Fernando Sánchez de Tovar
Spanish admiral and general
Fernando (or Fernán) Sánchez de Tovar (died 1384) was a Castilian soldier and admiral.
Soldier of Castile
During the Castilian Civil War, Sánchez de Tovar initially supported King Peter the Cruel, who appointed him adelantado mayor of Castile in 1360 and frontero mayor of Murcia in 1364. In 1366, he betrayed the King and delivered the city of Calahorra to Pedro's brother and enemy, Henry of Trastámara. One year later, Fernando Sánchez de Tovar fought on Henry's side in the Battle of Nájera.
Around 1366, Henry rewarded Sánchez de Tovar with the lordship of Astudillo. After the assassination of Peter in 1369, Henry bestowed on him the lordship of Gelves and made him his guarda mayor.
Admiral
In 1374, Sánchez de Tovar succeeded Ambrosio Boccanegra as Admiral of Castile.
Due to the hostile politics of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, the new king, Henry II of Castile joined the French side during the Hundred Years' War and declared war on England. In the port of Brest, the Count of Salisbury burnt seven Castilian merchant ships killing all their sailors. Sánchez de Tovar led a punishment expedition fleet along with the French Jean de Vienne to South England and sacked and burned the Isle of Wight and the English ports of Rye, Rottingdean, Winchelsea, Lewes, Folkestone, Plymouth, Portsmouth and Hastings.
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