Rodríguez Felipe was born in San Cristóbal de La Laguna, on the island of Tenerife (Canary Islands) on 3 May 1678.

He was baptized by the priest Manuel Hurtado Mendoza in the Iglesia de Los Remedios (Church of Our Lady of Los Remedios, today a cathedral in the city).
His godfather was Amaro López.
He was the son of Juan Rodríguez Felipe and Beatriz Tejera Machado.
He had seven brothers.
Three of his sisters entered the Convent of Santa Catalina de Siena in the city.
His family was affluent, possessing property both in and around the city.

Amaro lived with his family in the Plaza de San Cristóbal in La Laguna (also called "Plaza Tanque de Abajo").
The family had several possessions and houses, most of them located close to the political, economic, and religious center of the city, around the current Plaza del Adelantado (then called "Plaza de Abajo").

In 1701 he boarded as second lieutenant on a ship, the Ave María, nicknamed La Chata (The Barge), which was boarded by pirates.
This ship was a galley of the King of Spain then on the route between the Caribbean and Cadiz.
He advised the captain to feign surrender in order to start a battle from which they emerged victorious.
In gratitude, the captain gave Amaro his first ship.
With it he began his business activities, including participation in the African slave trade in Latin America.
For this, Amaro Pargo obtained a letter of marque from King Philip V of Spain.
Rodríguez Felipe was born in San Cristóbal de La Laguna, on the island of Tenerife (Canary Islands) on 3 May 1678.
He was baptized by the priest Manuel Hurtado Mendoza in the Iglesia de Los Remedios (Church of Our Lady of Los Remedios, today a cathedral in the city). His godfather was Amaro López. He was the son of Juan Rodríguez Felipe and Beatriz Tejera Machado. He had seven brothers. Three of his sisters entered the Convent of Santa Catalina de Siena in the city. His family was affluent, possessing property both in and around the city.
Amaro lived with his family in the Plaza de San Cristóbal in La Laguna (also called "Plaza Tanque de Abajo"). The family had several possessions and houses, most of them located close to the political, economic, and religious center of the city, around the current Plaza del Adelantado (then called "Plaza de Abajo").
In 1701 he boarded as second lieutenant on a ship, the Ave María, nicknamed La Chata (The Barge), which was boarded by pirates. This ship was a galley of the King of Spain then on the route between the Caribbean and Cadiz. He advised the captain to feign surrender in order to start a battle from which they emerged victorious. In gratitude, the captain gave Amaro his first ship. With it he began his business activities, including participation in the African slave trade in Latin America. For this, Amaro Pargo obtained a letter of marque from King Philip V of Spain.
Amaro Pargo