An Argentine visit to a town has put a focus on the link between the community and the capital city of the South American country. A contingent from Argentina recently travelled to Banff in 1824 when he received the freedom of the burgh. The group included Argentine ambassador Mariana Plaza and members of the British San Martin Institute.
The trip commemorated the General’s visit to Banff 200 years ago where he stayed with his friend James Duff, the 4th Earl Fife. It was revealed during the bicentenary event in Duff House that this friendship led to a square in Buenos Aires to be called “Plaza Ciudad de Banff” – Town of Banff. General José Francisco de San Martín was a name to be conjured with in Banff early in the 19th century.
He became a great friend of James, the 4th Earl Fife, after they met during the Peninsular Wars in Spain. At that time they had both given allegiance to Spain, but José was born in Argentina, and in 1812 was drawn back to South America. The Burgess Roll of Banff for 1824 lists José as from Colombia, rather than Argentina; at the time this was correct as José’s last South American domicile was in Guayaquil, originally in Peru, at that time very recently annexed to Colombia and today in Ecuador.
It was actually James Earl Fife – who had returned to UK in 1811 after his father the 3rd Earl died – that organised José’s trip from Spain via London, as switching allegiances to now fight against Spain from being one of their most s.