Miguel de Fuenterrabía was born some time between 1519 and 1524, making him somewhere between sixteen and twenty-one years old when he went on the Expedition. On the 1540 muster he was listed as a footman. After the Expedition he returned to Mexico City, Miguel again enlisted in the conquest of Nueva Segovia (Nicaragua). From the mid-1550s to the end of the 1570s he was a vecino in Mexico City. There are no other individuals with this name in the known documentary record.
1540-1550:
1540, Feb: Muster in Flint & Flint, Documents, Document 12 [footman, 2 horses, 3 swords, round shield]
1550-1560:
AGI, Patronato, 60, N.5, R.1 [21 April 1556- Fuenterrabía witness for Pedro de Ledesma, vecino of Mexico City, age 37, knew Ledesma for 10 years, in conquest of Nueva Segovia (northern Nicaragua, founded in 1543), could sign-no signature on copy (Fuenterrabía would have known Ledesma for longer than 10 years, so this Pedro de Ledesma was probably not the expeditionary)];
AGI, Contaduría, 664, 1557 [Other grants: Miguel de Fuenterrabia, 120 pesos, 8 July 1556-8 July 1557, sustenance for all his services];
AGI, Contaduría, 664, 1558 [Misc. grants: Miguel de Fuenterabia, 80 pesos, 26 July 1557-26 Mar 1558, continuation of a grant; Miguel de Fuenterabia, 40 pesos, 26 Mar 1558-26 July 1558, sustenance];
AGI, Patronato, 61, N.2, R.7 [image 26: witness to a poder, for Ruy González, May 16, 1558, meritos y servicios, regidor - he was a vecino and estante in Mexico City];
1570-1580:
AGI, México, 214, N.24\1 [García is asking for a prebenda or canongia; a witness says Velasco gave him a corregimiento; speaks the Mexican language well witness: 9 Feb 1579 Gabriel López, vecino in los altos de Tacuba; known García since 1538; knows he was living in the house of Rodrigo de Albornoz, contador; saw García serve in Cíbola and suffer; after returning García became a clerigo in the Tasco mines, age-59+, signed and his rubric (no signature on copy); witness: 11 March 1579, Mexico City, Miguel de Fuenterrabia, vecino; known García for more than 35 years, age-55+, signed (no signature on copy); witness: 13 March 1579, Mexico City, Hernán Páez, vecino, saw him serve in Cíbola, García returned broken and in debt, became a clerigo, serving both the Spanish and Indians of the mines of Tasco, age-57+, signed and rubric (not present in copy); witness: 13 March 1579, Mexico City, Juan de Fioz, vecino, known García for 40 years, returned roto y desnudos y destroçados y gastados de todo, Mendoza gave him a corregimiento, because he was good with the native language he was ordained and made a clerigo, age-60+, signed; witness: 13 March 1579, don Rodrigo Maldonado, vecino, is sick at home and can't appear, so the next day they sent the scribe to his houses (las casas de la morada); known García 39 years, that he worked in the contaduría for Albornoz; 36 or 37 years ago he saw García go to Cíbola, age-60+, signed it];
Hillerkuss, Diccionario Biográfico, vol.2 [born 1524; 1579, vecino of Mexico City; witness for informacion for García Rodríguez, clerigo, signature for Miguel, p.2:171]
Other Info:
Fuenterrabía is on a spit of land in the Atlantic just on the French border, Basque country. Could he be a son of Juanes de Fuenterrabía who was from Fuenterrabía and who was in Cuba in 1518?