Following the hypothesis that Isabel de Mendoza, wife of Toribio Hernández de Arellano, was a native (chichimeca?), I would like to leave this note for the benefit of future research.
The proposition of a native origin for Isabel de Mendoza is not new, it predates the publication of Retoños de España en la Nueva Galicia. This possibility was suggested by Mariano González-Leal during a private dinner at his house, years before Retoños was published. It is crucial to emphasize that this remains a speculative theory and no proof has been found. It is based on the following:
- Strategic. A marital alliance between a spaniard like the mayor Toribio Hernández de Arellano and an indigenous woman, particularly one of cacique lineage, would have been a strategic asset in the region of Santa María de los Lagos. This area was situated on a volatile frontier (frontera de chichimecas), and such unions could have been a method of securing alliances with indios amigos or indios de paz, thereby stabilizing a notoriously dangerous territory.
- Onomastic evidence. The surname "de Mendoza" was conferred upon several caciques and their family members during the viceroyalty of Don Antonio de Mendoza (1535-1550). Isabel de Mendoza's estimated birth date falls within this period, and Viceroy Mendoza was physically present in Nueva Galicia in 1542, a plausible context for her baptism and the bestowal of the surname.
An alternative, though chronologically-challenging hypothesis must also be acknowledged. My dear friend, the Mexican diplomat Jorge A. Fuentes Méndez—to whom, along with Guillermo Tovar de Teresa and Mariano González-Leal, I owe my early training in genealogy decades ago—provided me an extensive list of documented Mendozas from the period. This list included the family of Francisco de Mendoza (son of Comendador Diego de Mendoza and Isabel Segura) and his wife Beatriz de Montoya. This family, including their children Pedro de Mendoza, Isabel de Mendoza, Leonor de Montoya, and Juana Ruiz, emigrated to New Spain in 1536 (Archivo General de Indias, CONTRATACION, 5536, L.4, F.38R(5)) PARES | Archivos Españoles. The fate of this particular Isabel de Mendoza is unknown, and she remains a candidate. However, a significant chronological issue exists, as she was likely born around 1530 or earlier.
Best regards.
Erik Andrés Reynoso y Márquez.
Thank you Erik for sharing this interesting theory.
Hoping to hear more on this research. I have also been following with great interest your recent thread on Toribio Hernández de Arellano and the possible connection to the Hernández family from Salamanca. No doubt that further evidence will emerge to confirm this association.
Best regards,
Tristán Díaz de León
I would like to clarify my statement. Isabel de Mendoza was born in what is now Mexico, but she wasn’t full blooded native. Her father Diego Hurtado de Mendoza came over from Spain, but I don’t have any information identifying Isabel’s mother. Diego was single when he came over and little is known about him except who he came over with and who he worked for. The clues that I still need to follow come from his employer. I am seeking out records that may reveal a little more about his time in Mexico. I do know Diego’s ancestry and he is closely related to other Mendoza’s that came over, both in Mexico and South America. It is clear that Isabel’s mother was native or a mestiza. I do not know the identity of Isabel’s mother.
Rick A. Ricci
Thank you, Tristán and Rick, for your comments.
I hope we, or someone in the future, will eventually find documentation to prove those hypotheses. Researcher Rick Rodriguez posted an interesting comment on Isabel de Mendoza's Familysearch profile, which notes: "Isabel de Mendoza fue de india o mestiza. Esto se deduce porque varios de sus descendientes directos maternos resultaron con haplogrupo indígena." I hope Rick Rodriguez, if he is part of this group, can share more about his interesting finding.
I also have a question, Rick. What document proves that Diego Hurtado de Mendoza is the father of Isabel? And if he did have a daughter named Isabel, how does that connect her specifically to Santa María de los Lagos and to Toribio Hernández de Arellano? This would help clarify that the Isabel in question is not someone else with the same name.
Best regards,
Erik.
Toribio Hernández de Arellano and Isabel de Mendoza