James Maestre
James Luis Maestre 1760-1829
James Maestre was a lucky survivor of one of Pensacola's earliest yellow fever epidemics. Born in 1760 in Massamagrell, Valencia, Spain, Maestre came to Pensacola in the early 1800s. Records indicate that James also went by the name Luis. By 1820, Maestre was married to a woman named Anna he had met in Louisiana. He found work as a grocer/tavern keeper. In 1821, he signed his name to a petition to Congress requesting that West Florida be allowed to create its own government under the United States, rather than be annexed by Alabama. The next year, the yellow fever struck Pensacola, killing vast numbers and scaring many of the rest into the countryside. Maestre survived this epidemic.
He died at the age of 69 on March 20th, 1829. He was survived by his wife and daughters. His marble grave marker once showed a skull and crossbones, earning it the nickname of the "pirate's grave." A cemetery survey published in 1938 is the only source for this information, as the marker itself has deteriorated to the point that no skull or crossed bones survive. This demonstrates the importance of old documentation in reconstructing the past.
