Juan de Sotomayor

Brief Biography

Juan de Sotomayor was not present at the 1540 muster, but the chronicler, Castañeda de Nájera, tells us that he was a caballero. It is highly likely that Juan settled in Puebla after the Expedition and is the subject of documents from that archive.

Gender
Male
Date of Death
1577?
Last Known Location
Puebla, Mexico?
European Social Status
Caballero
Position on Expedition
Unknown
Residence After Expedition
Puebla, Mexico?
Name of Children
Bernadina de Sotomayor?
References-Documentary

 

1540-1550:

Castañeda in Flint & Flint, Documents, Document 28  [p.389: caballero (this is the only mention we have of him)]

“Disposal of the Juan Jiménez Estate,” in Flint & Flint, Documents, Document 27  [in Puebla,  Nov. 11, 1545, a Juan de Sotomayor bid on Trujillo's confiscated horse];

?AGNEP, Notaría 3, Caja 1, 1547, Carpeta 1.1 [Poder from Juan Jorge, muleteer, to Juan de Sotomayor, vecino de la ciudad de los Ángeles, July 1547];

?AGNEP, Notaría 3, Caja 1, 1547, Carpeta 1.8 [1547, Francisco de Santillán, native of Burgos, and Esteban González de Melo, vecino of Puebla, Santillán is the principal deudor y pagador, Melo is the fiador, they will pay Juan de Sotomayor, vecino of Puebla, ausente, 39 pesos de oro que corre que ocho reales de plata; Santillán owes Sotomayor the money por renta de una casa que de vos tuve alquilada por un año];

?AHMP, Actas, Vol. 5, Document 247, Asunto 9 [fol.244v: March 26, 1548, Dos solares a Bartolomé Sánchez, vecino y conquistador de Nueva España, límita con casas y solar de Juan de Sotomayor y con solar de Pedro Caballero, tailor]

1570-1580:

?AGI, Indiferente General, 1968, L.21 [fols. 182r-182v: Real cédula...entreguen a Bernardina de Sotomayor, vecino de Sevilla, 81 pesos, 1, tomín y 8 granos, que vinieron de la Isla Española, por bienes de su difunto padre, Juan de Sotomayor, May 8, 1577]

After 1590:

?Méndez Venegas, Emigrantes a América, #1738 [Extremadura, witness for will of don Francisco de Cárdenas, Ciudad de los Reyes - Lima, 1592]

?AGN, Instituciones Coloniales, GD51, Gobierno Virreinal, General de Parte, Vol.5, exp.607, 1599 [fol. 132: In December 1599, a license is granted to a Juan de Sotomayor para llevar tres pipas de vino a las minas de San Luis]

Other info: Mazo Romero, El Condado de Feria [p. 237: “En  1491 los monarcas le concedieron una veinticuatría  de la ciudad de Sevilla, que al año siguiente renuncio en Juan Sotomayor, hijo de Fernán Arias de Saavedra”]

Relatives?: ?Boyd-Bowman, Indice geobiográfico, II:10208 (bachiller Pedro de Sotomayor father?)]

Sotomenor: ?Millares Carlo y Montecón, Indice y extractos, II:2450 [fols. 599r y v: December 15, 1537, Francisco Hernández, estante en México, entra a soldada con Pedro de Sosa, representante de bachiller Bustamante, to work on his estancia de ganado en términos de Michoacán for one year; Hernández is to be allow to also have cattle of his father, another Francisco Hernández, that have been kept by Juan de Sotomenor (mayor? as in the index)]

Méndez de Sotomayor:

?AGI, Pasajeros, L.2, E.2155 [September 2, 1535, Juan Méndez de Sotomayor, hijo de Bartolomé Méndez y de María de Pineda, vecinos de Linares de Génova];

?AGI, México, 1064, L.1\1, “Informes” [fol.162r] = Icaza, Diccionario, #502 [a Méndez de Sotomayor; vecino of Guaçaqualco; son of Bernal Méndez and Mari Sánchez who are vecinos of Linares; he is deceased with no wife or children (no mention of Vázquez de Coronado)];

?AGN, Instituciones Coloniales, GD72, Real Audiencia, Mercedes, vol.3, exp. 743, 1551 [fol. 291v: March 1551: Ayuda de costa of 200 pesos to don Alonso Manrique; his term as corregidor of “los pueblos que dexo Juan Méndez de Sotomayor en la provincia de Guaçaqualco” and as alcalde mayor “en la dicha villa y provincia” is extended another year; as is standard, Manrique is directed to live in the province; he complains about not being able to support himself on the designated salary]