Juan Gómez de Paradinas (sometimes written as Paladinas) was born in 1521 in Paradinas, a hamlet outside of Segovia. His parents were Pero Gómez de Paradinas and Ynés Engorra. Because he was a tailor on the Expedition, it is highly probable that he was a tailor prior to the Expedition as well. Juan was in New Spain at least by 1535 and married María Maldonado, one of the few known women expeditionaries. The precise date of the marriage is unknown, but we assume it occurred before either of them left Mexico City for the north. Juan served in the company of Gutiérrez de la Caballería. In his own testimony of 1547, Juan mentions that due to a fall we was unable to continue as a tailor and requested either a government position or a plot of land. He was still requesting compensation and aid in 1560. There is no record of when Juan might have been hurt, whether while on the Expedition or after.
1540-1550:
1540, Feb: Muster in Flint & Flint, Documents, Document 12 [5 horses, chain mail vest, helmet, native arms, in the company of Gutiérrez de la Caballería]
González-Leal, Relación Secreta [p. 57-67: Pobladores sin indios: includes a Juan de Paladinas];
Biblioteca del Escorial, Codíce &-II-7, Document #LXXVIII [no date, late 1540s; pobladores sin yndios: Juan de Paradinas];
APSM, “Bautismos de Españoles, 1536-1746” [fol.133r: 8 Feb. 1544 padrinos for Pedro de Carmona and his wife, Juan de Paladines and his wife María Maldonado];
APSM, “Bautismos de Españoles, 1536-1746” [fol.143v: 27 Dec. 1544, Juan de Paladinas and his wife, padrinos];
AGI, Justicia, 267, N.3 [1544: Gómez, a tailor, vecino of México, was de oficio witness] [could sign his name (no signature on copy); went on an entrada w/Francisco de Ovando; alguacil and aposentador];
APSM, “Bautismos de Españoles, 1536-1746” [fol.163r: 21 Nov 1545, Juan de Paradinas and his wife padrinos for don of Pedro de Zamora];
APSM, “Bautismos de Españoles, 1536-1746” [fol.180r: 22 March 1547, Juan de Paradinas and his wife padrinos for don of Lope Sánchez];
AGI, México, 1064, L.1\1\, “Informes” = Icaza, Diccionario, #837 [because of a fall not fit for work] = Boyd-Bowman, Indice geobiográfico, II:7359 [to Tierra Nueva; tailor] [to New Spain 1535; vecino of Mexico City, 1547] [married about 1540] [Paradinas, Salamanca] = [fol.209v: in effect a native of Paradinas; son of Pero Gómez and Ynes Engorra; his father died in Nueva España while with Nuño de Guzmán; 10 years in this land and married for 7; because of a fall he cannot work; no mention of Vázquez de Coronado] =Boyd-Bowman, Indice geobiográfico, II:7360 [father died in Nueva Galicia, 1530; to Nueva Galicia with Guzmán];
AGI, Justicia, 1021, N. 2, pieza 6, “Probanza del fiscal Villalobos” [México, January 10, 1547; witness: Paradinas, native of Paradinas, vecino of México, more than 25 years old; could sign his name (no signature on copy)];
1550-1560:
APSM, “Bautismos de Españoles, 1536-1746” [II:fol. 3v: 14 May 1552, Juan Gómez de Paladinas padrino for son of Alonso Gómez];
1560-1570:
Hackett, Historical Documents [p.45-47: received in the Audiencia of New Spain, petition, 1560; Juan de Paladinas, served in whatever was asked, especially to Cíbola, requests some office or tract of land and other things with which he may support himself, been in Nueva España more than 25 years; served with his wife in caring for the sick, tailor in Mexico City; Juan Gómez de Salazar, who also went, says Paladinas took his arms, horses, servants and personal equipment at his own expense; Vázquez de Coronado appointed him alguacil de campo; María Maldonado, his wife, administered to the sick; Pedro Nieto corroborated his good service];
AGI, Patronato, 63, R.5 [meritos y servicios, June 6, 1560: Juan de Paladinas; witnesses: Juan Gómez de Salazar, Gaspar de Salamaca, Pedro de Ledesma, Rodrigo de Ysla, Pedro Nyeto, Juan Cordero, all participants in the expedition] [took many horses; paid his own way; indebted because of expedition expenditures; poor since his return] [alguacil mayor of the expedition] [in New Spain since at least 1535] [left for Cíbola in 1538; this may imply that he went with Vázquez de Coronado as governor to Nueva Galicia] [left a house in Mexico City to go to Cíbola] [always went in advance; meaning with Coronado?] [father: Pedro Gómez de Paradinas; uncle Captain Paradinas] [in 1560, a tailor] [audiencia recommends that he be given a corregimiento or caballería] [wife, María Maldonado went along; ministered to sick and wounded, sewed and mended];
1570-1580:
AGN, Instituciones Coloniales, GD61, Inquisición, Vol. 63, exp. 4, 1572 [fol. 86: informacion de la limpieza y linaje de Juan de Céspedes; captain of the ysla and puerto of San Juan de Ulúa; alcaide; 6 March 1572, investigation done in Mexico City; witness states that he was the alcalde mayor in Guaxaca, thinks he was a native of Cuenca and 50 years old; witness Pedro Calderón in Puebla has known Juan for 30 years in this place; another witness has known him for 35 years here; witness: Juan de Paradinas, native of Paradinas, vecino of Mexico, more than 50 years old; has known Céspedes for 35 years, that they went on the conquest of Cíbola together, Céspedes was alférez, doesn't know where he is a native from nor his linage, always took him for a good Christian];
Catálogo, Resumen e Índices [1576, Melchor Hernández, vecino, traspasa a Cristóbal Gómez, alguacil del campo, vecino, el servicio de una india chichimeca, de edad de 30 años, por el tiempo que está obligada a servir y le resta, [continues...] Firmó. Testigos: Juan de Paladinas, Francisco Hernández y Martín de Albear, vecinos];
AGI, Patronato, 87, N.1, R.5\2 [probanza from December 1578, witnesses include Juan de Paladinas, vecino of México, 50+ years old, witness stated that he was alguacil mayor on the expedition, sign name-(no signature on copy)];
after 1590:
AGI, Patronato, 79, N.3, R.2 [Gómez de Paradinas, vecino of México, more than 60 years old, witness in Mexico City in 1591] [could sign his name (no signature on copy)]
Other Info:
Logic for age: if born in 1521 then in 1547 when he says he is over 25 he would be 26; in 1572 over 50, he would be 51; in 1578 over 50, he would be 57; in 1591 over 60, he would be 70, or maybe just a few months shy of 70
Geographical Research:
Diccionario enciclopédico Espasa [9:7936-Paradinas is an ex-municipio in Spain, see Santa María la Real de Nieva: Segovia or Paradinas de San Juan: Salamanca]; (there is a Paradinas as part of the city of Segovia; also, Paradinas de San Juan within the lands of the Military Order of San Juan de Jerusalén)
Relatives:
?AGI, México, 203, N.13 [1531: Alonso Rodríguez de Paradinas, lieutenant of Lope de Samaniego]