Antonina Roxa
Antonina Roxa (c.1807 – 14 February 1869) was an early Falkland Islander who lived there before the British returned in 1833. Her exact birth is uncertain, with sources describing her as South American with possible Indigenous heritage.
Roxa first arrived in the Falklands in 1830 with Luis Vernet’s Port Louis settlement. When most residents left after the 1831 USS Lexington raid, she stayed on with about 24 others. She witnessed the turmoil that followed, including the mutiny and murder of the garrison commander in late 1832, and the later British reassertion of control in 1833.
After the British arrived, Roxa remained a key local figure. She struck a deal with Lt. Smith to turn the feral cattle into a milking herd, keeping every second calf, which helped her build a large cattle herd. Officials described her as humane and useful, especially in nursing and midwifery.
In 1841 she, along with a few others, swore allegiance to the Crown and became a British subject. The 1842 and 1843 censuses show her owning cattle, dogs, a cottage, and land. When government moved to Stanley, she owned property valued at about £30. In the late 1840s she worked as a nurse for Sir Bartholomew Sullivan, though drinking was later noted as a problem.
Historian David Tatham notes that she likely married Pedro Varela around 1851, and she leased a large 6,000-acre tract near San Carlos. Roxa died of cancer in 1869 and was buried in Stanley Cemetery. A monument near Port Louis bears her name as Antonina Vale.
Earlier records also mention a possible previous marriage to an American sailor named Kenney (Kinney) in the 1830s, but they were reportedly divorced in 1838. Details of her personal life remain partly uncertain.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 15:47 (CET).