Pedro de Castro was born in about 1524. He was approximately sixteen years old when he went on the Coronado Expedition. His brother might have been fellow expeditionary Francisco de Castro. Pedro was not present at the 1540 Muster, but did testify later that he went on the Expedition. Other than knowing he lived in Compostela after the Expedition's return, we know nothing with certainty due to the number of individuals with the same name.
1530-1540:
?AGI, Pasajeros, L.2, E.328 [March 22, 1535, son of Alonso de Castro and Ana Hernández, native of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, to Cartagena w/Junco]
?AGS, Contadurías Generales, exp. 849 [Francisco de Mendoza being named administrador general de las minas, Guadalcanal 18 August 1557; all the mine regulations and instructions to Mendoza [fol. 30 or so]; don Antonio Manrique, duque de Nájara; 17 May 1520; visorey in Navarra, conde de Treviño; delivered poder in Pamplona; don Alonso de Sotomayor, conde de Benalcaraz awarded a grant to exploit silver and lead and other metals for 9 years; 1511; Report of the grants made to miners up until 1554: don Antonio Manrique, duque de Nájera, 1520; Pedro de Castro villa de Aviados, bishopric of León, he and other miners have discovered gold, silver, copper, estano, lead; the grant to mine is for his lifetime; 18 May 1537; don Carlos de Arellano, getting the mines of don Ugo de Urries; 4 Feb. 1607];
?AGI, Pasajeros, L.2, E.4763 [Pedro de Castro, hijo de Pedro de Castro y de Catalina Sánchez, vecino de Palenzuela, a Nueva España, March 21, 1538];
?AGI, Pasajeros, L.2, E.5499 [Pedro de Castro, hijo de Fernando Castro y de María de Camba, vecino de Vegas de Camba (Ourense), en la armada de don Pedro de Alvarado, October 16, 1538];
?AGI, Pasajeros, L.3, E.963, [Nov. 14, 1539, son of Francisco de Castro and Isabel de la Torre, vecino of Aranda de Duero to Nueva España (several other Castros from Benavente)] [if this Pedro and the Justicia 336 Pedro are the same, then he would have arrived at age 15];
?AHP, Sevilla, Legajo 15.965, Oficio 23, 1539 [Debt: Pedro de Castro, merchant, vecino de Sevilla (collación de San Alfonso), and Gonzalo de Castro, corredor de la lonja, su fiador, owe Gaspar de Torres 13,250 maravedíes for 6 arrobas and 13 pounds of pimienta, August 28, 1539 [Castro can sign--signature]
1550-1560:
AGI, Justicia, 336, N.1 [witness: testimony concerning certain pueblos, Compostela, spring 1552] [Pedro de Castro, went on expedition, vecino of Compostela, about 28 years old, is de parte witness in Compostela] [could sign his name-no signature on copy];
?AGI, Contaduría, 676, N.3 [Mexico, 2 Oct. 1550- the Audiencia will report on the expenses to Peru in 1547, Payments made: Pedro de Castro, cutter, 134 pesos for 44 cueros];
?AGI, Contaduría, 1784, N.3 [Payments: Pedro de Castro una frazada (blanket) a 6 pesos]
?AGI, Contratación, 198, N.6 [Compostela, 2 Jan 1554, Bartolomé de Prado, deceased; a conocimiento contra Roxo, el mozo; conocimiento contra Alonso López; Geronimo Orozco, Pedro de Castro, purchasers]
?AGI, Pasajeros, L.3, E.3538 [1557, Guido de Labazares, vecino and native of Sevilla, son of Sebastián de Labazares and Catalina de Cháves, with his wife, Inés Álvarez, vecina of Sevilla; Francisco de Castro y Pedro de Castro, brothers-natives of Córdoba, sons of Luis Fernández y Leonor de Castro to Nueva España; obviously returning because he has 2 indios and 1 mestiza (is Guido returning with expeditionary Castro brothers?)]
1560-1570:
?Hillerkuss, Diccionario Biográfico, vol.1 [possibilities:1)married to Juana Jiménez; at least 1 daughter Francisca de Castro who married in 1563 (sic 1573)];
?Catálogo, Resumen e Índices, 3789 [22 Sep 1563, Mexico, Hernando de Castro, vecino de las minas de Los Zacatecas, estante en México, otorga poder general a Pedro de Castro y a Juan de Masaguer, vecinos de México. Firmó. Testigos: Nicolás de Morales, Juan de la Cueva y Hernando del Campo, procurador, vecinos y estantes];
1580-1590:
?Acuña, Relaciones Geográficas: Antequera [3:286: Nexpa…[enero 1580] desde este pueblo de Nexpa y sus términos, hasta donde parte términos con la jurisdicción del puerto de Acapulco, tres leguas, y, al fin de dicho término, una estancia de ganado mayor, que es de un español que llaman Pedro de Castro];
?AGN, Instituciones Coloniales, Gobierno Virreinal, GD51, General de Parte, vol.2, exp.1061-62 [fol. 237v: 1580, Pedro de Castro named alguacil of Tehuacan and the natives are making complaints about him; don Lorenzo Suarez de Mendoza tells Diego de Castañeda, juez de las Salinas de Ajuchitlan, that the governor and principales of Teguacan say that the appointed alguacil, Pedro de Castros, is entering their houses, taking their provisions and abusing them; ordered to remove him from office, 31 Oct. 1580]
?AGN Instituciones Coloniales, GD110, Real Audiencia, Tierras, vol.2948, exp.69, 1584 [fol.2: Castro, Pedro de; fol.149r-150v: apedimiento de Alonso Ortiz de Gamboa contra Pedro de Castro sobre pesos de oro; 77 pesos de oro comun que el dicho Pedro de Castro le pide y demanda; Gamboa can call witnesses; Mexico, 15 June 1584]
Relatives:
?AHAG, Justicia, Provisorato, 1562-1616, Caja 1 [19 Sept 1583, Guadalajara; witness to a poder of Domingo de Liçarras, Pedro Álvarez, Francisco Rodríguez and Antonio de Castro, descendant?]
Other Info:
?AHZ, Tierras y Aguas, Tierras, 1586-1695, Caja 1, Exp. 5 [fol. 1v [written in Guadalajara 3 Nov. 1666]: says a certain grant to Melchior Álvarez, conquistador, was situated between estancias of Juan de Tolosa, Juan Fernández, Pedro de Castro, on the Hermosilla River, 16 leagues from the mines of Zacatecas];
?AGI, Contratación, 576, L.6, 1566-1568 [fol. 73r: Pedro de Castro debe por el 50 maravedis]