Conquistador Juan Ruíz de Alanís and His Connection to the Last Mexica Princess (Part 1 of 2)
- Steven Perez
- May 30
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 10
While researching the legacy and lineage of Conquistador Alonso de Benavides, I unearthed information about the family of his son-in-law, Antonio Ruiz de Castañeda. Antonio’s father Juan Ruiz, my 14x-great-grandfather, was also a conquistador. At the age of sixteen,[i] he departed Spain for the “New World” of the Caribbean Indies on 26 August 1513, just two years after the conquest of Cuba. The record of passage indicates he was from Alanís (a town about 60 miles NNE of Seville), the son of Juan Ruíz and Juana Ruíz, residents of Alanís.
Record of passage for Juan Ruiz
26 August 1513
Archivo General de Indias, Contratación, 5536, L.1, F. 292(1)
En este día se registró Juan Ruiz, hijo de Juan Ruiz y de
Juana Ruiz su mujer, vecinos de Alanís, el cual
pasa en la nao de [?] Narvaz [Narváez].
On this day, Juan Ruiz was registered, son of Juan Ruiz and
Juana Ruiz his wife, residents of Alanís, he
goes in the ship of [?] Narvaz [Narváez].
On 18 November 1525, Juan Ruiz was called to testify on behalf of a fellow conquistador, Martín Vázquez. He described being part of the Francisco Hernández de Córdoba expedition that had “discovered” the Yucatán in 1517. His son’s future father-in-law Alonso de Benavides was a member of the same expedition. Ruiz recounted how the local natives engaged in skirmishes with his countrymen, killing many Spaniards and wounding Vázquez. Upon their return to Cuba, Ruiz said that Vázquez was sick and suffering from his injuries.
In 1521, Ruiz joined the expedition to Mexico led by Fernando Cortés, witnessing and taking part in many of the events described in my blog post about Alonso de Benavides, including the historic meeting between Cortés and Emperor Moctezuma and the flight from the city during the Noche Triste. It’s not clear if he was among those who remained in Tenochtitlan when Cortés departed to confront Panfilo Narváez, who had landed at Cempoala with orders to arrest him, or if he participated in the battle that took place with the rival Spanish army. After Cortés had decamped with his army at Tepeaca, he drew up several documents to explain his actions to the king, one of which was the testimony already described in the previous blog post. The second document, dated 30 October 1520, was a letter to the king from Cortés’ army. It again described the events leading up to the retreat from Tenochtitlan and requested the sovereign to confirm Cortés’ authority to lead the conquest free from all further interference from Governor Diego Velázquez. Five hundred and forty-four Spanish soldiers signed the document, including Juan Ruiz.
At least three secondary sources incorrectly report that Ruiz arrived with Panfilo Narváez’s army. Baltazar Dorantes de Carranza listed Ruiz among the men who came with Narváez (and makes note of his legitimate grandson, Juan de Castañeda Benavides). Manuel Orozco y Berra also includes Ruiz on the list of those who came with Narváez. The Encomenderos of New Spain, 1521-1555 by Robert Himmerich y Valencia and Joseph P. Sánchez (citing Orozco y Berra) also incorrectly lists Ruiz as a conqueror with Narváez. It is not clear what the source of the error is, but it is disputed by primary sources. In his own testimony in 1525, Ruiz clearly stated that he came to Mexico as a member of Fernando Cortés’ armada (see portion of manuscript below). In 1571, several living conquistadors, including Francisco de Valdenebro, Martín López and Francisco Granado, also testified that Ruiz had arrived with Cortés.
Question from inquiry for Conquistador Martín Vázquez
18 November 1525
Archivo General de Indias, Mexico, 203, N. 5, fol. 1v.
Ítem, si saben, etc. que después de que vuelva el dicho Francisco Hernández Córdoba a la dicha isla Fernandina después que un año el dicho Diego Velásquez gobernador
de ella hizo otra armada de navíos y gente para conquistar y po-
blar esta Nueva España en la cual envió por capitán de dicha
armada Fernando Cortés como general y el dicho Martín Vázquez pasó a esta Nueva
España en la dicha armada.
Item, if they know, etc., that after Francisco Hernández de Córdoba returned to the said island of Fernandina, and after a year, the said Diego Velásquez, governor of the same, assembled another fleet of ships and people to conquer and settle this New Spain, in which he sent as captain of the said fleet Fernando Cortés as general, and the said Martín Vázquez came to this New Spain in the said fleet.
Testimony of Juan Ruiz de Alanís in inquiry of Martín Vázquez
18 November 1525
Archivo General de Indias, Mexico, 203, N. 5, fol. 7v.
A la tercera pregunta, dijo que la sabe cómo en ella se contiene
preguntado cómo la sabe, dijo que porque lo vio y porque pasó este
testigo en la dicha armada con el dicho gobernador Fernando Cortés.
To the third question, he said that he knows it as it is stated therein.
Asked how he knows it, he said that it is because he saw it and because this witness took part in the said expedition with the said governor Fernando Cortés.
After the conquest of Tenochtitlan, Ruiz settled in the town of Medellín (near Veracruz, where Cortés’ army first landed). On 31 May 1524, Cortés awarded Ruiz half of the encomienda of Tehuacán, worth an annual income of 1,270 pesos. The decree reads (my translation):
“By this document, we entrust to you, Juan Ruiz de Alanís, resident of the town of Medellín, half of the lord and the natives of the town of Tehuacán, so that you may make use of them and they may assist you in your estates and farms in accordance with the ordinances of His Majesty that have been and will be established concerning this matter, with the obligation that you instruct them in the matters of our Holy Catholic faith, applying to this all possible and necessary vigilance and diligence.
Given in Tenochtitlan on 31 May 1524.
Fernando Cortés, by order of the governor, my lord, [signed] Rodrigo de Paz.”
Translated from: Archivo General de las Indias, Encomienda de Teguacán en Alonso Castillo Maldonado, Patronato, 275, R. 39
The official who signed this decree, Rodrigo de Paz, was a cousin of Cortés who had arrived in Mexico on 12 September 1523, bringing the official news that the king had granted Cortés the titles of captain general and governor of New Spain. Cortés departed Mexico City for Honduras on 12 October 1524 to deal with the defection of the leader he had sent to establish a colony there. During his absence, an anti-Cortés faction briefly assumed control of the government, and tortured and executed Rodrigo.
To be continued in a future blog post... Subscribe to the blog to receive email updates.
[i] His age was given as 25 in 1522 when he was the witness in a probanza, according to Hugh Thomas in Who’s Who of the Conquistadors. However, Thomas does not give any other information about this probanza, so I do not know to which document this refers.
Sources:
Donald E. Chipman, Moctezuma’s Children: Aztec Royalty Under Spanish Rule, 1520-1700. (Austin: University of Texas Press, 2005).
José Luis Martínez, Documentos Cortesianos, Vol. I. 1518-1528. (Mexico City: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 1990).
William H. Prescott, The History of the Conquest of Mexico (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1843).
Manuscripts from the Portal de los Archivos Españoles
Archivo General de Indias
Juan Ruiz
Contratación, 5536, L.1, F. 292(1)
Informaciones: Martín Vázquez
Mexico, 203, N. 5
Encomienda de Teguacán en Alonso Castillo Maldonado
Patronato, 275, R. 39
Méritos y servicios: Juan Ruiz de Alanís: Nueva España
Patronato, 88, N. 4, R. 2
It is exciting to have this information because I am unable to read the script in docs of that time period. So, thank you! And yes, I look forward to more of documents you are transcribing, translating and sharing. I very much appreciate it!
Waiting for the next installment!