Participants in the Luna Expedition, 1559-1561

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See also: Luna Fleet / Luna Settlement / Luna Documents / Luna Bibliography

A full roster of the Tristán de Luna expedition has never been found, though at the very least a list of infantry and cavalry soldiers who received advance pay in New Spain before departing in 1559 must have been generated and may eventually be discovered. Using a diverse variety of documentary sources, however, it is possible to reconstruct a partial list of participants in the expedition. Below is a more-or-less comprehensive list of all the major officials on the expedition, including military officers and royal treasury officials as well as Dominicans. Additional names and lists will be added in future updates to this page.

Major Officials / Fleet Officials


Major Officials

Military – Field-Grade Officers
Gobernador don Tristán de Luna y Arellano
Maese de Campo Jorge Cerón Saavedra
Sargento Mayor Mateo del Saúz
Alférez Mayor don Carlos de Zúniga

Royal Officials
Tesorero Alonso Velázquez Rodríguez
Contador Alonso Pérez
Factor Luis Daza

Other Field-Grade Officials
Alguacil Mayor Rodrigo Vázquez
Alcalde Mayor Alonso Fajardo
Médico Hernán de Arias
Capellan Juan Pérez de Barandalla
Escribano Real Miguel Martínez

Military – Company-Grade Officers
Capitan Alvaro Nieto
Capitan Pedro Ladrón de Guevara
Capitan Juan de Porras
Capitan Antonio Ortíz de Matienço
Capitan don Christóbal Ramírez de Arellano
Capitan Juan Xaramillo
Capitan don Pedro de Acuña
Capitan don Alonso de Castilla
Capitan Gonzalo Sánchez de Aguilar
Capitan Baltasar de Sotelo
Capitan Diego Téllez
Capitan Julián de Acuña
Capitan Pedro López de Nava

Dominican Missionaries
Vicario Provincial Fray Pedro de Feria
Fray Domingo de Salazar
Fray Domingo de la Anunciación
Fray Juan de Mazuelas
Fray Diego de Santo Domingo
Fray Bartolomé Matheos

Replacement Officials
Gobernador Angel de Villafañe (arrived early April, 1561)
Capitan Diego de Biedma (arrived early April, 1561)

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Fleet Officials

Jesús Flagship
Maestre: Diego López
Piloto: Alonso Beltrán

San Juan de Ulua Vice Flagship
Maestre (and Almirante of the fleet): Pedro de Andonasgui
Piloto: Diego Pérez

San Juan de Ulua
Maestre: Hernán Pérez
Piloto: Constantín de San Remo

San Andrés
Maestre: Alonso Moraño
Piloto: Francisco Martín

Sancti Espiritus
Maestre: Juan de Puerta
Piloto: Juan Valenciano

San Amaro
Maestre: Christóbal de Escobar
Piloto: Antón Mançera

Santa María de Ayuda
Maestre: Lazaro Morel
Piloto: Antón Martín Cordero

Santi Espiritus
Maestre: Alonso Carillo
Piloto: Gonzalo Gayón

Corpus Cristi
Maestre: Francisco de Guadalupe
Piloto: Christóbal Rodriguez

San Luís Aragón
Maestre: Hernán Rodríguez
Piloto: Gaspar González

La Salvadora
Maestre and Piloto: Vicente Fernández

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