If Lope de la Cadena was the brother of Hernando de la Cadena, then he was also born in Medillín in the modern province of Badajoz, Spain, and his parents would have been Lope de la Cadena and Elvira Núñez de Parada. If Lope was a relative of Hernando instead, then his place of birth and parentage is unknown. Because Lope served directly under the captain general, Vázquez de Coronado, he may have enjoyed some status or had connections in New Spain. Lope appears in the historical record in 1543 as a witness for a fellow expeditionary and could sign his name, but soon we lose track of him. He may have gone to Nicaragua.
1540-1550:
1540, Feb: Muster in Flint & Flint, Documents, Document 12 [2 horses, native arms, in the company of Vázquez de Coronado]
“Disposal of the Juan Jiménez Estate,” in Flint & Flint, Documents, Document 27 [Tiguex province, April 6, 1541, Lope de la Cadena is witness to purchase of hose and shirts by Juan Jiménez from Juan Barragán for 50 pesos]
“Cristóbal de Escobar’s Proof of service, 1543,” in Flint & Flint, Documents, Document 33 [witness, Lope de la Cadena, estante de México, was on the expedition and participated in Escobar’s relief expedition to the north, could sign his name-no signature on copy]
?AGI, Contratación, 197, N.29/12 [Alonso Palomeque? who arrived ill with a fever at a pueblo and died without confession); in April 1548 in Chinandega, Nicaragua (associated with a ciudad de León), a Lope de la Cadena is a witness, signed the document]