Alonso Álvarez del Valle was born sometime around 1522 and was about eighteen years old when he went on the Coronado Expedition. He may have been born in Villanueva de Barcarrota (which is in the current Spanish province Badajoz). His wife may have been doña Catalina Jiménez. His parents may have been Rodrigo Álvarez (the expeditionary) and Juana López. His Pasajero license was dated October 1536, but he states that he traveled to New Spain with Cristóbal de Escobar and Francisco Díaz, who came in 1538. Historical records indicate that Alonso Álvarez del Valle could sign his name. Alonso Álvarez was present at the 1540 muster as a footman like his father Rodrigo.
1530-1540
AGI, Pasajeros, L.2, E.3193 = Boyd-Bowman, Indice geobiográfico, II:1989 [(Badajoz)] [Oct. 1536; Villanueva de Barcarrota; father: Rodrigo Álvarez, mother: Juana López; with his father to Nueva España] (no town called Villanueva de, but just Barcarrota; because the original Barcarrota was moved to its present location, so at one time it was Villanueva de Barcarrota; possibly son of Rodrigo Álvarez de Zafra, which town is not far away; but Alonso mentions coming with Escobar and not with his father, but that is OK)
1540-1550
1540, Feb: Muster in Flint & Flint, Documents, Document 12 [Alonso Álvarez, footman, arquebus, elk hide jacket, native arms]
“Disposal of the Juan Jiménez Estate,” in Flint & Flint, Documents, Document 27 [Coafor, February 25, 1542, Álvarez serves as witness and gives testimony about Jiménez’s death and last wishes] [keeping watch one night in February when called to witness the naming of albaceas] [not in pueblo where Vázquez de Coronado was];
“Cristóbal de Escobar’s Proof of service, 1543,” in Flint & Flint, Documents, Document 33 [Nov. 1543: Alonso Álvarez was witness to the swearing of witnesses] [witness, Alonso Álvarez, estante in México, came to Nueva España on same ship as Escobar (1537 or 38), could sign his name-no signature on copy]
AGI, Justicia, 267, N.3, “Proceso de Francisco Vázquez” [Álvarez, vecino de Guadalajara, was de oficio witness] [could sign his name-no signature on copy];
AGI, Justicia, 1021, N.2, Pieza 4 [witness: Sept. 5, 1544: Guadalajara; page; went to Cíbola - advance guard, no signature on copy];
1550-1560
?Hillerkuss, Diccionario Biográfico, vol.1 [3)miner in Zacatecas; 1550 casa and another for his slaves, p.43];
?Enciso Contreras, Zacatecas [p.366: an Alonso Álvarez is on a list of "Mineros e Ingenios de Zacatecas en 1550;" he is shown as having no ingenios and 1 casa de esclavos; cites Hernán Martínez de la Marcha, Recuento de minas e ingenios de las minas de Zacatecas, 10 de abril de 1550 (possibly from AGI, Guadalajara, 252, N.1)];
?AGGEC, Caja 1, Carpeta 4, Document 87 [p.49:May 11, 1551, poder for collection of tribute granted by a Diego Rivera, who is a cesonario of an Alonso Álvarez, vecino of the minas de Sultepeque [Mexico]; a Diego de Madrid and a Francisco Temiño, both estantes en el pueblo de Atoyaque, Pueblos de Avalos]
1560-1570
?Aizpuru, Indices y catálog, Jerónimo Castro, escribano, #1625 [Poder, Antonio de Paredes, 6 Nov. 1564, vecino of ciudad de México; an Alonso Álvares, vecino of Guadalajara]
?Catálogo, Resumen e Índices, AA26/1 [fol. 55/57v: México, 29 octubre 1562, Concierto de servicio, Sancho López de Agurto, vecino -en nombre y voz de Juana López de Agurto, viuda de Cristóbal de Heredia, escribano público del número de México, y de sus hijos, como su padre y abuelo- de una parte y Rodrigo Becerro, escribano de Su Majestad, vecino, de la otra, otorgan escritura de concierto, etc. Firmaron. Testigos: Alonso Álvarez, Diego López Chillón, Andrés Núñez y Diego Pérez de Cearreta [sic], vecinos. [Al margen: México, 5 noviembre 1562. Cancelación. Sancho López de Agurto y Rodrigo Becerro dieron por cancelada esta escritura. Firmaron. Testigos: Pedro de Agurto, Diego Pérez de Cearreta [sic] y Pedro de Amonsategui];
?Catálogo, Resumen e Índices [México, 5 marzo 1563, Juan Alonso Altamirano, vecino, traspasa a Juan de Quincoces una carnicería y abasto de carne en el pueblo y minas de Tlalpujahua, etc. Firmaron. Testigos: Alonso Álvarez, Francisco Obregón, Francisco de Cervantes, vecinos y estantes];
?Catálogo, Resumen e Índices [México, 13 mayo 1566, Ante el escribano yuso escrito, estando en la casa de Antón Nieto, curtidor, vecino, Lope Rodríguez de Zamora, Antón Nieto, Sebastián de Ronda, Juan de Cuéllar, Diego Rodríguez Méndez, Alonso Álvarez, Gonzalo Hernández, Juan de Urueña, Juan García Ronquillo, Bartolomé Rodríguez de Talavera, curtidores -por sí mismos y en nombre de los demás curtidores de la ciudad de México- se congregaron en la dicha casa para elegir y nombrar alcaldes veedores para el oficio de curtidor en este año de 1566; y habiendo votado, acordaron nombrar a Juan García Ronquillo y a Bartolomé Rodríguez de Talavera, oficiales del dicho oficio; y suplicaron al ilustre Ayuntamiento y Cabildo de la ciudad de México, les admita el ejercicio de dichos oficiales. Y pidieron al presente escribano lo diera por testimonio. Juan de Urueña firmó: Antón Nieto, Lope Rodríguez de Zamora, Sebastián de Ronda, Juan de Cuéllar, Diego Rodríguez Méndez, Alonso Álvarez, Gonzalo Hernández, Juan García Ronquillo y Bartolomé Rodríguez de Talavera no firmaron. Testigos: Alonso Urueña, Nicolás de Morales, Hernán Martín, zapatero, y Juan Sánchez]
1570-1580
AHJ, AIP, Tierras y Aguas, Colección Primera, Libro 1, 1568 [fol. 443r: October 22, 1568, Hernando [Gómez] de la Peña is the escribano for a venta de mesquital in las minas de Xocotlán, signature and signo; seller is Alonso Álvarez del Valle; fol. 440r-443r, his wife is doña Catalina Ximénez; the property they are selling is an "estancia de ganado mayor, una caballería de tierra, y un molino...de la otra banda del rio grande que se llama del mesquytal entre la barranca suchipila y el teul"];
AGI, Contratación, 474B, N.3, R.2\8 [Alonso Álvarez, witness for inventory: will for Domingo Hernández in the mines of Xocotlán [Colima], Dec. 23, 1570, estante];
AGI, Patronato, 74, N.2, R.2 [witness Blas González de Acosta at Chiametla heard from Capitán Esteban Martín, Alonso Álvarez del Valle, Hernán Gómez de la Peña (escribano de su magestad) personas que anduvieron...en la conquista de sibola that Alonso Rodríguez Parra was assigned as Vázquez de Coronado’s personal guard] [Álvarez del Valle, vecino de San Sebastián en la provincía de Chiametla [Colima], more than 50 years old, is a de oficio witness] [Álvarez “se hallo presente a todo” and “era paje de guion del dicho governador”] [Álvarez could sign his name-no signature; Alonso Álvarez (no del Valle) along with Hernando de Trejo, governor of Nueva Vizcaya] [witness Juan de Santiago heard it from Alonso Álvarez del Valle that Alonso Rodríguez Parra was on the expedition]
Other Info:
?Millares Carlo y Montecón, Indice y extractos [arrendamiento, 1200 (Diego de Isla, scribe, Jan. 28, 1545];
?AGN, Instituciones Coloniales, GD37, Real Audiencia, Criminal, vol.4, exp.5, 1591 [fol.113-126: Alonso Álvarez accused Juan Agustin of assault, Zacualpan];
Piferrer, Nobiliario, 4:180-182, #1812 [descendants of royal blood of León y Asturias; line begins with infante don Ordoño and infanta doña Cristina; founded in the concejo of Navia, Asturias; Nuño Álvarez de Anaya flourished in 900, was conde and rico-home, second only to the prince or infante; spread throughout Spain, Portugal and America; in order to distinguish all the lines an additional apellido is usually added];
Piferrer, Nobiliario, 4:17, #1573 [noble family in Sevilla; escudo first of gold and a tree with a wolf at the foot of the trunk; second jaquelado of silver and gules];
Logic of birth year: (in 1575 he says he is more than 50 (born before 1525); he serves as a witness in Coofor for Jiménez in 1542; Siete Partidas, p.669 says a witness has to be at least 20; therefore: born around 1522)