Juan de Villegas

Brief Biography

Juan de Villegas was present at the 1540 muster as an unassigned horseman. During the Expedition Juan was accused of raping a Pueblo woman, but apparently was not punished due to lack of acceptable evidence. He was the brother of regidor Pedro de Villegas, a native of Zafra (Badajoz province). Because there is a Pasajero record for a Juan de Villegas from Zafra, it is probably safe to assume that Juan's parents were Francisco de Villegas and Isabel González.

Gender
Male
Title (Y/N)
No
Country of Origin
Spain
Place of Birth (City/Town)
Zafra
Place of Birth (modern province/state/region)
Badajoz
Died on the Expedition?
No
Last Known Location
Mexico City
Position on Expedition
Horseman
Within Viceroy Mendoza's Sphere
Yes
Residence After Expedition
Mexico City
Ability to sign name
Yes
Relatives
father: Francisco de Villegas; mother: Isabel González; brother: Pedro de Villegas
References-Documentary

1530-1540:

?AGI, Pasajeros, L.2, E.4946 = Boyd-Bowman, Indice geobiográfico, II:2163 [June 15, 1538] [father: Francisco de Villegas; mother: Isabel González; vecinos of Zafra] [to Nueva España]

AGI, Justicia, 258, pieza 1, “Relación de los salarios” [fol. 800r: Nov. 1539, a Johan de villegas...Lxx pesos  [present with Mendoza at Compostela and at the peñoles; signed his name-this final statement is not in Pieza 1 (no signature on copy)]

1540-1550:

1540, Feb: Muster in Flint & Flint, Documents, Document 12 [3 horses, chainmail vest, elk hide jacket, bent head armor, native arms]

Juan de Contreras testimony in Flint, Great Cruelties [p.112: rape of Indian woman];

AGI, Justicia, 267, N.3 [Villegas, brother of the regidor (Pedro)]; [proceso, testimony of Rodrigo Frías] [Villegas was in López de Cárdenas’s company] [witness Juan de Contreras: raped an Indian woman] [witness Melchior Pérez: raped a woman]

Actas de Cabildo, Tomo IV, p.298 [August 22, 1542: a Juan de Villegas petitions for a solar "en la calle que va de la casa del fator a las atarazanas sobre la mano izquierda linde del solar  se dio a alonso de gibraleon escribano y de la otra parte solar de pedro de villegas regidor"];

Actas de Cabildo, Tomo IV, p.303 [September 5, 1542: a Juan de Jérez is granted a solar bordered by those of Diego Hernández and Juan Villegas];

Actas de Cabildo, Tomo IV, p.310 [October 20, 1542: Pedro de Villegas is granted demasias "que hay en el solar que se dio al dicho pedro de villegas e a Juan Villegas"]

Pedro de Villegas:

AGI, Contratación, 5787, N.1, L.4  [fol.75v-76: November 3, 1536 [nombramiento de Pedro de Villegas como regidor de México];

AGI, Justicia, 258, pieza 1, “Visita hecha al Virrey, 1544” [witness, Pedro de Villegas, regidor de México, natural de la villa de Zafra, about 46 years old, has been in Nueva España about 7 years, signed his name];

Himmerich, Encomenderos, 264 [Francisco de Villegas, Castillana: Extremadura, father of Pedro, Francisco in Indies by 1507, relative of Cortés]; Deductions: Pedro older, born 1500, Juan younger, born before 1507 when their father was in Nueva España;

AGI, Justicia, 266, Quaderno 4 [Probanza de don Antonio de Mendoza sobre los cargos que le fueron fechos por el senor Licenciado Francisco Tello de Sandoval, Pedro de Villegas, witness #13, also from Zafra, more than 46]

Relatives: ?AGI, México, 22 [1590, Alcaldes Mayores: Francisco de Villegas, grandson of poblador and married to a granddaughter of conquistador, Içuzar; Pedro de Villegas, son of poblador antiguo and married to granddaughter of conquistador, Teuçitlan y Atempa]