An exploration of women's involvement in the Latin American Wars of Independence

Margarita del Carmen Puch de Güemes

Gender:Female

Ethnic origen: White

Events:

Connections:

Biography:
She was born in Salta, 21 February 1797, daughter of Domingo Puch (a wealthy Spaniard who supported independence) and Dorotea Velarde. She married Martín Miguel de Güemes after he had broken an engagement with Juana Manuela Saravía. Güemes was apparently conducting an affair with a woman from Jujay and Saravía's father insisted Güemes end the affair, Güemes refused and Saravía ended the engagement to his daughter. Two months later, in July 1815, he married Puch, said to be the most beautiful woman of her time with white skin, blue eyes, blonde hair. They had three sons, Martín del Milagro, later governor of Salta, Luis and Ignacio, who died in infancy. She received news that her husband had been killed on 17 June 1821. She was heartbroken and said she could not live without him. She cut her hair, covered herself with a veil and lay on the floor in the darkest part of her room, staying there immobile until she died (in 1822), ignoring the pleas and tears of her family, and rousing herself only to kiss her children. Juana Manuela Gorriti wrote about her. (Sosa de Newton, 511)

References:

Sosa de Newton, Lily (1986) Diccionario biográfico de mujeres argentinas