The "pruebas de limpieza" documents for don Jorge de Alvarado y Villafaña provide somewhat fragmentary genealogical information about the Gutiérrez de la Caballería family. However, when this material is combined with additional information extracted from records of the Spanish Inquisition of Ciudad Real (1483-1485), we can reconstruct a lineage from a Jewish-converso family of the late 1300s, a family known to have practiced Jewish customs and honored Jewish ceremonies after conversion to Catholicism, to the numerous members of one of the most influential and politically powerful extended families of sixteenth century Nueva España, including, doña Beatriz de Estrada, wife of don Francisco Vásquez de Coronado.
Doña Beatriz de Estrada and Her Family
Doña Beatriz de Estrada was a daughter of don Alonso de Estrada and doña Marina Flores Gutiérrez de la Caballería. Having served the royal crown faithfully in Flanders (Netherlands) and Sicily, don Alonso de Estrada (b.ca. 1470, Ciudad Real, Castilla la Nueva) found himself in the favor of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, Rey don Fernando II, El Católico, of Aragón and Reina doña Isabel, La Católica, of Castilla (r.1479-1504). While in service as Corregidor of the city of Cáceres, Estrada was given royal appointment in 1523 as Tesorero (Treasurer) de Nueva España. Don Alonso proceeded to Nueva España arriving in Veracruz the same year as his appointment, having left his wife and children in Spain. This ambitious and grandiose man quickly entered into the political intrigue of Nueva España and was eventually successful in supplanting the great conquistador of Tenochtitlán (Mexico City), don Hernán Cortés, as Governor of Nueva España (1526-1528). In early 1528, don Alosno’s wife and their five youngest children, all daughters, arrived in Nueva España having successfully completed the three month journey from Spain in the company of fray Julián Gárces, first bishop of Tlaxcala.