Patricio French

Patricio French (c. 1742 – c. 1800) was a Spanish soldier, politician and merchant. He was one of the main merchants of the Río de la Plata towards the end of the 18th century dedicated to the import of flour during the colonial period of Buenos Aires.
Biography.
Patricio French was born in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Càdiz, Spain, the son of Patricio French and Cristobalina Alcalá, members of a noble family of Irish and Spanish origin. He studied in his native country, and possibly served in the Army for a short period. He arrived at the Río de la Plata aboard the ship Nuestra Señora de la Concepción from Cádiz in December 1770. 
He was married in the Cathedral of Buenos Aires on May 25, 1772, with María Isabel de Urreaga Dávila, daughter of Domingo de Urreaga, born in Bilbao and Bernardina Manuela Dávila de Lafuente, belonging to a distinguished Creole family of the city of Buenos Aires.
He and his wife were parents of Domingo María French Urreaga, a patriot, who had an active participation in the May Revolution and Argentine War of Independence. His family also participated heroically during the British invasions of the River Plate. 
The house of the French Urreaga family was located on the Calle Balcarce current No. 1062, neighborhood of San Telmo.
Patricio French belonged to the noble lineage of the French family who were originally from Galway (Ireland). His Irish ancestors include Oliver French, Mayor of Galway and his wife Margaret Joyes, whose descendants were exiled in Spain for political and religious reasons.