Last Will and Testament of Juan Núñez de Valdés, 1548
- May 14
- 3 min read
My 14x-great-grandfather Juan Núñez de Valdés made his last will and testament in Navalcarnero, Spain (about 15 miles southwest of Madrid) on 4 June 1548. He named as his executors his wife Juana Martín(ez) and two of his sons, Alonso Martín de Valdés and Juan de Valdés. He named his parents and all of his children, which links his son Melchor, who emigrated to Mexico City, to the Valdés family of San Cucado, Asturias. Juan authorized his executors to sell any part of his estate at public auction but did not give any specific directives or itemize any of his property. For more on this family and their genealogy, see “A New Mexico Connection to Asturias: The Noble House of Valdés de la Torre,” in the New Mexico Genealogist, April 2026, Vol. 65, No. 1.
Navalcarnero, Spain
4 June 1548
In the name of God Almighty and of the Virgin Mary His Blessed Mother. Let all who shall see this testament and last will know that I, Juan Núñez de Valdés, resident of Navalcarnero, being ill in bed with the bodily illness which it has pleased God to give me, yet remaining in sound judgment and understanding, believing as truly I do believe in the mystery of the Holy Trinity and in all else held and believed by our Holy Mother the Catholic Roman Church, and professing to die in this faith, make this my testament in the following manner.
First, I commend my soul to Our Lord God who created and redeemed it with His blood, and my body to the earth from which and for which it was formed; and when I shall depart from this world, let me be buried in the church of this town wherever it shall please my executors. Likewise, I leave the arrangements for my burial rites, offerings, and anniversary observance as they deem fit.
Item, I order that on the day of my burial, and on the following day if time permits, there shall be said for my soul three Masses, and throughout the year of my death there shall furthermore be said another three hundred Masses, and that the customary payment be made for them.
Item, I order that for the souls of Pedro de Valdés de la Torre and Sancha Núñez de Solis his wife, my parents, residents of the place of San Cucado de Oviedo, twenty Masses be said.
Item, I order that to the customary religious orders and for the redemption of captives[i] there be given four maravedís.
And in order to fulfill and execute this my testament, I leave and appoint as my executors Juana Martín my wife, and Alonso Martín de Valdés and Juan de Valdés my sons, and I grant them power to enter my estate and to sell my goods at public auction.
And once this my testament has been fulfilled and paid, I leave and appoint as my heirs Melchor and Juan, Alonso, Gaspar, Tomás, and María and Marina and Lorenza de Valdés, my children by the aforementioned, my wife. And I revoke, annul and declare void any other testaments whatsoever which before this I may have made and executed, and any codicils whatsoever, so that they shall not be valid nor have force. I order this present document to stand as my testament as valid under the law.
In testimony whereof, I executed this before the public notary and the witnesses written below. It was made and executed in the town of Navalcarnero on the fourth day of the month of June in the year of Our Lord 1548. The witnesses present to what is aforesaid were Martín Lucero and Juan Ventero and Pedro de Fuenlabrada and Juan Gutiérrez and Pedro Navarro, residents of this town. And Juan Núñez de Valdés signed his name in the register of this document before me, the notary, whom I certify that I know. He wrote his name: Juan Núñez de Valdés.
And I, Juan García, scribe of His Majesty and public notary throughout all his kingdoms and dominions, was present together with the aforementioned witnesses at all that has been stated, and at the request and granting of Juan Núñez de Valdés, I wrote it in the register of notarial acts, and at the request of Juana Martín, I caused this to be recorded exactly as it passed before me. In witness whereof, I here set my sign in testimony of the truth.
Juan García
{rubric}
[i] It was common at the time to direct alms to religious orders dedicated to rescuing Christian captives, especially in the Muslim areas of Northern Africa. For more information see Karen Melvin’s “Charity without Borders: Alms-Giving in New Spain for Captives in North Africa.”
Source:
“Testamento de Juan Núñez de Valdés,”
Archivo Histórico de la Nobleza, Villagonzalo, C. 54, D. 41
My paternal grandfather Luis Cisneros (Valdez) was raised by a Valdez family which Luis wasn't legally adopted. My Grandfather used the Valdez name for the rest of my family even though Cisneros is my legal surname.