Manuel de Mederos

Captain Manuel de Mederos (Portuguese: Manuel de Medeiros) (1539 – c. 1613) was a Portuguese explorer and settler who was active in the Spanish conquest of Mexico, as one of the founders of the city of Saltillo, Coahuila, and mayor of Monterrey, among other titles.

Early life and family

Manuel Mederos's parents were Fernão Rodrigues Medeiros and Maria Manuela de Amona. He was born in 1539 on São Miguel Island, in the Azores. He moved to Spain in his youth. He arrived at New Spain (now Mexico) in 1562. He was part of the expedition of Luis Carvajal y de la Cueva, during the conquest of northern Mexico. He was one of the original founders of the city of Saltillo, Coahuila, on July 25, 1577. He married Magdalena Martínez.

Later life

Captain de Mederos's hacienda (ranch) was located south of the Villa of Saltillo, next to the properties of Alberto del Canto and Juan Alonso, close to Buenavista. He was a companion of Don Gaspar Castaño de Sosa in his frustrated voyage to New Mexico.

In 1583, Captain de Mederos was granted a territory in which he established the Hacienda of San Juan Bautista de la Pesquería Grande, which later become the municipality of Garcia, in the Mexican state of Nuevo León.

He also joined Carvajal in the founding of the city of Almadén (now Monclova) in April 1588.

In 1593, he returned with his family back to Saltillo, though in 1599, he moved once again to the city of Monterrey, where he served first as town councillor, and then, in 1601, as mayor; in 1602, as church steward; in 1603, as town councillor again; and in 1605, as mayor.

On July 25, 1606, Mederos associated with Diego de Huelva and José de Treviño to cultivate corn and wheat. The next year, they bought from the priest Cebrián de Acevedo Ovalle all of his mines in el Nuevo Reino de León.

On April 22, 1613, he donated land in Santa Catarina to his goddaughter Andrea Rodríguez, wife of Blas Pérez.

He still lived as of December 1613.

After this, little is known about Captain Mederos. The Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL) has a campus named after him, and there is a Capitán Mederos Avenue at the city of Monterrey.