'''Joseph Delespine''' (1789–1834) was a merchant and land owner in Florida in the 19th century.<ref>[https://fsgs.org/florida-pioneer-biographies/francisca-de-paula-petronita-fontanet-joseph-delespine-frances-jane-delespine-christian-jacob-bernhard-boye/ Francisca de Paula Petronita Fontanet; Joseph Delespine; Frances Jane Delespine; Christian Jacob Bernhard Boye"], Florida Pioneer Biographies, summited by Laura Lee Berenson, Johanna Schuster Jones, Emily Johanna Perkins and Mary Pauline Schuster, Florida State Genealogical Society website, 10 March 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2025.</ref> The Spanish land grants in Florida he received were the subject of two cases at the Supreme Court of the United States.<ref>[https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/37/654/ "United States v. Delespine's Heirs, 37 U.S. 654 (1838)"], ''Justia'' website. Retrieved 3 September 2025.</ref><ref>[https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/40/319/ "United States v. Delespine, 40 U.S. 319 (1841)"], ''Justia'' website. Retrieved 3 September 2025.</ref><ref>Marks, Henry S. [https://dpanther.fiu.edu/sobek/content/FI/18/05/09/00/00020/FI18050900_00020_00007.pdf "A Forgotten Spanish Land Grant in South Florida"], pages 53–54. Retrieved 3 September 2025.</ref>
On 8 April 1817, he petitioned for 50,000 acres of land on the west of Indian River and on 9 April 1817, José María Coppinger, the Governor of Spanish East Florida, granted him 43,000 acres.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/image/303888964/ "Council Removed Obstacle to New Motel Construction"], ''Orlando Evening Star'', Orlando, Florida, 85th year, number 259, 3 November 1961, Brevard Edition, page 1. {{subscription required}}</ref>
In 1821, Delespine purchased 8,000 acres (32 km2) at Hobe Sound, Florida, including Jupiter Island, for $1 per acre.<ref>Lund, Frank. [https://www.townofjupiterisland.com/184/History "The Jupiter Island Story: A Short History"], ''The Town of Jupiter Island Website''. Retrieved 3 September 2025.</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/232594?id=1 Confirmed Claims of Joseph Delespine], 151 page collection at the State Library and Archives of Florida (Florida Memory website)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Delespine, Joseph}} Category:1789 births Category:1834 deaths
Category:Merchants from Florida Category:19th century in Florida Category:19th-century merchants Category:Bahamian people Category:Spanish Florida