from the years 1714-1715 by Richard Kane, is also a huge water reservoir in Es Mercadal. Surrounded by walls in the style of the great fortifications, it is still in operation today.

In the archives of the Crown of Aragon, the importance Richard O'Cahans for minorcan livestock industry and trade in Mahon cheese is occupied.

Awards

• To commemorate streets were named after him in Menorca, like the so-called Cami d'en Kane or Kane 's Road, which connects the San Felipe Castle with Ciutadella between Mahon and Es Mercadal.
• A variety of plum bears his name.
• In the City of Westminster, a memorial was erected.

Swell

• Richard O'Cahan (Catalan, English)
• Miquel À. Casa Novas i Camps: Història de Menorca. Moll, Mallorca 2005, ISBN 978-84-273-1059-9.