Melchor de Robles

Brief Biography

Melchor de Robles was a native of Almazán (Soria province) and the son of Gil de Robles and María Beltrán de Ocariz (Ocalez). Melchor obtained a license for Santo Domingo in 1537 but was in Mexico City by 1539. He was present at the 1540 muster as a fairly well-equipped horseman in Vázquez de Coronado's company. Upon the return of the Expedition, Melchor took up residence in Oaxaca City/Antequera as a governmental official.

Gender
Male
Title (Y/N)
No
Date of Birth
ca. 1515
AGE-1540
25
Age Set
25-35
Country of Origin
Spain
Place of Birth (City/Town)
Almazán
Date of Death
1590s
Place of Birth (modern province/state/region)
Soria
Died on the Expedition?
No
Last Known Location
Antequera (Oaxaca City), Mexico
Position on Expedition
Horseman
Within Viceroy Mendoza's Sphere
Yes
Pre-Expedition Occupation
Corregidor
Post Expedition Occupation
Corregidor
Residence After Expedition
Oaxaca, Mexico
Married
Yes
Name of Spouse
Rufina de Grijálva
Name of Children
Gil de Robles
Ability to sign name
Yes
Relatives
father:Gil de Robles; mother: María Beltrán de Ocariz (Ocalez)
References-Documentary

1530-1540:

AGI, Pasajeros, L.2, E.3801 =Boyd-Bowman, Indice geobiográfico, II:10513 [September 19, 1537 [Melchor de Robles, hijo de Gil de Robles y de María Beltrán de Ocariz, naturales de Almazán, a Santo Domingo]

AGI, Justicia, 258, pieza 1, “Relación de los salarios” [fol. 798v: Nov. 1539, a melchior de rrobles...c pesos de tepusque; corregimiento salary]

1540-1550:

1540, Feb: Muster in Flint & Flint, Documents, Document 12 [two horses, a sallet, a beaver, elk hide jacket, native arms, Vázquez de Coronado's company]

AGI, Justicia, 1021, N.2, Pieza 5, “Relación sacada de la probanza, 1551” [witness García del Castillo says that he, Gorbalán, and Robles took four Indians to the pueblo where López de Cárdenas was, by Vázquez de Coronado’s order, on a day it snowed heavily]

AGN, Instituciones Coloniales, GD72, Real Audiencia, Mercedes, vol.2, exp. 51, 1543 [frames 50-55: dowry agreement between Rufina de Grijalva (daughter of Sebastián de Grijalva and Beatriz Hernández) and Melchior de Robles, hijo legitimo de Gil de Robles, natural de la villa de Almazan; Grijalva is giving the encomienda of the pueblo of Tenexpa y sus sujetos en el valle de Oaxaca; done in México, January 16, 1543; witnesses are García López de Cárdenas and Luis Fernández, estantes en México; letter from the emperor, signed by Cobos, permitting the transfer of the encomienda; "melchior de Robles es persona que tratara bien a los dichos yndios y que le son dados en dotte…guardando en el cobrar y llevar de ellos la tassaçion que del dicho pueblo esta fecha o se hiziere y no otra cosa alguna"];

González-Leal, Relación Secreta  [pp. 53-57: Memoria de los pobladores que tienen indios: includes Francisco Vázquez de Coronado, a Melchor Robles, vecino de Guaxaca, don Luis de Castilla, a Francisco Cornejo, a Francisco de Tórres, vecino de Pánuco, a Francisco Gutiérrez, vecino de Guaxaca, Ocotepec];

AGI, México, 1064, L.1\1, “Informes” [fol.160r]  = Boyd-Bowman, Indice geobiográfico, II:10513 = Icaza, Diccionario, #489 [Robles; vecino of Guaxaca; native of the villa of Almaçan [Soria]; son of Gil de Robles and María Beltran de Ocalez; 10 years in Nueva España; married to Rufina de Grijalva, daughter of Grijalva; casa poblada with his arms and horses; in marriage he has an estancia; no mention of Vázquez de Coronado (convincing since Antequera=Guaxaca and right year)];

1550-1560:

AGI, Justicia, 168 [don Luis de Quesada; record includes in February 1554 a memoria de las personas que han tenido indios por hijas (fols. 305r-307r); it includes don Diego de Guevara, who married a daughter of Andrés de Barrios; Melchior de Robles, vecino of Oaxaca who married the daughter of an unnamed conquistador];

AGI, México, 97, R.1 [méritos y servicios, Luna y Arellano, 1559] [Robles, witness for Luna y Arellano] [Robles, vecino of Antequera, about 44 years old] [este testigo fue la dicha jornada (de Cíbola)] [could sign his name (no signature on copy)];

AGI, Contaduría, 663B [payments to corregidores y tenientes de corregidor: to Melchor Robles, as corregidor of the pueblo of Temcuylsuchil y su partido, 150 pesos, 2-year term ended November 1552, and as corregidor of the pueblos of Tetiquipa and Chichicapa 300 pesos for two years of service ending in November 1555];

AGI, Contaduría, 664, 1559 [Payments to alcaldes mayores, corregidores y tenientes: Melchior de Robles, corregidor of Tlatlavca and Marinastepeque, 400 pesos, 1 Nov 1556-1 Nov 1557 and 7 Apr 1558-7 Apr 1559];

1560-1570:

AGN, El libro de Tasaciones  [Tenezpa, Province and obispado de Oaxaca; encomendero Melchor de Robles, taxation did not appear in the old rolls, so is being put in 15 Sep. 1564; vecino of Antequera, Valle de Oaxaca; each year 302 pesos de oro comun, 151 fanegas of corn, del cual dicho tributo haya y lleve el dicho encomendero en cada un ano 245 pesos, 3 tomines, 9 granos; distribution schedule, p. 396-397]

AGI, Contaduría, 664, 1560 [Payments to alcaldes mayores, corregidores y tenientes: Melchior de Robles, corregidor of Tlatlavca and Marinaltepeque, 200 pesos, 10 Apr 1559-10 Aug 1560];

AGI, Contaduría, 667A [amounts received for tributes, 1562; Melchor de Robles, corregidor de los pueblos de Alatlaucay Marinaltepeque, pays 792 pesos on behalf of the Indians of those pueblos]

AGI, Contaduría, 667A [tributos, 1563Melchor de Robles, corregidor del pueblo de Justavaca, pays 180 pesos in tribute on behalf of those Indians];

AGI, Contaduría, 663A [an accounting of condenaciones resulting from procesos; from a residencia of Melchor de Robles, in February 1566, as corregidor of the pueblo of Justavaca, 20 pesos, the amount had been collected from a Pedro Nieto]

?AGI, Contaduría, 667A [quintos y diezmos de oro y plata, 1564: in March, a Melchior Robles diezmo 39 marcos de plata]

?AGI, Contaduría, 663A [Mexico City, March 1569, an accounting of condenaciones resulting from procesos in Mexico city, in July 1568 a Melchor de Robles is fined for quistión con an arriero]

1570-1580:

AGI, Contaduría, 679 [salaries: Melchior de Robles, corregidor de los pueblos de Escuintepeque and Elotepeque, is paid 200 pesos as salary for his first year of service in the post, from November 1576 to March 1578, including 4 months of vacaciones; alcabalas: in May 1578, 7 pesos are paid on behalf of Melchor de Robles, corregidor de Yzcuintepeque]

Other info: Gerhard, Historical Geography [p.49: married daughter of Grijalva, Rufina; had Tenexpa; Gil de Robles had succeeded by 1597; both Melchor and Rufina still alive in the 1580s]

Relatives?: ?AHAG, Justicia, Matrimonios, 1600-1654, Caja 1-Dispensas [Expediente 2, 1614: Nulidad: Ana María de Mesa, vecina of San Miguel, Culiacán gives her poder to Rodrigo de Medina, Hernando de Mesa, her brothers, and Agustin de Mesa her cousin, fol.2r; Ana María will be deposited in the house of Hernando Arias de Saavedra, vecino of this villa, fol.9v; Testigo-Juan de Robles, vecino, fol.3r, descendant?];

?AHAG, Justicia, Capellanías, 1593-1620, Caja 1 [Founder: Diego López Ayala; 1st capellan: Andrés Gómez Carranza; Guadalajara 17 Oct. 1574, for masses to be said in the capilla that his uncle, Francisco de Estrada had built in the Franciscan monastery, for the souls of his parents and for Francisca de Robles, descendant?, wife of Estrada; 19 Feb 1611, Luis de Ahumada, vecino, son of Francisco de Estrada; another son-Francisco de Estrada, fol.5r; doña María de Ahumada, daughter of Luis de Ahumada and doña Mariana de Ojeda, deceased; witness: Hernando de Soto, alcalde ordinario, 40 years old (in 1611), fol.9v; granddaughter of Francisco de Estrada, fol.13r; witness: Juan de Servas-Francisco de Estrada the son of Luis was a presbitero; this witness is the grandson of Juan Callejo and doña Caselda de Estrada; doña Petronila de Estrada was a child of Francisco de Estrada, the elder, and sister to Luis and sibs to Bella Estrada Questa; 17 March 1620; witness: Pedro de Medinilla Alvarado, fol.16r]