LORENZO ALVAREZ cc AUGUSTINA DE VIERA

Hola prim@s,

Here are some of my notes regarding Lorenzo Alvarez and Augustina de Viera, which I thought I’d share here.

Found at PARES/AGIS:

Indiferente General/MERITOS: Diego Flores de la Torre
Fecha: 1674-7-16  
Relación de méritos y servicios del bachiller Diego Flores de la Torre, arcediano de la catedral de Guadalajara, hijo del licenciado Diego Pérez de la Torre, gobernador y capitán general de Nueva Galicia, y de Ángela de Velasco.
Código de Referencia: ES.41091.AGI/23.15.195//INDIFERENTE,201,N.1

This folder is a goldmine: 144 pages regarding the Flores de la Torre and associated lines. Included are transcriptions of older documents, in legible script and in pristine condition. If you’re related, I recommend it. Genealogies begin on image 77. Some of the associated names are:
-Hernán Flores.
-María Suárez de la Torre.
-Ángela de Figueroa.
-Francisco de Figueroa.
-Mariana Bañuelos.
-Juan Ramírez de la Campaña.
-Francisco de Orozco.
-Juan Arias de Valdés.
-Sancho de Rentería.
-Francisco Rodríguez Ponce.
-Juana de Bocanegra.
-Diego de Bocanegra.
-María Verdugo de los Ávalos.
-Antonio Sarmiento.
-Francisco de Ayllón.
-Fernando Caro.

Relevant to thread, are the actos del cabildo of the Villa de los Lagos, dated 21 Feb 1569 (images 47/144-60/144). Present were “los magnificos señores” Pedro de Villa Saniel, Luis Lopez alcalde ordinario, Pedro Garniso, Diego Gutierrez Caram, Pedro Roman and Juan Vezerra, “Regidores Justicia e Rexemiento por Su Magestad.” At the time, there was no royal scribe, so they selected Juan Lopez as “escribano de Cabildo e Jusgado.”

The next part is dated 6 Dec 1569: before Pedro de Villa Saniel alcalde ordinario, and Juan Lopez escrivano; also present were Alonso Macias Balades and Melchor Vicente, vecinos de Lagos. This is a report on an entrada led by “el Muy Magnifico Señor Lorenço Alvarez, Vezino desta Villa, Juez de Comision Contra Los Indios Salteadores por el ilustre Señor Juan Baptista de Orosco, oydor y Capitan General deste Nuevo Reyno de la Nueva Galicia.” Summary: Capitan Lorenzo Alvarez had led an entrada against a group of Indians - highwaymen and “killers of Christians” (i.e., “Spaniards”). They entered an area called “Virgenes” and captured hundreds of Indians, along with a number of women and children who accompanied them. At the end of the jornada, Alvarez “repartio velas a los soldados” - he divvied up the newly captured “slaves” among the soldiers who participated, according to what each merited. There was a controversy about a “fulano llamado Pancho,” who some of the soldiers didn’t want there, so Alvarez told him not to go. Apparently, he went anyways, and though Alvarez didn’t distribute any slaves to him, Don Lorenzo Padilla shared a portion of his slaves with him. To verify his report, Alvarez presented 3 witnesses - all soldiers who accompanied him on the entrada: Francisco Camacho 40, Antonio Lopez de Vergara 34, and Alonso Macias Valades 40+.

Wow, right? These cabildos were held just 6 years after the founding of Lagos, so this is first generation. There are some names that I’ve never seen before. This document would have been included to establish the pedigree of Diego Flores de la Torre, son of Hernan Flores cc Ana de Sandi; Ana de Sandi was daughter of Alvaro Carrillo cc Maria Alvarez de Sandi, and granddaughter of Lorenzo Alvarez cc Agustina de Viera. Their names are all mentioned in the genealogies.

Additional biographical notes:

- Luis Lopez alcalde ordinario was born around 1510 in Puebla de Montalban, Toledo, son of Sancho Lopez; his first wife was Maria de San Pedro, who died in Spain, and his second wife was Mencia Lopez, of Torrijos, Toledo, daughter of Juan Lopez cc Ynes Lopez. According to PARES/AGIS, Mencia Lopez passed to Indies in 1555 to join her husband, accompanied by his son, Juan Lopez (San Pedro), and their son, Gabriel Lopez, and this one’s wife, Luisa de Espinar y Piñon, and their child, Alonso Lopez de Espinar (age 2, later vicar of Lagos). I doubt if this is the same Mencia Lopez who was married to Francisco Lopez Muñiz, though they are likely related, both being from Torrijos, and since the latter’s granddaughter, Luisa de Nava cc Francisco Muñoz, was said to be a cousin of Alonso Lopez de Espinar.
- Juan Lopez escribano de cabildo might be Luis Lopez’s son from his first marriage, though it’s hard to say, since no second surname is provided; I’ve seen inquisition documents from this era on which he served as escribano nombrado.
- Juan Becerra: this is the first time I’ve seen him named as a regidor. Interestingly enough, his suegro, Toribio Hernandez de Arellano, isn’t listed, so this might predate when he served in that capacity (as early as Jan 1570).
- Don Lorenzo Padilla is likely the same who was married to Doña Mariana de Velasco.

LORENZO ALVAREZ

From Guadalajara Tierras y Aguas: on 15 Jan 1577, Doctor Geronimo de Orozco, president of the Real Audiencia de Guadalajara and governor of the Nuevo Reino de Galicia, granted to Lorenso Alvarez, resident of the Villa de Santa Maria de los Lagos, a “merced” of 2 caballerias de tierra, situated just west of lands that he already possessed.

On 10 Sep 1590, in Lagos, Lorenzo Alvarez and his son-in-law, Alvaro Carrillo, gave testimony on behalf of Padre Alonso Lopez de Espinar, in his countersuit against Padre Tomas Ruiz (Note: I posted about this case in an earlier NR post). In his rebuttal, Padre Tomas Ruiz stated that Lorenzo Alvarez’s and Alvaro Carrillo’s testimonies should be disqualified, due to bias: apparently, Alvaro Carrillo and Padre Tomas had had some words, which culminated with Carrillo “throwing his hat and hitting the cleric in the face.” The animosity between the two continued, with Carrillo saying that vicar should be removed. Lorenzo Alvarez, siding with his son-in-law, also treated Padre Tomas with animosity, “saying nasty things and making threats behind his back,” and saying that “someone should bust Padre Tomas over the head.” Padre Tomas described Alvaro Carrillo as “un hombre parlero (gossipy), jactancioso (boastful) y fisgador (meddling),” and he described Lorenzo Alvarez as “un hombre muy torpe (inappropriate) y mentiroso (a liar) y malicioso (malicious).” Though possibly “exaggerated,” these descriptions might give some insight into the character of these 2 early settlers (both who appear in my lines at least 2 times!). By the way, Padre Tomas also had some unfavorable things to say about Juan Gomez de Portugal, who also testified against him.

AUGUSTINA DE VIERA, HERNANDO DE VIERA Y BEATRIZ ALVAREZ

From her marriage record, we know that Augustina de Viera was daughter of Hernando de Viera and Beatriz Alvarez, and at the time, she was living in the home of a Melchor de Morales. Found at PARES/AGIS, is a document dated 1 Jun 1552, in which Hernando de Viera and Beatriz Alvarez, vecinos de Aznalcazar, Sevilla, were given permission to pass to Indies. Traveling with them were her 3 sons from her previous marriage to Blas Nieto, named Cristobal, Gabriel and Hernando. Since Augustina de Viera isn’t mentioned, it can be presumed that she was born in Mexico (though it’s still possible that she arrived at a later date).

In 1571, a Juan de Morales cc Leonor de Lara, residents of Mitique, in the jurisdiction of Teocaltiche, was accused of saying some “palabras malsonantes y ante la santa fe catolica.” I posted this in another NR thread. While reviewing this proceso, I realized that one of the witnesses was Hernando de Viera, vecino de Teocaltiche. He gave his testimony on 6 Jul 1571, and his age is given as “over 50” (born before 1521). In the second paragraph, he answers the first question, which is how long he had known Juan de Morales “in these parts”; unfortunately, I can’t decipher the number of years given, so we don’t know how long he was living in Teocaltiche. Either way, we can now place Hernando de Viera, living in Teocaltiche in 1571.

On 12 Dec 1607, Augustina de Viera, viuda de Lorenzo Alvarez, and her son, Juan Alvarez, agreed that they would pay 382 pesos y 7 tomines de oro comun to merchant Juan de Burgos, of which 285 pesos y 2 tomines were owed him by her deceased husband, plus another 97 pesos y 5 tomines, for clothing and other items sent to their hacienda. One of the witnesses present was Alvaro Carrillo. This establishes that Lorenzo Alvarez died before 12 Dec 1607.

On 5 May 1611, Augustina de Viera, as mother, tutora y curadora de la persona y bienes de Juan Alvarez su hijo, gave power to Francisco de Espinosa, escribano publico of Teocaltiche, so that he can “receive and collect money for any horses, mares, cattle and mules wearing their brand, as well as any lands that they have in the jurisdiction of the Villa de los Lagos and the pueblo de Mesquitique and in other parts.” In addition to identifying some of the properties owned by this family, this establishes that Juan Alvarez had not yet reached his age of majority in May 1611, placing his birth after 1586 (I Believe 25 was the age of majority during that era; anyone?).

AUGUSTINA DE LAS RUELAS

Augustina de las Ruelas was the daughter of Antonio Jimenez de Castañeda cc Jacinta de las Ruelas (the latter, a daughter of Andres Martin Barriga cc Maria de las Ruelas). She was baptized 4 Sep 1628 in San Matias, Pinos, and married Nicolas Carrillo de Sandi on 22 Jan 1648, in Teocaltiche. In later church documents, she appears with the name “Augustina de Viera.” This leads me to believe that she was named for the elder Augustina de Viera, but one wonders: was she just named for a dear friend, or was there a blood link between one of her parents and Augustina I? There appears to be no mention of a dispensa in her marriage record, which might have been needed, since Nicolas Carrillo was great-grandson of Augustina I. Just food for thought.

I hope you all find this helpful!
Manny Díez Hermosillo