Tomás O'Neill

'''Tomás O'Neill y Salmón''' (5 October 1764 – unknown) was a Spanish colonial governor of the western Caribbean archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, today part of modern Colombia.

O'Neill was the son of an Irish father and Canarian mother His family background made him bilingual and this ability would influence and aid his later career. He would be the interpreter on board the Spanish expedition sent to expel the English speaking population of the archipelago in 1789. He himself having arrived in the New World nine years prior to this at the young age of 16. Rather than their expulsion (agreed to by the colonial powers under the Treat of Versailles and the Convention of 1786) he would be instrumental in not only helping secure the position of the existing inhabitants (English speaking Protestants), but would become their Governor and have a significant impact on the islands at a pivotal time in their history. Provided by Wikipedia