Héctor Canavery

Héctor Canavery (1854–1900s) was an Argentine politician and military. He was commissary in the district of Quilmes (Greater Buenos Aires), and also served as Lieutenant in the Argentine Army, taking part in expeditions against the Indians during the Conquest of the Desert.

Biography
Canavery was born in Barracas, Buenos Aires, his father Francisco Canavery, was Lieutenant of Cavalry in the Argentine Confederation. His mother Orfelia Segrestan, daughter of a French merchant. During his childhood, his family lived in a house on Calle Cuyo (now Sarmiento) 467, located in the exclusive neighborhood of San Nicolas.

In 1876, Héctor Canavery was appointed Second lieutenant of the Argentine Army, participating in military expeditions in the Patagonia. He served in the Argentine Army for six years and nine months, obtaining his retirement with the position of Lieutenant. His appointment as an officer of the army was by signature of then-President Nicolás Avellaneda and his Minister of War Adolfo Alsina.

Canavery also served as officer of the Police of the Province of Buenos Aires. Towards the year of 1890, he was appointed to the position of Chief of police in the town of Quilmes. Later he devoted himself to politics, militating in the Partido Autonomista Nacional, and holding the position of Legislator of Buenos Aires province in 1890s. As a member of Congress he was a colleague of Benito Lynch, a prominent politician of the National Autonomist Party, who was a direct descendant of Justo Pastor Lynch.

Retired from political life, Canavery performed administrative tasks in the Arsenal Principal de Guerra.

In 1896, Lt. Héctor Canavery and his brother Lt. Col. Saturnino Canavery, were appointed to integrate the Plana Mayor of reserve forces of the Argentine Army. They were cousins in third degree of Angel Canavery, a military man, who had served during the Conquest of the Desert as Lieutenant in the 1° Regimiento de Línea.

Héctor Canavery was descendant of Francisco Pelliza, a soldier who had participated in the Argentine War of Independence. His sister, María Luisa Canaveri was goddaughter of Gregorio Lemos, son of Juan Gregorio Lemos, a senior officer who served to orders of General José de San Martín during the wars for Independence. On June 15, 1885 Héctor Canavery was married in the Parish of Inmaculada Concepción of Quilmes to Clara Flores, daughter of Vladislao Flores and Pastora Sánchez. He and his wife settled in the town of Quilmes, being parents of Héctor Raúl, Enrique Guillermo (godson of Enrique S. Quintana), Mario César, Lila and Julio.

His great grandfather, Juan Canaverys belonged to families from southern France and northwest Italy, and whose remote ancestors came from the Central and Western part of Europe. His maternal surname Segrestán from the Old French "secrestein", has its etymology in the guardian or custodian of the church (occupational surname). The oldest record about this surname is found in a Thomas Segrestan, inhabitant of London in the 13th century. The Segrestán's family had arrived to Río de la Plata near 1830. Around 1880 some members of this family settled in the area of Lomas de Zamora, south of the great Buenos Aires. Pedro Segrestán (Hector Canavery's grandfather) born in Paris was married in Buenos Aires to María Uriarte, born in San Luis Province, belonging to a traditional family of Basque and Creole roots.

In 1920, Héctor Raúl Canavery Flores had owned a fine poultry farm, located in the town of Banfield, southern area of Greater Buenos Aires.