Who was the First “Morales” on the island?

History mentions three possible candidates to be the first “Morales” to settle on the island of Puerto Rico.

 

The first candidate appears as part of the crew in Columbus first voyage in 1493, his name is “Alonso Morales” a carpenter by trade. He was part of the crew of the ship “Pinta”.

 

The second candidate is Andrés Morales. He traveled to the new world on Columbus third voyage. He was a Pilot of one of 17 ships and a cartographer by trade. In Sevilla Spain there is a monument dedicated to the mariners who participated in this grand enterprise.

 

The third candidate is Diego Morales a lawyer. I found him mentioned in one of the 6 volumes titled Historical Documents of Puerto Rico. He is mentioned as one of three gentlemen that were sent to the island of Puerto Rico from Española to replace Juan Ponce de Leon as governor of Puerto Rico in 1509.

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These are the three candidates with possibilities to settle on the island of Puerto Rico who’s surname was Morales; of these, “Diego Morales” is the best candidate because he is the only one to have physically lived on the island during the very beginning of the colonization process.