Other Key Players

In 1522, King Carlos appointed one of his secretaries Rodrigo de Albornoz as contador real/royal accountant and auditor of the real hacienda de México/royal treasury.

A friend of Vázquez de Coronado, licenciado Cristóbal de Benavente became the second fiscal of the Audiencia of México sometime after 1535, replacing his father-in-law Antonio Ruiz.

Don Luis de Castilla was a friend and close associate of Viceroy Mendoza, a family friend of Alonso de Estrada (Vázquez de Coronado's father-in-law), and a relative of Hernando Cortés’s second wife.

Juan de Cuevas, royal scribe of mines in Nueva España, recorded a muster of the Coronado Expedition at Compostela in Nueva Galicia on the 22nd of February 1540. He was a native of Aranda de Duero, Burgos, Spain.

Juan Fernández Verdejo testified in 1552 that he acted as Vázquez de Coronado's purchasing agent for Expedition and spent over 30,000 pesos in gold in the process.

Ruy González, a regidor of the cabildo of Mexico City, was an investor in the Coronado Expedition.

Guido de Lavezariis (also incorrectly spelled Labazares and several other alternatives) was a merchant and banker in Mexico City from 1536 till the mid-1560s, who became a financier of and sent an agent on the Coronado Expedition.

Luis de León, romano, was a native of Rome, Italy. He became secretary to don Antonio de Mendoza.

Francisco de Lerma testified in 1544 on behalf of Hernán Cortés that a criado of his and two of the criado's friends went on the Expedition. It is possible that Francisco sponsored these individuals.

Luis de Mansylla stated in 1547 that he had planned on participating in the Expedition, but that he became ill and could not go.  He was a native of Palençuela (Burgos province) and the son of Gómez de Mansilla and María de Cabrera.

Cristóbal Méndez stated in 1559 that he had left Mexico City in 1539 with Vázquez de Coronado in order to participate in the Expedition, but got caught up in the Mixtón War instead. There are a few inconsistencies in his statements.

Don Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, the youngest brother of Viceroy Mendoza, was serving as King Carlos's ambassador to Venice when don Antonio asked him to travel to Mexico City to substitute for him as viceroy while don Antonio himself led the Expedit

Don Antonio de Mendoza was the principal architect and funder of the Expedition to Cíbola of 1539-1542. A member of an extremely powerful Castilian family, he was the second of five sons of don Iñigo López de Mendoza, the second conde de

Francisco Mexía stated that he was a criado of Vázquez de Coronado.

A native of Vitoria, Guipúzcoa province, Spain, Cristóbal de Oñate was lieutenant governor of Nueva Galicia under Vázquez de Coronado and filled in for him during the Expedition.

Fray Onorato was one of the early friars who arrived in New Spain along with fray Juan de Padilla.  Fray Onorato did not accompany the Expedition but instead accompanied fray Marcos de Niza on the reconnaissance of Tierra Nueva in 1539.

Francisco Pilo served as Vázquez de Coronado's attorney during the 1545 investigation into abuse of Natives by the Expedition. Pilo was the son of the alcalde mayor of Sevilla in Spain.

In 1546, Francisco Ramírez served as Vázquez de Coronado's attorney before the Audiencia de México when that court's decision was released, holding that the charges of abuse against the former captain general had not been proved.

At age 27 in 1545, Pedro de Requena was a scribe working in the office of Antonio de Turçios, the chief scribe of the Audiencia de México, when he was assigned to record the proceedings of the investigation of abuses of Natives by the Exp

Pedro Ruiz de Haro, from Peñaranda de Duero, Burgos, Spain, was an attorney for Vázquez de Coronado from at least the early 1540s till the early 1550s. He had participated in the conquest of Nueva Galicia under Guzmán.

Pedro de Salazar stated in 1552 that he, like some others, was prepared to go on the Expedition but fell sick and stayed behind.

Miguel de Santiago stated in 1547 that he had intended to join the Expedition but fell ill and could not go. In his stead, he sent Juan Muñoz, who unfortunately died at an unknown location in the course of the Expedition.

Licenciado Lorenzo de Tejada was one of the four oidores/judges of the Audiencia de México during the viceroyalty of don Antonio de Mendoza. He served in that position from 1537 till 1552.

Licenciado Francisco Tello de Sandoval, formerly a canon of the cathedral in Sevilla, Spain, was a member of the Consejo de Indias/Council of the Indies in Spain from 1543 till 1558.

Antonio de Turcios, a native of Salinas de Avana (Ávila province), had arrived in Nueva España in about 1527 and was chief scribe of the Audiencia of México by the 1540s.

Juan de Zumárraga, in adulthood to become the Bishop of Mexico, was born about 1468 in Tavira de Durango, Vizcaya province, Spain. He joined the Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans) and was nearly 60 years old when nominated as bishop of Mexico.