Juan Francés

Brief Biography

The documentary record indicates only one Juan Francés in Mexico, so most likely he is the expeditionary. Juan was an early conqueror having participated in the conquest of Mexico with Cortés, as well as in the conquest of Nueva Galicia with Guzmán. He was present at the 1540 muster and was listed as a footman. It appears from the documents that he returned from the Expedition to live in Compostela. His documentary trail may have gone cold because he may have been at an advanced age when he participated in the Expedition and died not long after.

Gender
Male
Last Known Location
Culiacán, Mexico
Position on Expedition
Footman
References-Documentary

pre 1530:

?ARChV, Registro de Ejecutorías, Caja 365,44 [1523-11-30: María del Castillo, vecina de Valladolid, con Juan Francés, vecino de Villanueva de las Carretas (Burgos), sobre la restitución a María del Castillo de la dote de su madre Juan Francés, zapatero, con Gaspar Sidor, zapatero, vecinos de; Juan Francés is absent; 14 July 1523 in Valladolid, María del Castillo presented her case: that Juana de Veraçar/Veraça, her mother, abia se y bandada (abandoned?) segunda vez con Juan Francés; when they were married they had substanitial property; when her mother died, she was the universal heir and wants the property; the council rules in favor of María];

Garmendia Leal, Fundadores, p.103 [soldados of Nuño de Guzmán, 1529, listed among the jinetes y peones]

1540-1550:

1540,Feb: Muster in Flint & Flint, Documents, Document 12 [footman, sword, round shield]

“Disposal of the Juan Jiménez Estate,” in Flint & Flint, Documents, Document 27 [during expedition, Jiménez made loan to Francés for 8 pesos]

AGI, Patronato, 56, N.2, R.3 [5 July 1541: Probanza of Juan Pérez de Herrera, Mexico City, one of his questions: Juan de Herrera with a Porras and Juan Francés went to the province of Michoacán during the conquest and pacified it; witness: Diego Hernández Nieto, vecino, 35+, present at the conquest and Probanza of his brother, Pedro Hernández, 1541, Pedro Hernández Soldán, with Cortés, served under Pedro de Alvarado, along with Porras and Juan Francés they went looking for supplies];

Warren, Conquest of Michoacán [p.30: 1541: testimony by witnesses for the probanzas of Juan de Herrera and Pedro de Hernández (brothers), tell a story of a Juan Francés, a soldier in the camp of Pedro de Alvarado in Tacuba, left the camp after the fall of Tenochititlan and went to the Tarascan kingdom];

AGI, Justicia, 197, N.3 [5 July 1541, Probanza of Juan Pérez de Herrera; Question 3-his many services included- estando en Tacuba con don Pedro de Alvarado syendo capitan por el capitan general don Hernando Cortés que a la sazon hera por sm el dicho Juan de Herrera con otros dos espanoles -- Porras y el otro Juan Francés syn se tener noticia de la provincía de Michuacan fueron a la dicha provincía in peace and read the requerimiento; Juan Herrera has 1/2 the pueblo of Epatlan in company with his brother Pero Hernández; Diego Hernández, 35+/- (Francés may not have been called because he was in Cibola)]

AGI, Indiferente General, 1208, N.80, “Petition by the vecinos of Compostela” [28 Nov. 1549: residentes-Alonso López; estantes-Juan Francés, Juan Ruiz]

López-Portillo y Weber, La Conquista de La Nueva Galicia  [p.448: Francés, Juan in the 3rd relación];

?AGI, Contaduría, 1784, N.3 [Lima, Peru: cargo de 200 pesos que rescibio de Juan Francés que hizo de prestido; and 100 pesos]

1570-1580:

?ARChV, PL Civiles, Pérez Alonso (F), Caja 769,1 [1576-1577: Pleito de Catedral, de León Luis Fernández, de Medina de Rioseco (Valladolid) Juan Francés, de Villalón de Campos (Valladolid) Ana Pérez, de Villalón de Campos (Valladolid) Sobre Ejecución en bienes de Juan Francés y Santiago de Escobar, su fiador por diversas deudas contraídas con la catedral de León, Luis Fernández y otros. Sale al pleito Ana Pérez, mujer de Juan Francés; vecino of Villalon]

1580-1590:

?AHN, Sección Nobleza, ALMODOVAR, C.53, D.33-34 [1590-07-06 Partición de los bienes de Juan Francés e Isabel de Alarcón su mujer. Testamento de Cristóbal de Alarcón y su mujer. Testamento de Alonso de Alarcón. 6 July 1590, Cuenca; their children (Juan and Isabel) - Cristóbal de Alarcón, Julian de Alarcón and Diego de Alarcón (scribe), Mari Hernández, Jacoba Francés; Cristóbal de Alarcón, el viejo, their grandfather; Juan Francés, mercader, vecino of Cuenca; heirs are Cristóbal, Julian and Diego; 1586-Juan Francés is deceased but Isabel is not; regarding houses left by Isabel's father, Alonso de Alarcón, on calle San Juan; her fathers will was Día de San Juan, June 1537; have signature dated 16 Jan 1590 (can't account for the date discrepancy)]

Other Info:

Hillerkuss, Diccionario Biográfico, vol.2  [1) conquistador of Mexico City; made incursion to Michoacán; Nuño de Guzmán, 1529; 1540 to Cíbola, p.2:153];

?ARChV, Zarandona y Balboa (OLV), Caja 707,9 [Pleito de Juan de Salazar, de Fresneña y García de Arce (Juan Francés), de Belorado];

?ARChV, PL Civiles, Moreno (OLV), Caja 878,4 [1578: Pleito de Juan de Cosca y consortes, de Peñaranda de Bracamonte, García de Cosca (Juan Francés), de Salamanca]