Pedro de Benavídes was born in Benavente in the modern province of Zamora. Prior to the Expedition he was in Desaguadero, having arrived in New Spain in 1531. He then participated in the 1536 conquest of Honduras and Gracias a Dios. Just before the Expedition left Mexico City, Pedro received a salary. Pedro was present at the 1540 muster as an unassigned horseman. After the Expedition he returned to Mexico City. It is also quite possible that he returned to Spain in the 1550s in order to get a wife or bring his wife, who may have been María de Contreras. He was most likely related to fellow expeditionaries Cristóbal Mayorga and Juan de Benavídes.
1530-1540
AGI, Justicia, 258, pieza 1, “Relacion de los salarios” [fol.800r:Nov. 1539, a pedro de benavides...Lx pesos]
1540-1550
1540, Feb: Muster in Flint & Flint, Documents, Document 12 [3 horses, native arms, elk hide jacket, head armor, chainmail vest; order: Pedro, Cristóbal Mayorga, Juan]
“Disposal of the Juan Jiménez Estate,” in Flint & Flint, Documents, Document 27 [during expedition, Jiménez made loan of 30 pesos to Benavides]
1550-1560
AGI, México, 204, N.33\2 [asking for a repartimiento, Feb. 14, 1551, México, Licenciado Cristóbal de Benavídes, fiscal in the Audiencia and Alonso de Benavídes, his brothers; Pedro de Benavídes his father; his parents were hijosdalgo from Villa de Benavente; came to Nueva España 20 years ago (1531 +/-), 16 or 17 years ago in the conquest of Desaguadero in Tierra Firme (1534 or 1535) in the company of Captain Alonso Basco Machua; 14 or 15 years ago in the conquest of Honduras and Graçias a Dios (1536 or 1537) with Cristóbal de la Cueva and Francisco de Montejo; conqueror of Valle de Naço/Naçio; was put in charge with Juan de Cháves in Graçias de Dios when Pedro de Alvarado went to Castilla; 12 years ago with Coronado (1539), horse, slaves and armas, spent much money, sobresaliente [outstanding] in the General's company; witnesses: Antonio de Ribero, Pedro de Salazar, Francisco Gutiérrez, Froliano Bermúdez, Alonso de Canseco, Rodrigo de Barrionuevo, Juan Paniagua (who said Pedro was related to fulano Mayorga) (all went on the Expedition except Pedro de Salazar who got sick and was from Villa de Benavente also); in the Villa de Benavente, March 2, 1554, Francisco de Benavente is appearing on behalf of his brother, Pedro de Benavídes, Pedro de Benavídes had gone to Honduras 23 years before (that is, before 1553 or 1554)]
?AGI, Contaduría, 663B [Payments en quitas: to a Pedro de Benavídez, 66 pesos as part of a total grant of 200 pesos from quitas authorized by Antonio de Mendoza, paid in 1551];
?AGI, Pasajeros, L.3, E.3440 [1557, Pedro de Benavídes, vecino of Benavente, son of Pedro de Benavente and Leonor Díaz de Benavídes, with María de Contreras, daughter of Francisco de Benavídes and María de Contreras, vecinos of Torrijos, to New Spain, where he is a vecino]
1560-1570
?AGN, Instituciones Coloniales, GD72, Real Audiencia, Mercedes, vol.5-6, primera parte, exp.198, 1560 [fol. 68v, July 1560: Pedro de Benavídes is corregidor del pueblo de Guaxutla (MEX or VER); he is ordered to go to the pueblo of Çicoaque and see that tribute that has been taken falsely is returned];
?AGI, Contaduría, 667A [amounts received for tributes, 1562: a Pedro de Benavídes, corregidor of Quaxutla, pays 255 pesos of tribute from the Indians of that pueblo]
?AGN, Instituciones Coloniales, GD72, Real Audiencia, Mercedes, vol.7, exp. s/n, 1564 [fols. 365r y v, March 1564: Pedro de Benavídes is corregidor de los pueblos de Yscateupa y Atenago; he is ordered to go to an unnamed pueblo and complete the residencia of officials begun by Francisco Palomino]
?Catálogo, Resumen e Índices [1567, Luisa de Aguilar -mujer de Martín de Vergara- vecina, otorga poder general a Martín de Vergara, su marido, y a Juan de Salazar, procurador de la Real Audiencia. Luisa de Aguilar no firmó, Martín de Vergara firmó. Testigos: Juan Carlos de Bonilla, Pedro de Benavídes y Diego de Tarifa, vecinos y estantes];
1570-1580
?Catálogo, Resumen e Índices [México, 17 enero 1572, Pedro de Benavídes, vecino, otorga carta de pago a Francisco Rodríguez, residente en México, natural de Lepe, por cuanto éste estuvo en su casa algunos días y tuvo a cargo su hacienda y de ello no le dio cuentas y Pedro de Benavídes pidió ante el juez que le diera cuenta con pago de sus bienes y de lo que entró en poder de Francisco Rodríguez de ropa, plata y otras cosas. Y porque de todo ello Francisco Rodríguez le ha dado cuenta con pago real, dijo que se daba por pagado de Francisco Rodríguez de todos cuantos dares y tomares hasta el día de la fecha con él ha tenido, habiéndole pagado su servicio. Doña Francisca del Rincón le pagó 12 pesos de oro común, con los cuales le acabó de pagar todo cuanto le debía. Firmó. Testigos: Andrés de Morales, Pedro de Ribera y Alonso Núñez, vecinos];
?AGI, Contaduría, 679 [quitas y vacaciones: in August 1578, payment of 6 pesos to a Pedro de Benavídes for bringing dos barriles de tamarindos from Acapulco to Mexico City]
after 1590
?AGI, Contratación, 490, N.1, R.2 [bienes de Pedro de Benavídes, who died in Antequera del valle de Oaxaca; albacea, his brother Juan de Benavides, 1596] (could be Pedro but this is not his brother Juan, apparently)]
Other Info:
AGI, Justicia, 267, N.3, “Proceso de Francisco Vázquez” [Cristóbal de Benavente, fiscal, accusations against Vázquez de Coronado];
Piferrer, Nobiliario, 3:29-31, #1153 [family name from Jaén; originally from Galicia; from Viedma and used that in their name; Men Rodríguez de Viedma y de Benavídes was the first to take Benavídes]
Relatives:
?AGI, Pasajeros, L.5, E.2815 [Oct. 10, 1570, native of Benavente, son of Pedro de Benavídes and Francisca López to Peru as criado of capitan Jorge de Alvarado]