maese Miguel

Brief Biography

There is little known with certainty about the expeditionary maese Miguel other than that he was present at the muster of 1540 in the company of López de Cárdenas. He probably was the person who received a salary from Viceroy Mendoza just prior to the Expedition leaving for Tierra Nueva. He may have been the barber from Puebla or a royal tanner, or neither.

Gender
Male
Last Known Location
Tepic, Mexico (Muster)
Position on Expedition
Horseman
Within Viceroy Mendoza's Sphere
Yes
Name of Children
had a son
References-Documentary

1530-1540:

?AGI, Justicia, 258, pieza 1, “Relación de los salarios” [fol. 799v: a maestre miguel...L pesos] [with his name like this, it would indicate "maestre" is not a last name here]

1540-1550:

1540, Feb: Muster in Flint & Flint, Documents, Document 12 [3 horses, chainmail vest, chainmail doublet, helmet, in company of López de Cárdenas]

?AGI, Contratación, 5709, N.5 [Bienes de difuntos, Tello de Sandoval, sent to Spain in 1546] [includes Maestre Miguel, natural de Vizcaya, difunto en Xalisco, 13 pesos de oro]

?AGI, Contratación, 197, N.21, R.19 [1546, Pánuco, "Relación de los pesos de oro que el Dr. Castañeda enbio cobrado de Pánuco bienes de Francisco de Villegas y otros difuntos;" document is prepared in the ciudad de México; Antonio de Villadiego, vecino of Pánuco reported in 1546 in Mexico City, that Dr. Castañeda asked him to deliver gold, money and letters concerning the bienes difuntos in Pánuco that the Dr. had collected from doña Catalina de Mexía, widow of Francisco Barron, now wife of Pedro de Trejo; this is the report Mexía gave him; in Santiago de los Valles, 20 Abril 1546, reported by Gonzalo Bernaldo; on 20 Abril Mexía is ordered to deliver whatever gold, money and letters she has regarding the bienes de difuntos of Francisco de Villegas, Juan Rodríguez, and anyone else; the juez de residencia informs Tello de Sandoval that there are many cases of bienes de difuntos from Santiago and the provincia; 28 May 1545 Tello de Sandoval demands that those handling these bienes report in person to him in Mexico City; 22 June 1545, Santistevan, del puerto de la provincia de Pánuco, it was publicly proclaimed that information regarding the bienes de difuntos will be collected and any frauds or negligence corrected; 1 Oct 1545, that Mexía, as wife of Francisco Barron and vecina of Santistevan must produce info and pay 1000 pesos that belong to the estate of Francisco Villegas, in Compostela and Santisteban; Mexía reports she is doing the best  she can, since she is only the wife, and that her husband also dealt with Tonala and Jalisco; all the items in a chest she delivers, the cofre es de flandes de dos palmos mas o menos; items seem to pertain to Villegas, Francisco Guillén, francés (whose albacea was Juan Rodríguez who is evidently dead), but also IOUs, wills and cartas de pago; gold de Jalisco; she reports also bienes from Francisco Guillén Frances; her late husband was the albacea for Francisco Guillén and delivers an inventory of Guillén's effects; has an inventory taken in Compostela; among her late husband's papers she has 2 conocimientos against Cristóbal de Oñate; un mandamiento de Francisco Vázquez Coronado contra Francisco de Villegas de contia de 200+ pesos de oro apedimiento de Francisco Pilo acesonario de Pedro de Sosa; carta de pago de Hernando Bermejo-7 tomines; una carta from Juan Pastor ; mandamiento contra Melchior Díaz; there are 2 inventories of goods of Francisco de Villegas: one in Santistevan (more pages) and the other in Compostela; a poder from Diego Rodríguez to a Pero Martín; 2 conocimientos from Juan Pérez; carta de pago from Miguel Sánchez; conocimiento from Juan Gallego, escribano; carta de pago from Lope de Samaniego [therefore have to be before early 1540];  carta de pago from Juan Gallegos; conocimiento contra Francisco Cornejo con un poder; 2 cartas de pago and a poder from an Alonso Martín; quenta de Francisco Cornejo; desembargo y mando de Cristóbal de Oñate; poder from Juan Rodríguez para el frances [probably meaning Guillén]; from Juan Rodríguez 2 petitions, a letter; another letter from Juan Ruíz; conocimiento from Pedro de Najara; carta from Francisco Pilo; a conocimiento from Maese Miguel; an embargo by Francisco Vázquez de Coronado against the goods of Francisco de Villegas; the delivery was witnessed and signed by Juan de Gallegos in Santisteban; 11 Feb 1547 Mexía's husband makes a probanza in Mexico City regarding the bienes de difuntos of Francisco de Villegas, Francisco Guillén, frances and Juan Rodríguez, all deceased and her deceased 1st husband; Barron lived in Santiago de los Valles; witnesses included: Francisco de Godoy, 30+, native of Ubeda, vecino of Mexico City, saw Barron collect the bienes of Guillén in Nueva Galicia, signed-no signature; February 1547 statement of Pedro de Trexo, current husband of Catalina Mexía"por razón de las costas e gastos e menoscabos de la hacienda del dicho Francisco Barrón que por su ausencia hubo y por su salario que de derecho le viene se retuvieron en ???? poder dozientos pesos de oro que corre para ayuda a lo dicho aunque es mucho mas lo que gasto e perdio en la dicha jornada [to travel from México to Nueva Galicia]" he presents an interrogatorio in which the first question asks if the witnesses are aware that Francisco Barrón collected bienes de difuntos in Nueva Galicia (Guadalajara y Compostela); he resided in Santiago de los Valles (Oxitipán) "que esta desta ciudad [México] ochenta leguas and "partió y fue con [los recaudos y escrituras] a la dicha Nueva Galicia;" he spent more than six months there collecting bienes; Francisco Guillén had gone to Nueva Galicia to collect bienes, but "estar la tierra alzada y de guerra...murió el dicho Francisco Guillén y dexo por su albacea a Francisco Barrón"]

tanner:

1530-1540:

?AGI, Pasajeros, L.2, E.2116 [Miguel Maese, pellejero (tanner) of the empress, with his wife Isabel Gutiérrez, citizens of Valladolid, with their children, Luis, Juan, Miguel, Barbula, Inésia, to New Spain; Aug. 11, 1535];

?Millares Carlo y Montecón, Indice y extractos, I:2101 [Dec. 1536, poder from Maestre Miguel, pellejero, estante in Mexico, to Antonio de Almaraz, procurador de causas]

barber:

1530-1540:

?AHMP, Actas, Vol. 3, Document 21, Asunto 11  [fol.15v: August 25, 1533, Vecindad y solar a Maestre Miguel];

?AHMP, Actas, Vol. 3, Document 22, Asunto 1 [fol.15v: September 1, 1533, Merced de una caballería de tierra a Maestre Miguel la tierra está abajo de la propiedad de Aguilar];

?López de Villaseñor, Cartilla Vieja [p. 283-301: “Lista de los vecinos que recibieron para poblar la ciudad a quienes se les mercedaron solares, huertas, suertes y caballerías tierras, según sus calidades….”- p.283: Libro 3, 1533, includes: Antón Negrín and maestre Miguel Bahen];

?AHMP, Actas, Vol. 3, Document 47, Asunto 4 [fol.26r: January 5, 1534, Merced de una huerta al Maestre Miguel, barbero, linda con huerta de Antón Negrín];

?AHMP, Actas, Vol. 3, Document 103, Asunto 2 [fol.69v: November 23, 1534, Solar a Juan de San Vicente linda con solar del Maestre Miguel y con la calle real que atraviesa por Santo Domingo]; ?

AHMP, Actas, Vol. 3, Document 121, Asunto 2 [fol.85v: March 8, 1535, Solar a Juana Hernández viuda. El solar era del Maestre Miguel]

1560-1570:

?AGI, Contratación, 471, N.4, R.2 [Quito, bienes de difuntos de Alonso de Aranda, mercader], native of Hinojosa, María de Aranda was sister to Alonso de Aranda; case in the Casa de Contratación because the heirs have not received the money sent by Aranda, request made in Madrid 10 Dec. 1568; in Tierra Firme; Quito, 1 Jan 1564 it was stated that Aranda, merchant, died about 11 months before; paid Gonzalo Yañez Ortega, escribano, 6 pesos, 3 tomines, 6 granos; Aranda is estante in Quito; Will made in Quito, 7 Feb. 1563- Juan de Aranda is his son, apparently still in Hinojosa; 300 masses to be said for him in Fuente Obejuna; has a slave, Catalina, who was Isabel de Mejia's; he names albaceas in Spain -his brother Diego Sánchez Pozuelo, sister - María de Aranda, Melchior de Morales, and Juan de Aranda; also names some in Quito; heirs-Diego Méndez, Carlos de Salazar, Pedro de Ruanes, vecinos and Pedro de Ortega Guillén, vecino; witness to the will includes Andrés Martín, estante in Quito; 21 Feb. 1563-Aranda states-his father was Gil Hernández de Aranda, mother-Leonor Martín, both deceased; he is sick in bed, adds a codicil: Capitan Juan Proçel vecino que fue desta ciudad le devia por vertud de una obligaciónciertos pesos de ora que no se ha alerda quantos son la qual esta en su cofre los quales pesos de oro contenidos en la dicha escriptura de obligaciónel dicho Juan Proçel le dio e pago lo en ella contenido por tanto dixo que la da por ninguna e de ningun efecto e valor e da por libre e quito al dicho capitan Juan Proçel de los pesos de oro en ella contenidos e a sus bienes e herederos [fol. 13r]; 25 Feb. 1563-still sick in bed, wants to endow a capilla in San Juan church in Hinojosa;  and money to the convent NS de la Merced; signed his name-no signature; a shipment of gold and silver was registered for Aranda = over 673 pesos; gross estate of 2516 pesos from 635 in auction sales, 942 debt collection, 785 collected in silver, 106 pesos in gold and silver, 48 pesos in silver; [fol. 6r-7r] an Alonso Saavedra is paid one and a half pesos from Aranda's estate; a Maese Miguel is paid five pesos from Aranda's estate that the deceased owed him; Francisco Gómez is owed 3 pesos; in his will of February 1563 Aranda gives four pesos to each of the cofradias of Santisimo Sacramento, Vera Cruz, and Nuestra Señora de la Colevación; and he gives 15 pesos each to two pueblos of Indians (Chultos--Juan de Padilla and Tiquezambe--Pedro Martín Montanero); he establishes a capellanía in Hinojosa for a chapel to be built in the iglesia de San Juan; 10 pesos to the mayordomo del colegio de San Andrés; and he directs that ornaments and real property that can serve the capellanía; the clerigo is to be whatever relative is nearest to Aranda who is qualified; he delegates the role of padrón for the Capellanía to his brother Diego Sánchez Pozuelo, Melchior de Morales, and his son Juan de Aranda, all vecinos de Hinojosa; Aranda also leaves 100 pesos for Juana, his niece and daughter of Diego Sánchez, difunto, que era natural de Cumbres Mayores, and who (Juana) is in the house of Juan Flamenco in Quito; Aranda owes 9 pesos to "Miranda el viejo;" he owes 5 pesos to Maese Miguel, cirujano, "por siete dias que me curo;" Aranda has a book of accounts; he is a mercader and has a tienda in Quito; he owns a black woman slave, Catalina, who formerly belonged to Isabel Mejía; his albaceas in Spain are the three padrones above plus his sister María de Aranda; his albaceas in Peru are Diego Méndez, Carlos de Salazar, and Pedro de Ruanes, all vecinos de Quito, also a Pedro de Ortega Guillén, also vecino de Quito]

carpenter:

1570-1580:

?AGI, Contratación, 475, N.2, R.23 [Bienes de Francisco de Herrera, Manila, June 1576; during the almoneda, a Maese Miguel buys a colchón; a Francisco González buys a sombrero viejo and a caja con su cerradura y llave];

?AGI, Contratación, 475, N.2, R.27 [Bienes de licenciado Cabello, Manila, 1580; in 1577, during the almoneda, a Maese Miguel, carpintero, purchases a capa de paño de castilla for 14 pesos; a Diego de Castillo buys un paño de narises];

?AGI, Contaduría, 679 [payments concerning the Islas de poniente: a maestre Miguel [de Palacios], carpintero and cabo de la obra and maestro de hacer navíos in the navío San Juan, is paid 613 pesos for the year 1579, and he served in that same capacity in the Philippines, he is not in Mexico City to receive his pay, which is picked up by an agent]

Other Info: AGI, Escribanía de la Cámara, 952 [there was mention of a Juan Manuel Maestre, fol. 9r, proving that "Maestre" can be a last name]