He was born in Santiago, Chile; the son of Juan Bonifacio de Tocornal and of Narcisa Jiménez Tordesillas; and was an active participant in the Chilean War of Independence, cooperating in the formation of the First Government Junta.
He was born in Santiago, Chile; the son of Juan Bonifacio de Tocornal and Narcisa Jiménez Tordesillas; and took part in the early stages of Chile's struggle for self-rule, which ultimately led to the formation of its first government.